Places Around Leh

There are a lot of tourist places near Leh for the tourists who want to visit them.

Alchi is a village and monastery in the Leh district of Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated on the bank of Indus River 70 km downstream from the capital in Leh. Alchi is well-known for the existence of one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh Alchi Monastery, which is known for its magnificent, and well-preserved 11th or 12th century wall paintings, all in an Indo-Himalayan style. The best time to visit is from June to September.

Nubra is a tri-armed valley situated to the north east of Ladakh valley. Diskit the capital of Nubra is about 150 km north from Leh town. The main road access to the Nubra Valley is over Khardung La pass which is open throughout the year. The valley was open for tourists till Hunder (the land of sand dunes) until 2010. The region beyond Hunder is Turtuk which is a greener region and it is a destination for people who seek peace.

Sarchu is a major halt point with tented accommodation in the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway, on the boundary between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir) in India. The journey along the Manali-Leh highway at high altitude and variable road conditions, normally takes two days, so travellers and tourists use this spot as an overnight stop. This spot can also be used as a start point for the difficult trek into the Zanskar region of Ladakh.

Jammu borders Ladakh to the east, and is one of the three administrative divisions within the state of Jammu and Kashmir. There are number of places to visit in Jammu such as the Purmandal, Vaishno Devi Shrine, Nandini wildlife sanctuary, Mansar Lake, Bahu Fort, Raghunath Temple etc. Jammu's beautiful natural landscape has made it one of the most preferential destinations for adventure tourism in South Asia.

Kargil is a town, which serves as the headquarters of Kargil district of Ladakh in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is the second largest town in Ladakh after Leh. Some of the major attractions in Kargil include the Sani monastery, Mulbekh monastery, monastery of Rangdum, Zongkhul Monastery and Stonday Monastery. Other attractions such as the Phugthal Monastery, Karsha Monastery and Shargole Monastery at Padum in the vicinity of the destination can also be visited.

Pangong Lake also referred to as Pangong Tso, is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas. It is 134 km (83 mi) long and extends from India to Tibet. 60% of the length of the lake lies in China. All together it covers 604 km2. A section of the lake approximately 20 km east from the Line of Actual Control is controlled by China but claimed by India. The eastern end of the lake is in Tibet and is not claimed by India. The western end of the lake is not in dispute. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water.

Hemis National Park (or Hemis High Altitude National Park) is a high altitude national park in the eastern Ladakh region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The park is home to a number of species of endangered mammals including the snow leopard. No metalled or motorable roads traverse the park. The park offers a number of routes for trekking from mid-June to mid-October. The best season for spotting snow leopards, is, however, in late winter. The historic Hemis Monastery is home to the Hemis Festival every summer. Lodging is restricted to backcountry camps, villager homestays and accommodation at the monasteries.

Khardungla Pass Leh is a high mountain pass located in Ladakh region of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The pass on the Ladakh Range lies north of Leh and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys. The Siachen Glacier lies partway up the latter valley. Maintained by the Border Roads Organisation, the pass is strategically important to India as it is used to carry supplies to the Siachen Glacier. Khardung La is situated 39 km by road from Leh. Khardung La is widely believed to be the world's highest motorable pass.