Leh Tour Packages

The ones close to town and at Leh's own height. The Leh district allows visits to nearby areas during the acclimatisation period, and our day plans keep the first day for rest. On the second, Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace and the bazaar, with Spituk or Thiksey monastery if you feel well. Khardung La, Chang La and the lakes wait until the full 48 hours are up.

Thiksey, about 19 km away, was founded in 1433, resembles the Potala Palace and holds morning prayers every day that visitors may attend. Hemis, about 45 km away, is the most popular, for its treasures and its summer festival. Spituk, about 7 km away, suits an easy day. Take a torch: the Leh district warns that shrines are often dimly lit. The Leh and Khardung La road trip gives the monasteries a day and includes their entry.

Yes. Monks perform masked dances in the courtyard of Hemis Monastery over two days around the 10th day of the fifth month of the Tibetan calendar, which falls in late June or the first half of July, so the date moves each year. Tell us when you enquire and the trip is planned around it. The free day near the end of the Ladakh Tour — 8 days already suggests Hemis or Thiksey.

Yes. It is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and is the ASI's only ticketed monument in Leh. The royal family left it for Stok Palace in the mid-19th century, after Dogra forces took over Ladakh, and much of it is ruined and under restoration, but the roof looks down over the old town and the valley. Go slowly on the climb up from the bazaar if it is one of your first two days.

Yes. The pass is about 40 km from Leh, and the Leh and Khardung La road trip drives up and back after its days in town. Ladakh's tourism department lists Khardung La among the places not to visit within 48 hours of arriving, and the Leh district reminds visitors to keep the altitude in mind there. Foreign nationals need a protected-area permit even for the pass, which the road trip includes.

Layers. The Leh district advises summer clothes with a sweater for mornings and evenings; temperatures start to fall in the second half of August, and from mid-September you need woollens even by day, though the sun stays hot. In recent years July afternoons have passed 30°C, while the coldest June night of each year has been between 1°C and 9°C, by the IMD's records. Bring sun protection and a warm jacket for the passes.

Because roads in Ladakh can close at short notice: the IMD lists flash floods, mudslides and heavy rain or snow among the region's main hazards. On the Ladakh Tour — 8 days and 10 Days Ladakh with Srinagar, the drive back to Leh is followed by a free day before the flight out, which can absorb a delay. If it is not needed, it goes on the market, Hemis or Thiksey.