Likir Monastery on a hill at the head of a valley of tall poplars, with bare mountains around it under a cloudy sky

temple1 h 5 min from Leh

Likir Monastery, Ladakh — the eleventh-century gompa on its hill above the poplars

Likir Monastery (Klud-kyil) at about 3,700 m, founded in 1065 under King Lhachen Gyalpo and now of the Gelugpa order: its history and how to visit from Leh.

What it is

Likir Monastery, Klud-kyil in Ladakhi, is a Buddhist monastery on a small hill above the village of Likir, at about 3,700 m. It is about 65 minutes west of Leh on our routing, and about 9.5 km off the Leh–Kargil highway.

Photos: Ingo Mehling (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Its story

By Wikipedia's account King Lhachen Gyalpo, the fifth king of Ladakh, ordered it in 1065 and Lama Duwang Chosje set it up. It probably first followed the early Kadampa teaching. In the fifteenth century a pupil of the tradition of Tsongkhapa brought its monks over to the Gelugpa order, which it still follows. When the scholar of Tibet August Hermann Francke came in 1909, the monks showed him a long wall inscription setting out this history.

Visiting

The road leaves the highway and climbs a valley of tall poplars to the village and the hill. We have no verified opening hours; dress modestly, walk clockwise and ask before photographing inside.

Combine it with

The west of Leh day joins Likir with Phyang and Basgo; Alchi is further on. Read the best time to go.

Plans that include this

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The white temples of Basgo Monastery on a ridge of eroded rock above a green valley under a blue sky with small clouds

West of Leh in a day — Phyang, Basgo and Likir along the Indus

Day plan · culture · Temples & heritage

A day trip west of Leh along the Indus: Phyang Monastery (1515), Basgo's Maitreya temples above the old royal town (1680), and Likir Monastery (1065). Copy it.

Best May–Sep

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Nearby places

All of Leh →

Alchi Monastery — the old temple complex of wall paintings

temple · 8.6 km away

Basgo Monastery, Ladakh — the Maitreya temples above the ruined royal town

temple · 9.5 km away

Zanskar–Indus confluence — where two rivers meet near Nimmu

viewpoint · 18 km away

Magnetic Hill — the roadside illusion on the Leh–Srinagar highway

viewpoint · 19 km away

Phyang Monastery, Ladakh — the Drikung gompa on the blue hill west of Leh

temple · 28 km away

Spituk Monastery — the hilltop gompa near Leh's airport

temple · 34 km away

Shanti Stupa — the white stupa on the ridge above Leh

temple · 36 km away

Leh Palace — the nine-storey royal palace above the old town

fort · 37 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →

Pahalgam

177 km away · 3 itineraries · 4 places

Sonamarg

177 km away · 2 itineraries · 2 places

Keylong

192 km away · 3 itineraries · 7 places

Bharmour

215 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places

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Questions people ask

How far is Likir Monastery from Leh?

About 57.6 km and 65 minutes by road on our routing; Wikipedia gives about 52 km west of Leh. The monastery stands about 9.5 km off the Leh–Kargil highway, above Likir village near the Indus, between Basgo and Alchi, so it fits into a day out with both.

How old is Likir Monastery?

Wikipedia dates it to 1065, when King Lhachen Gyalpo ordered it and Lama Duwang Chosje set it up; it probably first belonged to the Kadampa order. In the fifteenth century its monks took up the reformed Gelugpa teaching. August Hermann Francke, a scholar of Tibet, copied an inscription on its history in 1909.

At what height is Likir?

About 3,700 m by Wikipedia, a little higher than Leh. If you have just arrived, give yourself a day or two in Leh first, as Wikivoyage advises taking it easy in the first days at this height. We have no verified opening hours for the monastery; ask in the village.