Ladakh, literally meaning ‘Land Of High Passes’ is a mesmerizing land dotted with dangerous mountain passses, magnificent mountains, sprawling meadows, sparkling blue waters and stunning landscapes. The breathtaking beauty of this magical land attracts adventurers, bikers, explorers, trekkers and shutterbugs alike.
We have compiled a list of the places to visit in Ladakh. We have further segregated the list according to different six different regions to plan your trip namely:
- Srinagar to Leh
- Zanskar Valley
- Leh and Around
- Towards Nubra Valley
- Towards Pangong
- Towards Tso Moriri
So here we go…
Srinagar to Leh
Dras
Often referred to as the “Gateway to Ladakh”, Dras lies on the national highway that connects Srinagar and Leh. It lies between the Zoji La pass and Kargil. Dras is the second most coldest inhabited place in the world and the coldest in India. It recorded a temperature as low as -60°C (-76°F) in January 1995.
The Karil War memorial is on the foothills of the Tololing Hill. It is about 5 km away from the city centre of Dras. It was built by the Indian Army after the 1999 Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan. A huge epitaph lists the names of all the soldiers and officers who laid down their lives during the war.
Image Source – Amritash (Flickr)
Kargil
Lamayuru
The moonland of Ladakh, Lamayuru is a small village along Sri Nagar – Leh Highway. Around 100 km from Leh, the village is known for its moonlike landscapes.
Image Source – Satyajit Das (Flickr)
Magnetic Hill
A small stretch of road located about 30 kms from Leh towards Kargil, Magnetic Hill has been raising curiosity amongst travelers for years. One can turn off their engines and yet see their vehicles moving uphill up to speeds of 20 km /hr. While some believe that the phenomena is a result of strong magnetic force, others believe this to be an optical illusion where a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill one.
Image Source – Amit Rawat (Flickr)
Alchi Monastery
Image Source – Shannon Ley (Flickr)
Likir Monastery
Image Source – Atish Banerjee (Flickr)
Zanskar Valley
Zangla, Zanskar valley
One of the remotest places in India, Zanskar valley is one of the best-kept secrets of the Leh Ladakh region. Rafting on ferocious Zanskar river with stunning views promises a high adrenaline experience in the summers while the Chadar frozen river trek in the winters is also a lifetime experience.
Image Source – Soumen Basu Mallick (Flickr)
Zanskar River Rafting
Image Source – Nilanjan Bhattacharya (Flickr)
Penzi La
Image Source – puneet vikram singh (Flickr)
Phugtal Monastery
Image Source – michaelrmclaughlin (Flickr)
Rangdum
Located around 100 km from Kargil, Rangdum is nestled in an isolated region of the Suru Valley. It offers spectacular views of colorful hills on one side and rocky mountains with glaciers on the other.
Image Source – Ankit Kapoor (Flickr)
Drang Drung Glacier
Image Source – Sai Achanta (Flickr)
immu
The breath-taking valley of Nimmu marks the confluence of Zanskar and Indus rivers. The beautiful landscape is a paradise for the shutterbugs.
Image Source – Anil Goyal (Flickr)
Karsha – Zanskar Valley
Image Source – Sai Achanta (Flickr)
Padum – Zanskar Valley
Image Source – sandeepachetan.com travel photography
Leh and Around
Stakna Monastery
Located around 25 kms from Leh on the left bank of Indus, Stakna Monastery is over 400 years old built on a small hill. One can witness striking views of Indus valley and river from the roof of the monastery.
Image Source – reurinkjan (Flickr)
Shanti Stupa
A white-dome stupa on a hilltop around 5 km from Leh, Shanti Stupa offers panoramic views of the city of Leh. Built to commemorate 2500 years of Buddhism, the Shanti Stupa is also considered a symbol of the ties between the people of Japan and Ladakh.
Image Source – Shantideva (Flickr)
Spituk Gompa
Image Source – Amit Rawat (Flickr)
Leh Palace
Image Source – Hiro Otake (Flickr)
Thiksey Monastery
Image Source – ernsttromp (Flickr)
Prayer Flags At Thiksey Monastery
Image Source – Srinivasa S (Flickr)
Hemis National Park
A high altitude in the eastern Ladakh, Hemis National Park is renowned for being the best place to see the snow leopard in the wild. The national park is the abode to over 16 mammal and 73 bird species.
Image Source – Johan Assarsson (Flickr)
Markha Valley
The Markha Valley is one of the most popular trekking routes in Ladakh along the Markha River, a tributary of Ladakh. With Sculpted canyons, marvelous rock formations, snow laden peaks and Buddhist gompas, Markha is one of the least explored yet stunning regions of Ladakh.
Image Source – Jamie McGuinness (Flickr)
Towards Nubra Valley
Diskit Monastery
The largest and oldest monastery in Nubra valley, the Diskit monastery is located on a hill above the floodplains of Shyok River. One can enjoy panoramic views of Nubra Valley from the Gompa roof of Diskit.
Image Source – Sujal Parikh (Flickr)
Turtuk
Image Source – Rajeev Rajagopalan (Flickr)
Hundar, Nubra Valley
Around 150 km north of Leh, Hunder is a beautiful village at the confluence of Shyok and Nubra rivers. It is most popular for the camel rides and safaris are done on the Bactrian Double-humped Camels.
Image Source – Prabhu B Doss (Flickr)
Khardung La
At an altitude of 5359 meters, Khardung La is one of the highest motorable passes of the world. The pass is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys.
Image Source – Anushree Dirangane (Flickr)
Sumur – Nubra Valley
A blissful, quite and peaceful village in the Nubra Valley, Sumur is marked with green and yellow vegetation. It is also famous for the Samstem monastery.
Image Source – Apisak Kanjanapusit (Flickr)
Towards Pangong
Pangong Tso
Pangong Tso, literally meaning ‘high grassland lake’ is one of the most well-known attractions of the Leh-ladakh region at a height of about 4350 meters. The lake offers a beautiful site for camping while being a haven for migratory birds and gulls.
Image Source – Kshitiz Sharma (Flickr)
Chang La Pass
At an elevation of 5360 meters, Chang La is amongst the highest motorable roads in the world. The mountain pass is on the route to Pangong Lake from Leh.
Image Source – Poonam Parihar (Flickr)
Nubra Valley
A tri-armed valley located northeast of Ladakh, Nubra separates the Ladakh and Karakoram ranges of the Himalayas. A high altitude cold desert with an average altitude of around 3000 meters, Nubra offers stunning sceneries with green oasis villages, monasteries, sand dunes, boulder fields and harsh arid mountains.
Image Source – Jeffrey.1103 (Flickr)
Chusul
Image Source – Soumen Basu Mallick (Flickr)
Towards Tso Moriri
Tso Moriri
Regarded as the most beautiful destination of the entire Leh-Ladakh region, Tso Moriri lake is nestled spectacularly between the barren mountain ranges and snow laden high altitude peaks. Located at an altitude of 4522 meters. the mystical lake is also a popular camping site for travelers.
Image Source – Tanay Kibe (Flickr)
Tso Kar Lake
A salt lake situated in the Rupshu plateau in southern Ladakh, the Tso Kar lake is one of the hidden gems of Ladakh. It is located around 250 kms away from the city of Leh at an altitude of 4660 meters. The area around the lake is rich in flora and fauna with several species of birds.
Image Source – solarisgirl (Flickr)
Chumathang
Image Source – Mohit Gupta (Flickr)
Towards Hanle
Hanle Village
Image Source – Kuntal Joisher (Flickr)
Hanle Observatory
Image Source – Navaneeth Unnikrishnan (Flickr)
Taglang La Pass
Taglang La is a high altitude mountain pass at an altitude of 5328 meters on the Leh-Manali Highway. The pass offers scenic views with ample vegetation on both sides while the sharp bends in the challenging terrains provides the perfect adrenaline rush.
Image Source – I Helios (Flickr)
