Journal · Himalaya · India
Ladakh’s monasteries: Leh, Alchi, Lamayuru and the Nubra Valley
Ladakh’s monasteries are its great buildings: whitewashed, stacked up crags, and still lived in. This route sees them in three groups, from three bases. Leh for the ones up the Indus, the village of Nurla for the ones down it, and the Nubra Valley for the ones over the pass.
Which monasteries should you see from Leh?
Thiksey and Hemis, after a first day of rest. Leh is very high, and the first day there is for getting used to it. Thiksey climbs a hill in tiers above the Indus and is known for its morning prayers, which visitors may attend quietly. Hemis, further up a side valley, is the largest and richest monastery in Ladakh.
Around Leh itself: the market, a museum of the old trade with Central Asia, the village of Stok across the river, and the Shanti Stupa at sunset.
Why stay in Nurla?
Because it sits between the three best sights on the lower Indus, and saves driving out from Leh and back. Nurla is a village on the river about two hours west of the town.
- Alchi. A small, low temple complex on the riverbank, quite unlike the hilltop monasteries, with some of the oldest wall paintings in Ladakh.
- Lamayuru. A monastery on a spur above a landscape of pale, eroded rock.
- Basgo. The ruins of a fortress and its temples on a crumbling ridge.
What does Nubra add?
A different valley, and a different scale. Nubra is reached over the Khardung La, one of the highest road passes in the world. Diskit Monastery looks down the valley beside a very large seated figure of the Buddha, and Samstanling stands among trees on the other side.
Three nights leaves time for more than monasteries: the gorge at Hunder, the hot springs at Panamik, and the small lake of Yarab Tso.
How should you behave in a monastery?
- Walk clockwise. Around shrines, prayer wheels and stupas, keeping them on the right.
- Ask before taking pictures. Many prayer halls do not allow photographs inside, and monks should be asked first.
- Go quietly. These are working communities. Shoes come off at the door of a prayer hall, and prayers are not a performance.
Quick answers
Which are the best monasteries to visit in Ladakh?
Thiksey and Hemis near Leh, Alchi and Lamayuru down the Indus, and Diskit in the Nubra Valley cover the range, from the oldest paintings to the largest halls.
Can you see Alchi and Lamayuru in a day from Leh?
It is possible but long. Staying two nights at Nurla, between them, makes both easy and leaves time for Basgo.
Do you need to acclimatise before visiting monasteries near Leh?
Yes. Rest on the first day in Leh. Many monasteries are reached by steep flights of steps, which are hard work at that height.
Before you book: check the whole trip at once
Leh appears twice on this route, at the start and again for a last night before the flight, and it is the second stay that tends to be missing.
Trips by Manr.ai puts your hotels and transport on one timeline and checks for gaps, overlaps and missing legs. Type a booking in, drop in the PDF, or paste the confirmation email. With an account and sync switched on, you can also forward confirmations to trips@manr.ai from the address you signed in with. Nothing joins your trip until you have seen it and added it.