15 Attractions and Tourist Places to Visti in Leh Ladakh
Ladakh is renowned for its high mountain passes, remote mountain beauty. cold desert Nubra Valley and culture. Among the most popular places of tourist interest in Leh Ladakh include Drass valley,Suru valley, Kargil, Gomchan Valley and lakes of the Changthang.
Leh is the second largest district in India, located at an average elevation of about 3500 metres and known for Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh,Buddhist Monastery,land of high mountain passes and amazing list of wild animals such as Himalayan blue sheep, Indian Marmot,Indian ibex,black-necked crane,bearded vulture and Golden eagle.
Leh Palace
Leh Palace in the Ladakhi Himalaya is a nine storeys high royal family palace, built by King Sengge Namgyal. This beautiful palace is open for the public and provides panoramic views of Ladakh mountain,Zangskar range, Indus valley and Leh surrounding areas.
Dras Kargil
Dras is the coldest place in India and offers numerous shorter treks and hikes to surrounding Dras Valley. The town in the Kargil district also called The Gateway to Ladakh and home to Kargil War Memorial.
Pangong Tso
Pangong Tso Lake is situated in the Himalayas at an altitude of 14,270 ft and An Inner Line Permit is required to visit the lake which remains completely frozen during winter. The trans boundary wetland between India to China is also an important breeding ground for a variety of migratory birds coming to India during summer.
Tso Moriri
Lake Tso Moriri is a high altitude wetlands, located at an altitude of 4,522 m in Ladakhi part of Changthang Plateau. Tso Moriri is the largest high altitude lakes in India located entirely within Ladakh and home to 34 species of birds,Tibetan wild ass, mountain sheep,Tibetan wolf and Snow leopard.
Khardung La
Khardung La Pass lies north of Leh and gateway to famous Nubra valley. The pass on the Ladakh Range at an altitude of 18,379 ft is the world’s highest motorable pass.
Taglang La
Taglang La mountain pass is situated at 17,480 ft high in Ladakh region and claims to be the second highest motorable pass in the world.
Zanskar Valley
Zanskar Valley separates Zanskar from Ladakh and famous for frozen Chadar Trek over Zanskar river. The river valley is a high altitude semi desert land and home to most amazing Himalayan wildlife such as Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan black bear,Bearded vulture,Snow leopard and Himalayan Gray wolf.
Nubra Valley
Nubra Valley separates the Ladakh from Karakoram Ranges and also required an Inner Line Permit to get there. The valley can be access by Khardung La pass and the only place where Bactrian camels are found in India.
Magnetic Hill
Magnetic Hill near Leh in Ladakh is a gravity hill, located at 14000 feet on the Leh Kargil highway. The gravity hill is one of the only three known magnetic hills in India,Kalo dungar and Tulsi Shyam being other two in Gujarat.
Shanti Stupa
Shanti Stupa on a hilltop in Chanspa was built in 1991 as part of the Peace Pagoda mission. The stupa has become a tourist attraction in Leh Ladakh and offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes.
Hemis Monastery
Hemis gompa Monastery is situated 45 km from Leh and famous for Hemis Festival dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava. The Mask Dances of Hemis gompa is one of the must see cultural performance of Ladakh.
Phugtal Monastery
Phugtal Monastery is one of the only Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh, located in the remote Lungnak Valley. The Phuktal Gompa is built around a natural cave and a must visit tourist places in Ladakh.
Thikse Monastery
Thikse Monastery is situated on top of a hill in Thiksey village and largest gompa in central Ladakh. The monastery is located approximately 19 kilometres from Leh and contains 49 ft high statue of Maitreya Buddha.
Diskit Monastery
Diskit Monastery in the Nubra Valley is one of the largest Buddhist monastery of Ladakh. The gompa has a 32 metre statue of Maitreya Buddha and natural home of the double humped Bactrian camel.
Hemis National Park
Hemis National Park in the eastern Ladakh region is the best place in India to see the snow leopard in the wild. The high altitude national park has highest density of snow leopards in the world and largest national park in India.
The Hemis National Park along with Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary is home to Great Tibetan Sheep, Himalayan Blue Sheep, Ladakhi Urial, Asiatic Ibex,Tibetan wolf, endangered Eurasian brown bear,rare red fox, Himalayan griffon vulture,golden eagle, the lammergeier vulture,Himalayan marmot and Himalayan mountain weasel.
