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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
temple28 min from Leh

Thiksey Monastery — the hilltop Gelug monastery with the great Maitreya

Thiksey Monastery on its hill about 19 km from Leh: the twelve-storey Gelug complex, the 15 m Maitreya statue, its history and the drive from Leh.

What it is

Thiksey Monastery, or Thiksey Gompa, is a Gelug-school monastery on a hilltop in the Indus valley at about 3,600 m, about 19 km east of Leh. It is the largest monastery in central Ladakh, and its twelve-storey complex is compared with the Potala Palace in Lhasa.

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

The Maitreya temple

The Maitreya temple was installed to mark the 14th Dalai Lama's visit in 1970, and holds a 15 m statue of Maitreya that Wikipedia calls the largest in Ladakh; it rises through two storeys. The complex also holds stupas, statues, thangkas, wall paintings and swords, and a separate set of buildings for women renunciates.

History

Wikipedia says the monastery was founded in the 15th century by a disciple of the Gelug school's founder, who had sent him with a small statue as a gift for the king of Ladakh; Spituk and Likir were founded in the same movement.

Getting there

About 20 km and 28 minutes from Leh by our routing; Shey Palace lies on the same road.

Combine it with

The monastery day puts Shey, Thiksey and Hemis in order. Read things to do in Leh.

Plans that include this

All 1 plans that stop here →
Red, yellow and white monastery buildings with flagpoles and a stairway, and snow peaks along the horizon
One day from Leh — Shey, Thiksey and Hemis
Day plan · culture lovers · Temples & heritage
A one-day plan from Leh along the Indus: Shey Palace, the Maitreya statue at Thiksey Monastery and Hemis Monastery, with measured drive times.
Best Jun–Oct
See the plan →

Nearby places

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 · 3.5 km away
Stok Palace — the royal summer home across the Indus
Stok Palace — the royal summer home across the Indus
fort · 11 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 · 14 km away
Spituk Monastery — the hilltop gompa near Leh's airport
Spituk Monastery — the hilltop gompa near Leh's airport
temple · 15 km away
Shanti Stupa — the white stupa on the ridge above Leh
Shanti Stupa — the white stupa on the ridge above Leh
temple · 16 km away
Hemis Monastery — Ladakh's Drukpa monastery and its June festival
Hemis Monastery — Ladakh's Drukpa monastery and its June festival
temple · 16 km away
Magnetic Hill — the roadside illusion on the Leh–Srinagar highway
Magnetic Hill — the roadside illusion on the Leh–Srinagar highway
viewpoint · 32 km away
Zanskar–Indus confluence — where two rivers meet near Nimmu
Zanskar–Indus confluence — where two rivers meet near Nimmu
viewpoint · 33 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
Shashur Monastery above Keylong
Keylong
175 km away · 3 itineraries · 7 places
The Manalsu tumbling through deodars below Old Manali
Manali
206 km away · 36 itineraries · 29 places
Key (Ki) Monastery above the Spiti River
Kaza
207 km away · 3 itineraries · 10 places
The stone tower of the Narasimha temple at Bharmour with a green mountain behind it under a blue sky
Bharmour
208 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
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Questions people ask

What is Thiksey Monastery?

A Gelug-school monastery on a hilltop in the Indus valley at about 3,600 m, about 19 km east of Leh by Wikipedia's account. Its twelve-storey complex is compared with the Potala Palace in Lhasa, and it is the largest monastery in central Ladakh. Our routing measures 20 km and 28 minutes by road.

What is the Maitreya statue?

A 15 m statue of the Maitreya Buddha, installed to mark the 14th Dalai Lama's visit in 1970, and the largest of its kind in Ladakh by Wikipedia's account. It rises through two storeys of the temple. We have no verified opening hours or entry rules, so ask locally, and dress modestly.

How long does a visit take?

About 75 minutes on our plan, which allows for the steps up from the parking area and time in the temple. Pair it with Shey Palace on the same road, which is about 19 minutes from Leh. Go early, because the monastery is busy later in the morning and the stairs are steep.