Shey Palace — the old royal hill complex and its great Buddha
What it is
Shey Palace stands on a hillock in Shey, about 15 km from Leh on the road to Thiksey, and was an old seat of Ladakh's kings. King Deldan Namgyal had the palace and monastery raised in 1655 to honour his father Sengge Namgyal, on the slope under the ruins of a much older palace.
Photos: Bernard Gagnon Canon EOS REBEL T4i (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
The Buddha
The monastery is known for a giant seated Shakyamuni Buddha in gilded copper, which Wikipedia calls the second largest in Ladakh. The inner sanctum is usually closed and only one lama lives here, so ask locally before you climb.
Getting there
Wikipedia says about 15 km; our routing measures about 14 km and 19 minutes by road. The road to Thiksey passes many monasteries, stupas and rock carvings, and Wikipedia mentions fields of whitewashed chortens along the way.
Combine it with
The monastery day starts here. Read things to do in Leh and how to reach Leh.
Plans that include this
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Questions people ask
What is Shey Palace?
A complex on a hillock in Shey, about 15 km south-east of Leh by Wikipedia's account, and long a seat of Ladakh's kings. The present palace and monastery date from 1655, below the ruins of an older palace. It holds a giant copper Shakyamuni Buddha, which Wikipedia calls the second largest in Ladakh.
Can you go inside?
Wikipedia says the inner sanctum is usually closed, and only one lama lives here. The setting and the view are the main reasons to climb the hillock. We have no verified opening hours or entry rules, so ask in Shey or Leh, and be ready to see the outside only.
How far is it from Leh?
Wikipedia says about 15 km; our routing measures about 14 km and 19 minutes by road, on the Leh–Thiksey road. It is the nearest of the Indus monasteries to town, so it works as the first stop on a monastery day. Many chortens and rock carvings line the road.