Leh Travel Guide: Acclimatisation, the Palace and the Monasteries

Leh is where you land, acclimatise and get your bearings, and it earns its rest days. The whitewashed Shanti Stupa above town is the classic sunset spot, the old Leh Palace looks down over the lanes, and the bazaar is full of cafes, pashmina and apricot stalls. Within an easy drive sit some of Ladakh's great monasteries, hilltop Thiksey at dawn, vast Hemis, and Spituk above the river, all at a similar altitude, which makes them the perfect gentle sightseeing for day two.

• Shanti Stupa, the classic sunset spot above town
• Leh Palace, looking down over the old lanes
• The bazaar, with its cafes, pashmina and apricot stalls
• Nearby monasteries: hilltop Thiksey at dawn, vast Hemis, and Spituk above the river

Two days is the minimum, and it is not optional: the official rule is to rest completely on your first day in Leh and take it gently on the second, before going any higher. Most Ladakh itineraries spend these two days here before continuing to Nubra and Pangong.

May to September is the season, when the passes are open and the weather is at its most reliable, with June to September the sweet spot.

Most travellers fly into Leh (Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport) from Delhi, the gentlest option for altitude. The overland routes, Srinagar to Kargil to Leh, and Manali to Leh, are epic summer-only drives that demand extra acclimatisation. Whichever way you arrive, the rest-day rule applies from the moment you land.