Things to Do in Leh

Leh packs monasteries, high-altitude lakes and some of the highest motorable passes on Earth into one small town. This things to do in Leh list gives you entry prices, opening hours and travel times, so you can plan a 3 to 5 day itinerary. For timing advice, read the best time to visit Leh guide, and for where to sleep, see the where to stay in Leh guide.

Things to Do in Leh: Monasteries and Palaces

Leh Palace

The nine-storey Leh Palace was built around 1600 by King Sengge Namgyal and looks down over the old town from a rocky ridge. Inside are thangka paintings, royal relics and a small museum, but the main draw is the view across the Indus valley. Entry costs about Rs 300 for foreigners and Rs 25 for Indian nationals, and it is open daily from roughly 7am to 7pm. Climb up in the late afternoon when the light is best and the crowds thin out.

Thiksey Monastery

Thiksey is a 12-storey complex 19km south of Leh on the Leh-Manali highway, and its tiered white and red buildings resemble the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The morning prayer, with chanting monks in the main hall, starts around 6am and is open to visitors. Entry is about Rs 50, and there is a 15 metre Maitreya Buddha statue in a newer shrine on the upper level. Allow two hours including the drive.

Hemis Monastery

Hemis is the largest and wealthiest monastery in Ladakh, set in a side valley 45km south of Leh. It is best known for the Hemis Festival, a two-day masked dance held in late June or early July, but the monastery museum holds a fine collection of thangkas and ritual objects year round. Entry is about Rs 100, and the museum is closed on some festival days. Combine it with a stop at Thiksey on the same day trip.

Stok Palace

Stok Palace, built in 1820, is still the residence of the Ladakhi royal family and sits 17km south of Leh. The museum inside shows royal jewellery, coins and 14th-century religious art, and entry costs about Rs 80. The adjacent Stok village is the trailhead for the Stok Kangri climb, so trekkers pass through anyway. It is a quick half-day outing from town.

Things to Do in Leh: High-Altitude Lakes

Pangong Lake (Pangong Tso)

Pangong is a 134km long lake at 4,350 metres, made famous by the film 3 Idiots, and it changes from deep blue to turquoise through the day. The drive from Leh takes five to six hours each way over the Chang La pass (5,360m), so most people stay overnight in the camps at Spangmik or Lukung. You need an Inner Line Permit (about Rs 500 per person) and should spend two nights in Leh first to acclimatise. Permit and health details are in the Leh travel tips and FAQ page. Book a shared taxi or a tour rather than driving yourself if you are new to high-altitude roads.

Tso Moriri

Tso Moriri is a quieter high lake at 4,522 metres in the Rupshu valley, about 220km from Leh, with a four to five hour drive via Chumathang. It is a wetland reserve, so there is no camping on the shore itself; stay in the Korzok village homestays instead. Because it sits higher and further than Pangong, it gets far fewer visitors and you need the same Inner Line Permit. Allow a full two days for the round trip.

Things to Do in Leh: Mountain Passes and Scenic Drives

Khardung La Pass

Khardung La, at 5,359 metres, is one of the highest motorable passes in the world and the gateway to Nubra Valley, about 40km from Leh. Most people stop for photos at the summit sign, a cup of tea at the army cafe, and then drive on. The road is narrow and can close after snowfall, so leave early in the morning. There is no permit needed for the pass itself, but you need one to continue into Nubra.

Nubra Valley and Hunder Sand Dunes

Nubra Valley lies beyond Khardung La, about 120km and five hours from Leh, where the Shyok and Nubra rivers meet. The main stops are the 32 metre Maitreya Buddha at Diskit Monastery and the grey sand dunes at Hunder, where you can ride a double-humped Bactrian camel for about Rs 300 to Rs 500. Most people spend one or two nights in Diskit or Hunder. Carry your Inner Line Permit and a warm layer even in summer, because the valley floor is cold after dark.

Magnetic Hill and the Indus-Zanskar Confluence (Sangam)

Magnetic Hill, about 30km from Leh on the Kargil road, is a spot where the slope makes a parked car appear to roll uphill; there is a marked stretch where drivers test it in neutral. A few kilometres further is Sangam, where the green Zanskar river meets the brown Indus, with the colour split clearest in May and June. Both are free roadside stops you can combine with a visit to the Gurudwara Pathar Sahib on the way. For a fuller itinerary, see the Leh events and festivals calendar to time your visit with a festival.

Things to Do in Leh: Sights in and Around Town

Shanti Stupa

Shanti Stupa is a white-domed Buddhist monument built in 1991 by the Japanese monk Gyomyo Nakamura, set on a hill above the Changspa area, one of the Leh neighborhoods in this series. You climb about 500 steps or drive up, and entry is free. It is the standard sunset spot in Leh, with a clear view over the town and the Stok range, so go an hour before sunset.

Hall of Fame Museum

The Hall of Fame, about 4km from the centre on the Kargil road, is a war museum run by the Indian Army that documents the Kargil conflict and Ladakh’s history with photos, captured equipment and a memorial wall. Entry is about Rs 30 and it is open most days from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 7pm. It is a good indoor option on a windy afternoon and pairs with a stop at Magnetic Hill.

Before you head out, check the Leh weather by month guide for road conditions and the full Leh travel guide to plan the rest of your trip.