Leh Ladakh Tourism

Leh Ladakh Tourism tops every adventurer's bucket list. Rejoice a vacation here with the Leh Ladakh travel guide by witnessing the awestrucking views of the turquoise lakes rippling amidst the rugged valleys of the terrain. Leh Ladakh tour guide welcomes everyone to the land of adventures where trekking might seem like a hundred-to-one task but biking through the meandrous roadways thoroughly holds its own charm. Make sure to cover all Ladakh tourist places on this once in a lifetime trip. Find out the best time to visit to enjoy Ladakh tourism before going and check out the Ladakh tourism official website for all relevant information.
Till date, Ladakh remains unscathed by the modern activities, which justifies the reason as to why it rejuvenates every soul with the chilly enthrallment of its nature. Leh Ladakh tourism is all about getting mesmerized by the stillness of this place. In fact, a Ladakh road trip is the best way to enjoy the beauty of the place.

Tso kar Lake
One of the three high altitude salt lakes in Leh Ladakh, the Tso Kar lake is situated in the Rupshu valley of the Trans-Himalayan region. Due to high amount of salt deposits scattered all over its shore, it is also called as White Lake of India. What differentiates the Tso Kar lake from the rest two is the unique landscape it offers. The white Tso Kar Lake in Ladakh is surrounded by a complete different variety of land forms that are rare to find anywhere else. With numerous wetlands, lush grasslands, dry salt flats and multi-colored hillocks in its vicinity, the Tso Kar lake has become a major tourist attraction. Tourism in this region of Ladakh speaks highly of the swampy wetlands it possesses.

Tso Moriri Lake
Perched at an altitude of 4522 meters, Tso Moriri Lake is the largest high-altitude lake of India and one of the most famous lakes to visit in Leh Ladakh tour. It is fed by snow melts and springs from the vicinity. Two major streams pour into the lake, one from north and other from southwest. Tso Moriri Lake is located in Southeast of Leh region and the route to this lake is mostly in good condition. This lake is also known as Mountain Lake of India, this is surely one of the most beautiful lakes in Leh Ladakh. It is about 28 km in length (stretching from north to south) and 4 to 6 km broad. Barren and snow-clad peaks in the surrounding forms an enchanting panorama.

Pangong Tso Lake
Set at a height of around 13,900 ft, Pangong Tso Lake is also known as Pangong Lake. You will say star attraction of the Leh Ladakh. The lake is 134 km long and it extends from India to Tibet. Around 60% of the length of the lake lies in Tibet. The lake offers a serene and captivating ambience which leaves every visitor spellbound. There is a narrow ramp-like formation of land which runs into the lake. The lake has become a popular tourist attraction after being featured in the Rajkumar Hirani blockbuster movie- 3 idiots. This lake is also featured in many other Hindi movies.

Likir Gompa
Likir Gompa, around 62 kms to the West of the main city of Leh. The 5th king of Ladakh, Lhachen Gyalpo ordered the establishment of this monastery and thus it was established in 1065 by Lama Duwang Chosje. The monastery is of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. In the times of today, Buddhist teachings and the three basic Pratimoksa disciplines are preached on the site. The monastery also plays host to the annual festival that is in the 12th months of the Tibetan Calendar, from the 27th to the 29th . During the festival, religious dance performances are given by the local artists.

Matho Monastery
Located around 26 kilometers away from Leh, on the picturesque Indus Valley, Matho Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery built under the Saskya Monastic Establishment. It was constructed around 500 years ago. It was established by Lama Dugpa Dorje in 1410, who belongs to Sakya order. It houses a marvelous collection of ancient Thangas and known for its Matho Nagrang Festival. It is an annual festival which takes place in the first half of March. It is a nice place where you can understand Buddhist teachings and philosophies. The nearby attraction of this place is Stakna Gompa.

Lamayuru Monastery
Located on the main highway between Bodhkhabru and Kha-la-che, at an altitude of 3.510 meters, Lamayuru Monastery is amongst the oldest monasteries in Ladakh. It is said to have been built around the same time as Alchi monastery. It was founded by Mahasiddhacharya Naropa in the 11th century and belongs to Red-Hat Sect of Buddhism. There are several legends associated with this Gompa. One such legend is that Lamayuru was a lake that drew back up to the mountains after blessings from a lama, in order to evacuate space for this monastery. It features a rich collection of wall paintings and Thangkas.

Hemis Monastery
Hemis Monastery, 40 kms towards the south-east of the main city of Leh is the largest as well as the most well-known monastery (Gompa) in Ladakh. This monastery was built by under the reigns of the King Singge Namgyal, in 1672 AD. This monastery plays host to an annual festival that is held in the month of which is also a major tourist attraction. This colorful day-long festival is called Hemis Tsechu which is also a state holiday. During the course of the festival, the local resident Lamas perform a holy masked dance to glorify the victory of good over bad. Today it is taken care off by the Drukpa sect of Buddhism. The monastery has beautiful paintings and a statue of Lord Buddha, which are the highlights too.

Alchi Monastery
Alchi Monastery, located in the Alchi village in Leh, was built by the great translator Guru Rinchen Zangpo between 958 and 1055. Today it is being monitored by Likir Monastery. This monastery is actually a complex of temples consisting of 4 separate portions that has monuments built at different times. The main complex has three temples- gTsug-lag-Khang (main temple), 'Jam-dpal lHa-Khang (Manjushri temple) and Dukhang (assembly hall).

Alchi Choskor Monastery
Alchi Choskor monastery is located approximately 69 kms towards the Western side of the main city of Leh. It is popular in the form of largest of all the gompas built that were built by Lotsava Rinchen Zangpo. He had ordered four families to take care of Choskor, as there was no monastic communities present during the 15th century. It was taken over by the Lekir Monastery and is under them today also. The monastery complex consists of comprises of Assembly Hall (Dukhang), Sumtsek Lhakhang, 3-storied temple, the Lhakhang Soma (New Temple), the Munjushri Temple (Jamyang Lhakhang), Translator Temple (Lotsava Lhakhang) and Kangur Lhakhang.

Thiksey Gompa
Thikse Gompa, of the Yellow Hat (Gelugpa) sect, is around 19 kms to the East of the main city of Leh. The architecture of the largest monastery in central region of Ladakh, is similar to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. This 12-storey building complex consists of a number of things related to Buddhist art such as Thangka paintings, statues, stupas, swords, and so on. The building also has a nunnery.

Spituk Gompa
Spituk Monastery, built during the 11th century, also Pethup Gompa, was founded by Od-de, the elder brother of Lha Lama Changchub. Today, it is home to 100 monks as well as a giant statue of goddess Kali, which is shown to the public during the yearly Spituk festival. Although founded in the form of a Red Hat institution, it was taken over by the Yellow Hat sect during the 15th century.

Rangdum Gompa
Nestled at an altitude of 11,998 feet above the sea level, Rangdum Gompa is situated halfway between Kargil and Padum. It was founded by Losang Geleg Yeshe Drogpa in the 18th century.
It rises above a centrally ascending mountain, established around the diverged route of a mountain stream. It appears like an ancient fortification, which stands as a guardian of a mystical mountain valley. It is located alongside Julidok village and around 25 kilometers from the Pensi La pass which leads to Zanskar. This monastery is home to around 30 monks and monasteries.

Shey Monastry
The building complex of Shey Monastery located on the hilltop of Shey (the summer capital of the Leh city) is 15kms towards the South of the main city of Ladakh. It was built in 1655 after the order the king of Ladakh, Deldan Namgyal (Lhachen Palgyigon). The building which is mostly in ruins today was built by the king in the memory of his deceased father Singay Namgyal. The major attraction in the monastery is a huge gold-plated copper statue of seated Shakyamuni Buddha, which is also the second largest statue in Ladakh. In front of the statue, is a large wax bowl with a flame, which continuously lighted for a year, after which it is replaced.

Rizong Gompa
Rizong Gompa, also known as Rhizong monastery belongs to Gelugpa or Yellow Hat sect of Buddhism is situated on the hilltop of a rocky valley to the north of river Indus. It is also known as the Yuma Changchubling in Ladakh region. Established at Ri-rdzong in 1831 by Lama Tsultim Nima under the Gelukpa order, today it has around 40 monks who have to abide by very strict rules and regulations. It is also famous as the Paradise For Meditation

Phugtal Monastery
Phugtal Monastery or Phugtal Gompa that is also known as Phuktal monastery, is located in the southeastern of Zanskar, in the Ladakhi region. It was founded by Gangsem Sherap Sampo during the early 12th century. This building is a distinctive construction has it is built onto a Cliffside in the form of a honeycomb. Situated on the mouth of a cave, over the cliff top, it is close to a major tributary of the river Lungnak (Lingti-Tsarap). This monastery which has a library as well as prayer rooms, houses around 70 monks. This one of the most isolated monasteries of the region is made up of wood and mud.