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The stepped brown walls of Leh Palace on its rocky ridge under a blue sky with bare mountains behind
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Photo: RPSkokie · CC BY-SA 4.0
Day planfirst-time visitorsTemples & heritagerelaxed

One day in Leh — the palace, Shanti Stupa and Spituk

A gentle first-day plan in Leh: the palace and Namgyal Tsemo above the old town, the Shanti Stupa, then Spituk Monastery and Stok Palace in the valley.
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A gentle first day at altitude: the old town and its ridge in the morning, then two stops in the valley. It pairs the Leh Palace and the Shanti Stupa with Spituk and Stok Palace. Keep the pace slow; Leh is at about 3,524 m.

Photos: RPSkokie (CC BY-SA 4.0) · ClickAR89 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Visitors on their first day in Leh, between the roads' opening in June and the end of October.

Day by day

Day 1

Old town first, valley after

5 stops · 47 min on the road

The sights above the old town, then the monastery near the airport and the palace across the river.

  1. 08:30
    Leh Palace
    fort · 1 min from Leh · about 1 h 30 min there
    The nine-storey royal palace above the old town, built around 1600; the roof gives views over Leh.
  2. ↓ 4 min by road · 2 km
    10:30
    Namgyal Tsemo Monastery
    temple · 1 min from Leh · about 30 min there
    The monastery on the hill above the palace; we have no verified opening hours.
  3. ↓ 7 min by road · 3 km
    11:45
    Shanti Stupa
    temple · 7 min from Leh · about 45 min there
    The white stupa on the ridge, about 7 minutes from the centre on our routing.
  4. ↓ 12 min by road · 9 km
    14:00
    Spituk Gompa
    temple · 10 min from Leh · about 45 min there
    The hilltop monastery about 10 minutes from the centre.
  5. ↓ 24 min by road · 15 km
    16:00
    Stok Palace
    fort · 20 min from Leh · about 45 min there
    The royal summer home across the Indus, about 20 minutes from Leh.

Getting there

Leh is reached by air all year, and by the Manali and Srinagar roads in the warm months; see how to reach Leh, when to visit for the season and things to do in Leh for more.

Where to stay

Stay in Leh. We have no verified lodging, prices or booking rules.

Know before you go

  • Take the first day easy; Wikivoyage advises going slowly at this altitude, and we give no medical advice.
  • We have no verified opening hours or entry rules for any stop; ask locally.
  • Drink water, and carry a layer for the wind on the ridge.

Places on this route

Leh Palace — the nine-storey royal palace above the old town
Leh Palace — the nine-storey royal palace above the old town
fort · 1 min from Leh
Shanti Stupa — the white stupa on the ridge above Leh
Shanti Stupa — the white stupa on the ridge above Leh
temple · 7 min from Leh
Spituk Monastery — the hilltop gompa near Leh's airport
Spituk Monastery — the hilltop gompa near Leh's airport
temple · 10 min from Leh
Stok Palace — the royal summer home across the Indus
Stok Palace — the royal summer home across the Indus
fort · 20 min from Leh

Going together

No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.

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More places nearby

All of Leh →
Shey Palace — the old royal hill complex and its great Buddha
Shey Palace — the old royal hill complex and its great Buddha
fort · 7.8 km away
Thiksey Monastery — the hilltop Gelug monastery with the great Maitreya
Thiksey Monastery — the hilltop Gelug monastery with the great Maitreya
temple · 11 km away
Magnetic Hill — the roadside illusion on the Leh–Srinagar highway
Magnetic Hill — the roadside illusion on the Leh–Srinagar highway
viewpoint · 17 km away
Zanskar–Indus confluence — where two rivers meet near Nimmu
Zanskar–Indus confluence — where two rivers meet near Nimmu
viewpoint · 18 km away
Hemis Monastery — Ladakh's Drukpa monastery and its June festival
Hemis Monastery — Ladakh's Drukpa monastery and its June festival
temple · 23 km away
Alchi Monastery — the old temple complex of wall paintings
Alchi Monastery — the old temple complex of wall paintings
temple · 34 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
Shashur Monastery above Keylong
Keylong
184 km away · 3 itineraries · 7 places
A green forested valley with a stream winding through meadows below snow-capped peaks and white clouds near Pahalgam
Pahalgam
209 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
A rocky mountain stream running through a green valley beneath snow-covered peaks at Sonamarg
Sonamarg
212 km away · 1 itineraries · 2 places
The stone tower of the Narasimha temple at Bharmour with a green mountain behind it under a blue sky
Bharmour
215 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
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Questions people ask

What should you do on your first day in Leh?

Keep it light: the palace and the Shanti Stupa are close to the centre, and Spituk and Stok are short drives, about 10 and 20 minutes on our routing. Wikivoyage advises taking the first days easy because of the altitude. Drink water and skip long climbs.

How long is the plan?

A full day, from 08:30, counting the stops and the drives between them. The stops are 90, 30, 45, 45 and 45 minutes, with short drives between. Leave out Stok Palace if you tire early; it is the farthest. We have no verified opening hours, so check locally the evening before.

Do I need a permit?

The places on this plan are in and near Leh and need no permit that we know of. Wikivoyage names the district magistrate's office in Leh for permits to areas near the border. Rules change, so ask at the office or your operator before you plan anything beyond the Indus valley.