Ladakh · 7 destinations & hidden spots
Sham Valley, Likir & Lamayuru
Founded in the 11th century by the Indian Mahasiddha Naropa, Lamayuru Gompa belongs to the Red Hat Drikung Kagyu tradition. The monastery complex perches atop sheer sandstone cliffs looking out across the barren Moonland valley. Its ancient meditation caves and assembly halls house ancient statues and murals.
Sham Valley, Likir & Lamayuru
Surrounding Lamayuru Monastery on the Srinagar-Leh highway, Moonland is an extraordinary geological curiosity formed by dried lacustrine clay deposits from an ancient Pleistocene lake. The yellowish-white eroded gullies and bizarre spires look like a landscape straight from the moon.
Sham Valley, Likir & Lamayuru
Unlike nearly all other Ladakhi gompas built on mountain crests, Alchi sits on flat ground by the Indus River. Constructed in the 11th century by the great translator Rinchen Zangpo, its Sumtseg shrine contains magnificent Kashmiri-style wood carvings and detailed miniature frescoes preserved for nearly a millennium.
Sham Valley, Likir & Lamayuru
Likir Gompa was founded in 1065 by King Lhachen Gyalpo and converted to the Gelugpa order in the 15th century. It is immediately recognizable across the valley by its towering 23-meter (75-foot) seated statue of Maitreya Buddha gilded in radiant gold against the cobalt blue sky.
Hidden Gem
Sham Valley, Likir & Lamayuru
Basgo was the royal seat of the lower Ladakhi kingdom during the 15th to 17th centuries. Famous for withstanding a three-year siege by Tibet and Mongol forces in 1680, its citadel ruins and 16th-century Maitreya temples feature World Monuments Fund-restored murals and copper statues.
Sham Valley, Likir & Lamayuru
Located on the Leh-Kargil National Highway around 30 km from Leh, Magnetic Hill is a gravity hill phenomenon where the surrounding landscape creates an optical illusion making a slight downhill slope appear to be an uphill incline. When vehicles put in neutral inside the marked box, they appear to roll uphill on their own.
Sham Valley, Likir & Lamayuru
Near Nimmu, the emerald-green waters of the sacred Indus River merge with the muddy, turbulent currents of the Zanskar River. The striking contrast between the two distinct river colors can be seen clearly from the roadside viewpoint. It is also the premier launching point for Grade III-IV river rafting.
