Ladakh · 6 destinations & hidden spots
Hidden Gem
Zanskar Valley & Padum Highlands
One of the most astonishing monastic feats in the Himalayas, Phuktal Gompa is built into the mouth of a massive natural cave high on a vertical limestone cliff in southeastern Zanskar. Founded in the 12th century, it was visited by Hungarian pioneer Alexander Csoma de Koros and remains accessible via a breathtaking trekking footpath.
Zanskar Valley & Padum Highlands
Sprawled across a rocky mountainside facing the Zanskar River and Padum town, Karsha Gompa was founded in the 10th century by Phagpa Sherab. Its white monastic dwellings step up the mountainside like an ancient fortress, housing exquisite bone carvings, golden stupas, and ancient murals.
Hidden Gem
Zanskar Valley & Padum Highlands
Perched at an altitude of nearly 3,800 meters on a knife-edge ridge north of Padum, Stongdey Gompa is the second largest monastery in Zanskar, founded in 1052. The view from its flat whitewashed rooftops looking down upon the meandering river loops and barley terraces of Padum is unmatched.
Hidden Gem
Zanskar Valley & Padum Highlands
Guarding the northern entry into Zanskar, the fortress palace of Zangla stands atop a hillock overlooking the river valley. In 1823, Alexander Csoma de Koros lived in a small cell here for sixteen months, compiling the very first Tibetan-English dictionary and grammar book.
Zanskar Valley & Padum Highlands
Visible right from the Pensi La pass, Drang-Drung is a colossal glacier flowing over 23 kilometers down from high mountain peaks. Looking like a winding white-and-silver dragon curving down the mountain bowl, it gives birth to the Stod River, a primary headwater of the Zanskar.
Zanskar Valley & Padum Highlands
Standing at 4,400 meters (14,436 feet), Pensi La connects the Suru Valley in Kargil to the remote highlands of Zanskar. The summit plateau is adorned with high alpine glacial tarns, fields of edelweiss flowers in summer, and jaw-dropping perspectives of the Drang-Drung glacier.
