» Leh & Ladakh Tours

Ladakh is a land like no other. Bounded by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalayas and the Karakoram, it lies athwart two other, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range .

A land of freezing winds and burning hot sunlight, Ladakh is a cold desert lying in the rain shadow of the Great Himalayas and other smaller ranges. Little rain and snow reaches this dry area, where natural forces have created a fantastic landscape. Surrounded by rugged mountains this land is completely different from the green landscape of many parts of the Himalayas.

In geological terms, this is a young land, formed only a few million years ago by the buckling and folding of the earth's crust as the Indian sub-continent pushed with irresistible force against the immovable mass of Asia. Its basic contours, uplifted by these unimaginable tectonic movements, have been modified over the millennia by the opposite process of erosion, sculpted into the form we see today by wind and water.

The main source of water in this land remains the winter snowfall. Ladakh was once covered by an extensive lake system, the vestiges of which still exist on its south -east plateaux of Rupshu and Chushul - in drainage basins with evocative names like Tso-moriri, Tsokar,and grandest of all, Pangong-tso. The temperature rarely exceeds 27 degree celcuis in summer while in winter it may drop to minus 20 degree celcuis.

Made up of two administrative districts - Leh and Kargil, Ladakh covers a total area of about 59,000 square kilometers. Leh is the chief town. Allied ethnologically and geographically with the Tibet region of China, the area has a predominantly Lamaist Buddhist population. It was nominally a dependency of Tibet. After 1531 it was invaded periodically by Muslims from Kashmir; it was annexed to Kashmir in the mid-19th cent. However todays Ladakh which forms a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India has some of its areas under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and China.

» Capital of Ladakh

Leh, the capital of Ladakh is situated at a height of 3505 meters. Leh is a beautiful destination with so many attractions and is the center of Tibeto-Buddhist Culture for ages. Its colorful gompas have attracted the devout Buddhists from all over the globe. Besides, it is also a favorite hiking locale and is known for some of the best hikes in the country.

» Major Attractions of Leh Ladakh

Leh Palace : The old palace of the kings of Ladakh overlooks the town from the southwest slope of the Tsemo hill. It has eight storeys and was built by King Sengge Namgyal in the 16th century, at much the same time as the famed Potala of Lhasa - which it resembles. The damage to the palace, one side is gaping open, stems from the Kashmiri invasions of the last century. Like the Shey palace the Leh palace still belongs to the Ladakhi royal family, who now live in their palace in Stok.

Shanti Stupa : A relatively new addition to the rocky skyline around Leh is the toothpaste white Shanti Stupa above Changspa village, 3-km west of the bazaar. Inaugurated in 1983 by the Dalai Lama, the "Peace Pagoda", whose sides are decorated with gilt panels depicting episodes from the life of the Buddha, is one of several such monuments erected around India by a "Peace Sect" of Japanese Buddhists.

Namgyal Tsemo Gompa : Once one is acclimatized to the altitude, the stiff early morning hike up to Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, the monastery perched precariously on the shaly crag behind Leh palace, is a great way to start the day. Two trails lead up to "the Peak of Victory", whose twin peaks are connected by giant strings of multicoloured prayer flags, the first and most popular path zigzags across it south side from the palace road, while a second scales the more gentle northern slope via the village of Chubi, which is also the route followed by the Lama from Sankar Gompa who tends to the shrine each morning and evening. Alternatively, one can drive there along the dirt track that turns left off the main Khardung-la highway, 2-km north of the bus stand.

Maitreya Temple : Approaching the Gompa from the south, the first building one comes to is the red painted Maitreya Temple. Thought to date from the 14th century, the shrine houses a giant Buddha statue flanked by Bodhisattvas. However, its wall paintings are modern and of less interest than those in the "Gon Khang", or the temple of protector deities, up the hill.

Tikse Gompa : Ladakh's most photographed and architecturally impressive Gompa is at Tikse, 19-km southeast of Leh . Founded in the 15th century, its whitewashed Chortens and cubic monks quarters rise in ranks up the sides of a craggy sun bleached bluff, crowned by an imposing ochre and red painted temple complex whose gleaming golden finials are visible for miles in every direction.

A metalled road cuts up the empty west side of the hill from the main highway to the monastery's small car park. If one arrives by a minibus from Leh, then move across the waste ground below the Gompa and follow the footpath up through its lower buildings to the main entrance, where monks issue tickets.

» Places to Stay in Leh Ladakh

Check out the Ladakh Hotels Guide offering a list of options to get online Hotel bookings and instant hotel reservations before planning your trip to Ladakh.

» Trekking in Leh Ladakh

The captivating landscape, with an incomparable diversity of flora and fauna: Ladakh is regarded as the 'trekkers' paradise' and, indeed, is a refreshing treat to the trekkers. Ladakh is the ultimate destination for a trekking holiday, offering everything from short and easy excursions to the long challenges of the snowy peaks, invoking visions of the spectacular views, the lush meadows, green woodland and fragrant orchards.

Ladakh and its adjoining areas like Zanskar valley provide excellent trekking routes, which allow the traveller to visit the remote village in the far-flung area of these regions. The high mountain passes, monasteries, yak herds on the high slopes would all give a feeling of the land beyond.

» Festivals of Leh Ladakh

The centuries old culture of Ladakh has found expression in its monuments, monasteries, oral literature, art forms and fairs and festivals. And in the time-honoured tradition of collective celebration every occasion - marriage, birth, harvesting or even the flowering of plants is marked by feasting, dancing and the singing of folk songs that form a part of its living heritage .

» Climate of Leh Ladakh

Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 feet (2,750m) at Kargil to 25,170 feet (7,672m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. Thus summer temperatures rarely exceed about 270 C in the shade, while in winter they may plummet to -200 C even in Leh.

Surprisingly, though, the thin air makes the heat of the sun even more intense than at lower altitudes; it is said that only in Ladakh can a man sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke and frostbite at the same time!

» How to Get there

Air : The nearest airport is Leh. There are flights from Delhi, Chandigarh and Srinagar.

Road : There are two overland routes the Srinagar to Leh road remains open from early June to November. The Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation operates regular deluxe and ordinary bus services.

Local Transport : Taxies are also available at Leh, Manali and Srinagar.