LEH LADAKH

About Leh Ladakh Tourism

The Land of High Passes, Ladakh, the newly created Union Territory in India (previously a part of Jammu & Kashmir), boasts a landscape that can leave you with your jaws dropped. It is a place where the landscape changes dramatically; it is truly astonishing to see the mountains, snow, cold desert, alpine meadows and lakes at a short distance from each other. Tourism in Ladakh is an absolute delight for nature lovers as well as adventurers.

Adorned with the lofty barren mountains, Ladakh is home to some of the highest motorable passes like Khardung La (5359 m), Marsimik La (5582 m), and Chang La (5360 m), and alpine lakes like Pangong Tso (4350 m) and Tso Moriri (4522 m). Ladakh is further divided into three regions – Leh, Nubra, and Zanskar, and each region has several places to see.

Ladakh is majorly popular amongst the adventurers who feel welcomed by the number of adrenaline rushing activities offered here. The union territory is amongst the top trekking destinations in India with amazing and unmatched treks like the popular Frozen River Trek/Chadar Trek. Ladakh also has opportunities for mountaineering, motor biking, mountain biking, white water rafting and more.

Adding to its exceptional beauty are the ancient Buddhist monasteries that are mostly nestled in the mountains and are thousands of years old. These monasteries make for the Buddhist pilgrimage destinations in Ladakh and also act as important cultural centres where major religious festivals take place.

In our Ladakh Travel Guide, we add all the information you need to know before planning a trip. Our authentic Ladakh travel guide includes information on the top places to visit, must visit tourist attractions, best things to do and top places to stay in Ladakh.

Tour My India offers the best Leh Ladakh tour packages ensuring an amazing holiday experience at this top Himalayan destination in India.

Climate in Ladakh

Summer Season (April till June, Temperature 5°C to 25°C)

The summer season in Ladakh begins from April and extends till June. During this time, the temperature ranges between 5℃ and 25℃. The tourist season in Ladakh begins in May.

Monsoon Season (July to September, Temperature 10°C to 25°C)

Ladakh is located in a high-altitude region, and receives very little to no rain from July to September. This is a great time to go sightseeing & enjoy all the other activities that Ladakh has to offer.

Winter Season (late October to February, Temperature -5°C to 10°C)

Winters in Ladakh begin from October and last till February. The entire region receives heavy snowfall, with some areas receiving heavier snowfall than the other. Places like Kargil experience harsh winters. The Chadar Treks, one of the most famous treks in Ladakh, is best enjoyed from mid January to mid February.

About Top Travel Destinations in Ladakh

Leh, the capital city of the Union Territory of Ladakh, offers you with a wide range of sightseeing options. There are several monasteries, with the famous ones being Hemis, Alchi, Spituk & Matho. Other must see places are Shanti Stupa, Magnetic Hill, Gurudwara Pattar Sahib, War Museum & the Leh market, which is a great place for shopping in Ladakh.

Kargil, famously known as the gateway to Ladakh, is home to ancient monasteries like Mulbekh, Rangdum & Sani. A top sightseeing attraction in Kargil is the Kargil War Memorial, which commemorates the Kargil War which occurred between India & Pakistan in 1999. Other must visit tourist places are the ancient Hunderman village & Nun Kun Massif.

No tour to Ladakh is ever complete without visiting Drass, the second coldest place in the world & home to sightseeing attractions, which are historical, cultural and religious, like Ningoor Masjid, Bimbhet, Draupadi Kund, Tiger Hill & Goashan, a picnic spot which also serves as a polo ground.

Although Zanskar is a top tourist place to visit in Ladakh because of the Chadar Trek which is done on the frozen Zanskar River, there are plenty of opportunities for sightseeing. You could visit its famous gompas like Bardam, Karsha, Phugtal, Sani & Zongkhul, or explore the lovely landscape dotted with mountains & streams and the panoramic views that greet you everywhere you go.

In Nubra Valley, you come across a lunar landscape, double humped Bactrian camels, villages like Hunder & Turtuk, which seem to have existed since time immemorial, and Panamik Village, famous for its hot water springs. The second highest motorable pass in the world, Khardung La, which connects Leh to Nubra Valley, is a top tourist attraction. Other places to visit in Nubra Valley are Samstanling Monastery, Yarab Tso and Diskit Monastery.

About Top Activities & Things to Do for Tourists in Ladakh

Ladakh, in particular, is a haven for adventure junkies, as its rivers, mountain peaks and makes offer exciting opportunities for adventure activities like mountaineering, camping, river rafting, peak climbing & trekking.

Mountaineers can experience the sheer thrill of scaling the unbelievable heights of mountain peaks in Ladakh like Stok Kangri, Nun Kun Massif, Gulap Kangri, Saser-I, II & III, all of which range between 5,000 to 7,000 meters attract mountaineers.

Trekking is another adventure activity which lets you explore the cultural & natural beauty of Ladakh, with famous treks like Stok Kangri Trek, Chadar Trek which is done in winter, Lamayuru to Darcha Trek & Nubra Valley Trek, where you can catch sight of the two-humped Bactrian camels.

Mountain biking is a famous adventure activity in Ladakh which can be enjoyed in places like Pangong Tso, Leh to Zingchen, Skiu to Chilling & Leh to Sankar Gompa. The joy of camping in Ladakh, with such breathtaking scenery to surround you, cannot be overstated, with top camping locations being Thiksey, Hunder Village, Tso Moriri & Zanskar Valley. Ladakh is a popular river rafting destination too, which can be enjoyed on the Indus and Zanskar rivers, with the two most famous stretches being Phey to Saspol & Phey to Nimo.

There are certain top things to do in Ladakh which are suitable for honeymoon couples, for example, a camel safari in Hunder & Diskit villages, and areas like Tiggur, Pinchimik & Yulkam. A great way of enjoying the authentic Ladakhi cuisine & experiencing the lovely hospitality of the people is through homestays, with the famous Leh homestays being Gangs Shun, Jimmy’s Homestay & Nilza Guest House, and Zanskar homestays in Hamunil, Zeru, Panikhar and Parkachik.

One of the best things to do in Ladakh during your vacation is gain an insight into its culture, which can be done by attending its famous festivals like Hemis Tsechu, Losar, Saka Dawa & Yuru Kabgyat, some of which are held in summers & the other in winters. Visiting its monasteries is both an enlightening & exciting experience, since they carry both historical & cultural value.

Shopping in Ladakh is best enjoyed in Leh, where you can purchase a variety of interesting items, from carpets, Pashmina wool products & prayer wheels to jewellery and bamboo baby cradles.

Best Things to Do in Ladakh

Ladakh is an adventurer’s paradise. It is home to some incredible trails that are perfect for trekking and hiking; lofty mountains for mountaineering; furious rivers for river rafting; and amazing roads and dirt paths for that adrenaline rushing mountain and motor biking adventure.

This Himalayan destination is also rich in the number of Buddhist monasteries that are also the cultural centres which make them the perfect places for performing pilgrimage and enjoying cultural tours.