Ranked by how much each place adds to a visit, with realistic visiting times, opening hours and ticket prices.
8 places · showing 1–8
1
A 134 km endorheic lake at 4,350 m straddling the India–China line, changing from turquoise to deep blue as the light moves.
2
A high valley over Khardung La with sand dunes, double-humped Bactrian camels and a 32-metre Maitreya statue above the monastery at…
3
A twelve-storey gompa stacked up a hill in the Indus valley, often compared to the Potala, with a 15-metre Maitreya Buddha inside.
4
A white Japanese-built peace pagoda on a ridge above Leh, reached by 500 steps or a road, with the best view over the town.
5
The largest and wealthiest gompa in Ladakh, hidden in a gorge, famous for its June masked dance festival and a museum of thangkas.
6
A nine-storey 17th-century royal palace above the old town, modelled on the Potala and now partly restored.
7
The pedestrianised old market below the palace — pashmina, apricots, prayer flags, and cafés where every Ladakh trip gets planned.
8
A stretch of the Srinagar highway where an optical illusion makes a stationary car appear to roll uphill.