Drop in the “Land of Passes” to Catch Sight of Ladakh Attractions

Located in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh is a must visit destination in India. Surrounded by two majestic mountain ranges, this beautiful land attracts many tourists every year. Ladakh tours also beckon adventure lovers from all over the world. With Ladakh attractions, you can also enjoy cultural tours, trekking and the cold desert expedition, river rafting, monastery visits and lots more.

Inviting tourists from far and wide, the beautiful attractions of Ladakh include:

Monastery in Ladakhs

Monasteries

Known as 'Gompa', monasteries are among the most popular attractions of Ladakh Tour. Many tourists visit Ladakh to see the well-retained Buddhist cultural heritage in these historic monasteries. These offer a deep insight on the Buddhist religion as well. A rich collection of Buddhist artifacts is available in these Gompas. Besides artifacts, visitors can also have the glimpses of sculptures, murals, Buddha idols and Thangka paintings. Some of the most famous monasteries in Ladakh include Lamayuru, Lekir, Thiksey, Alchi and Rizong.

Lakes

Ladakh is a home to the beautiful lakes, which make it a perfect place for honeymooners. As highest temperature hovers near 50 degress at a time, everything in Ladakh freezes. Major valleys like Indus and Zanskar become extensive highways of ice. The wonderful lakes like Pangong, Chandertaal Lake, Tso Morari and Tso Kar-White Lake also freeze to a depth of several meters. Tourists visiting Ladakh for the first time will surely get a mesmerizing experience.

Festivals

The unique festivals of Leh and Ladakh are the highlight of Ladakh tourism. To witness these events, tourists reserve a place in advance. These festivals are lively and colourful. Many festivals take place in winters. The monastic festivals are the heart of these festivals. Performed by monks, wearing colourful silk clothes and facial masks, these colourful events are a part of the living art of Ladakh. Celebrated in May, Hemis Gompa is the most popular festival of Ladakh. Tourists can enjoy vibrant dances in this festival.

Adventure

Adventure in Ladakh is a great fun. Endowed with an impressive geographical location, the land has a rocky terrain, higher mountain passes, vast expanses of grasslands and mountain streams. Its topography makes it a popular destination to enjoy different adventurous activities like rafting in Ladakh. During your Leh Ladakh travel, you can enjoy camping, trekking, cycling, river rafting, mountain climbing, motor biking, camel safari and even yak safari. Trekking in Ladakh ranges from short as well as day long mountain treks. 

Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Zanskar Valley and Nubra Valley are the other must-visit places in your Ladakh sightseeing.

On your India tour, you can also visit the fantastic Ladakh Attractions that include monasteries, valleys, lakes and lots more. If you love adventure, raftingin Ladakh will be a great fun for you.

Listen to Your Soul amidst a Divine Ambiance on Ladakh Monastery Tour

Dotted with countless historic monasteries, Ladakh is a destination that fascinates me a lot. It is my dream destination. The beautiful hills, scenic locations, high mountains and above all ancient 'Gompas' or monasteries have always allured me.

Thiksey Gompa

Working with an organization where employee satisfaction is an important goal, I got an opportunity to visit Ladakh with my co-workers. We, a team of five members were given the privilege to collect the information about Ladakh Monasteries. Feeling ourselves delighted, we jumped at it and started our Ladakh Monastery Tour.

I am very fond of visiting religious places as the tranquility of these holy spots energizes my inner self. Ladakh tour was already like making my dream come true and monastery tour was just like a feather in the cap. With high hopes, we left from Delhi and reached Ladakh by flight. For that very day, we were left free to enjoy the mesmerizing charm of the place.

Next day, we all were very excited to experience the tranquil ambiance of Gompas. Situated on a hillock, Shey Gompa was the first monastery, we visited. Lying at a distance of around 15 km to the south of Leh town, the monastery houses a beautiful image of Buddha Shalyamuni. While we were looking at the image, I found some of my team members were so stunned that they were not even blinking their eyes. Perhaps, it was the magic of this hug image of the seated Buddha and the way it has been constructed beautifully with the metal. Glided with gold, the Buddha statue simply looks outstanding. We bow our head in front of Buddha statue where a large bowl of wax with a central flame was kept.

After paying our regards, we left for Thiskey Gompa. Situated around 18 km from Leh town, Thiksey Gompa is a beautiful monastery. We were surprised to see a temple-Lakhang Nyerma, which was inside the monastery. Dedicated to Goddess Dorje Chenmo, the temple was standing mostly in ruins but it was worth spending time. There were many other holy shrines that attracted us and left us mesmerized. We were amazed to know that it also houses a rich collection of artifacts and ancient relics. On visiting the monastery, we got to know that sacred dance organized annually in the monastery, an important part of Gustor ritual.

Hemis Monastery was the next attraction of our exploration. Based on my experience, I would not hesitate to say that it is the biggest monastery of Ladakh. Standing gracefully on the Western bank of Indus river, the monastery also has a rich collection of old relics. The famous Hemis festival is also celebrated here, which is an annual affair.

Likir Gompa

Later we visited Stok Palace, which is the royal residence of the king of Stok. It also houses a museum, showcasing the royal artifacts, prayer instruments and precious stones. Some of my colleagues found it the best way to come across Buddhist life style and culture. We came back to the booked hotel and took rest overnight amidst all the comforts.

Next morning, after breakfast, we left for Likir Gompa. Lying atop a windy cliff, the beautiful village of Likir just took away our heart. Still, I am not ready to believe that a village can be so fascinating. Famed for its outdoor, tall and seated Buddha, the Likir monastery was the next part of our visit. After that, we were all set to cross the river Indus and we did it joyfully. Zanskar also unites into Indus at a point.

We moved towards the Spituk Gompa, which is located on the hill-top near the river. The monastery is famous for its annual event-The Spituk Festival. The curiosity to the most heard Lamayuru monastery simply could not stop us. This monastery is the oldest gompa of the region. I found it so outstanding that I could not help insisting my team mates to spend some more time there and they agreed. Sankar Gompa, Phugtal Gompa and Alchi Gompa were the other monasteries, we visited during our Ladakh Monastery tour.

With a heavy heart, we bid goodbye to Ladakh but with a promise to come again!