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Red, yellow and white monastery buildings with flagpoles and a stairway, and snow peaks along the horizon
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Photo: Bernard Gagnon Canon EOS REBEL T4i · CC BY-SA 4.0
Day planculture loversTemples & heritagerelaxed

One day from Leh — Shey, Thiksey and Hemis

A one-day plan from Leh along the Indus: Shey Palace, the Maitreya statue at Thiksey Monastery and Hemis Monastery, with measured drive times.
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A day on the road east of Leh: Shey Palace, Thiksey Monastery and Hemis Monastery in order of distance. Do it on your second or third day, once you are used to the altitude.

Photos: Bernard Gagnon Canon EOS REBEL T4i (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Bernard Gagnon Canon EOS REBEL T4i (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Visitors with a day to spare, after a day or two at altitude, in the months when the roads are open.

Day by day

Day 1

Three monasteries along the Indus

3 stops · 41 min on the road

East along the Indus road: the old palace at Shey, Thiksey on its hill, then Hemis.

  1. 09:00
    Shey Palace
    fort · 19 min from Leh · about 45 min there
    The hillock complex with the great gilded copper Buddha, about 19 minutes from Leh on our routing.
  2. ↓ 11 min by road · 6 km
    10:30
    Thiksey Gompa
    temple · 28 min from Leh · about 1 h 15 min there
    The twelve-storey Gelug monastery with the 15 m Maitreya statue.
  3. ↓ 30 min by road · 24 km
    13:00
    Hemis Gompa
    temple · 43 min from Leh · about 1 h 15 min there
    The Drukpa monastery on the Indus, about 43 minutes from Leh; check the June festival dates.

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

  • Dress modestly and remove footwear where asked.
  • We have no verified opening hours or entry rules; ask locally.
  • The Hemis festival in early June brings crowds; check the dates.

Places on this route

Shey Palace — the old royal hill complex and its great Buddha
Shey Palace — the old royal hill complex and its great Buddha
fort · 19 min from Leh
Thiksey Monastery — the hilltop Gelug monastery with the great Maitreya
Thiksey Monastery — the hilltop Gelug monastery with the great Maitreya
temple · 28 min from Leh
Hemis Monastery — Ladakh's Drukpa monastery and its June festival
Hemis Monastery — Ladakh's Drukpa monastery and its June festival
temple · 43 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 →
Stok Palace — the royal summer home across the Indus
Stok Palace — the royal summer home across the Indus
fort · 7.8 km away
Leh Palace — the nine-storey royal palace above the old town
Leh Palace — the nine-storey royal palace above the old town
fort · 11 km away
Spituk Monastery — the hilltop gompa near Leh's airport
Spituk Monastery — the hilltop gompa near Leh's airport
temple · 12 km away
Shanti Stupa — the white stupa on the ridge above Leh
Shanti Stupa — the white stupa on the ridge above Leh
temple · 13 km away
Magnetic Hill — the roadside illusion on the Leh–Srinagar highway
Magnetic Hill — the roadside illusion on the Leh–Srinagar highway
viewpoint · 28 km away
Zanskar–Indus confluence — where two rivers meet near Nimmu
Zanskar–Indus confluence — where two rivers meet near Nimmu
viewpoint · 30 km away
Alchi Monastery — the old temple complex of wall paintings
Alchi Monastery — the old temple complex of wall paintings
temple · 45 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

How far are the monasteries from Leh?

On our routing, Shey is about 19 minutes away, Thiksey about 28 and Hemis about 43, all by road along the Indus. Wikipedia gives distances of about 15, 19 and 40 to 45 km. The measured times are the ones to plan on, and traffic is slower in the busy season.

Which monastery is the best?

That is a matter of taste, so we do not rank them. Thiksey has the 15 m Maitreya statue and a Potala-like profile, Shey the old palace hill and a great Buddha, and Hemis a courtyard gallery of Mahasiddha paintings. Each takes about 45 to 75 minutes.

Can you do it on a local bus?

Wikivoyage describes a bus terminal in Leh with local buses to places as far as Alchi, but we have no verified timetable for these monasteries. A hired car with a driver makes the plan easy to follow. Ask at the terminal or your hotel for the day's options.