Ladakh
A high-altitude desert in the far north, a land of stark mountains, Buddhist monasteries, turquoise lakes and villages, often called Little Tibet.
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Illustrative image - a scene in the spirit of the place, not a photograph of it. Real photos are below.
Ladakh, in the far north of India between the Himalaya and the Karakoram, is a high-altitude cold desert of extraordinary starkness and beauty, a land of bare ochre and violet mountains, deep river valleys, and skies of an intense blue, sitting mostly above three thousand metres. Long isolated and culturally Tibetan, it is dotted with Buddhist monasteries, or gompas, that cling to crags above the villages, among them Thiksey, which resembles a miniature Potala, and Hemis, famous for its summer festival of masked dances. From the capital, Leh, roads climb over some of the highest motorable passes in the world to the sand dunes and double-humped camels of the Nubian valley and to Pangong Lake, a vast ribbon of water that shifts through blues and greens against the mountains. It is a place for slow travel, acclimatisation and quiet wonder, one of the most spectacular regions in the country.
What you actually see
- The monasteries - hilltop gompas such as Thiksey and Hemis above the valleys.
- Pangong Lake - the vast high-altitude lake shifting through blues and greens.
- Nubra Valley - the desert valley with its dunes and double-humped camels.
- Leh and its old town - the capital below its ruined palace and the surrounding villages.
When to go
June to September is the main season, when the high passes and roads are open and the weather mildest; winter is bitterly cold and access is limited to flights. Whenever you come, spend the first days acclimatising to the altitude before exerting yourself. The Hemis festival falls in summer.
Honest expectations
The altitude is the serious consideration: Leh sits above 3,500 metres and the passes and lakes are far higher, so altitude sickness is a real risk, and rushing in and straight up will make people ill; allow days to acclimatise. The roads are long, rough and slow, and the region is remote with basic facilities. Some border areas need permits. In winter much of it is inaccessible. Reward it with time rather than haste.
Nearby
The valleys of Kashmir lie over the passes to the west; Manali and Himachal are the southern road gateway.
What to pack for Ladakh
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
