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Kashmir & Ladakh

India and Pakistan both dispute ownership of the Kashmir Valley, and political violence can flare up without warning. Because of ongoing security problems, many foreign governments advise against all travel, or all but essential travel, to areas outside of the cities of Srinagar and Jammu, and your travel insurance may be invalid if you ignore this advice.

The state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) brings together three incredibly different worlds. Jammu and Katra, in the south, are the state's rail hubs and a major draw for domestic pilgrims. Kashmir Valley is India's Switzerland, attracting local tourists seeking cool summer air, alpine scenery and Srinagar’s romantic houseboat accommodation. And then there's the Himalayan land of Ladakh, which for most foreigners is J&K’s greatest attraction. Its ethnolinguistically Tibetan people are predominantly Buddhist; their timeless monasteries are set between arid canyons and soaring peaks, while emerald-green villages nestle photogenically in highland deserts.

Kashmir is politically volatile, with July and August often the "season" for shutdowns, demonstrations and curfews. Indeed, arguments over Kashmir's status caused three 20th-century wars. Ladakh is altogether different, a calm oasis where your main concern will be high-altitude acclimatization. Note that Ladakh is entirely inaccessible by road outside the summer season.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Kashmir & Ladakh.

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Leh Palace
Bearing a passing similarity to the Potala Palace in Lhasa (Tibet), this nine-storey dun-coloured edifice is Leh's dominant structure and architectural icon. It took shape under 17th-century king Singge Namgyal but has been essentially unoccupied since the Ladakhi royals were stripped of power and shuffled off to Stok in 1846. Today the sturdy walls enclose some photo exhibition spaces and a small prayer room, but the most enjoyable part of a visit is venturing to the uppermost rooftops for the view. Interesting structures ranged around the palace’s base include the prominent Namgyal Stupa, the colourfully muralled Chandazik Gompa and Soma Gompa, once home to the monastic printing press. Also nearby is the 1430 Chamba Lhakhang, with its colourful three-storey Buddha and medieval mural fragments. Don't count on any of these being open though.
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Dal Lake
Over 15km around, Dal Lake is Srinagar's jewel, a vast sheet of water reflecting the carved wooden balconies of the houseboats and the misty peaks of the Pir Panjal mountains. Flotillas of gaily painted shikaras (gondola-like taxi boats) skiff around the lake, transporting goods to market, children to school and travellers to delightful houseboats inspired by originals from the Raj era. If you get up early, you can paddle out to see the floating flower and vegetable market : a colourful spectacle, but one where you can expect plenty of attention from souvenir vendors. For a visual portrait of Dal Lake life, watch the prize-winning 2012 movie Valley of Saints.
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Thiksey Gompa
Glorious Thiksey Gompa is one of Ladakh’s biggest and most recognisable monasteries, photogenically cascading down a raised rocky promontory. At its heart, the main dukhang (prayer hall) oozes atmosphere, and a Maitreya temple contains a giant future Buddha who wears an exquisitely ornate crown. More obviously ancient is the gonkhang and the tiny old library up on the rooftop (often closed). The Thiksey entrance ticket includes entry to a fascinating museum – it's hidden beneath the monastery restaurant so ask the manager for the key. Prayers take place in the assembly hall between 6am and 7.30am most days and visitors are welcome.
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Choskhor Temple Complex
The original murals and statues within these four outwardly modest 11th-century temples are considered the crowning glory of Ladakh’s Indo-Tibetan art. The complex was founded by ‘Great Translator’ Lotsava Ringchen Zangpo, whose rather reptilian portrait appears on the inside rear wall of the Lotsa Temple.
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Khanqah Shah-i-Hamadan
This distinctively spired 1730s Muslim pilgrim hall is Srinagar’s most beautiful mosque. It was constructed without any nails, and both frontage and interiors are covered in exuberantly painted paper mache reliefs and elaborately coloured khatamband (faceted wood panelling). Non-Muslim visitors can peek through the door but may not enter. The building stands on the site of one of Kashmir’s first mosques, founded by Persian saint Mir Sayed Ali Hamadani, who arrived in 1372, one of 700 refugees fleeing Timur’s (Tamerlane) conquest of Iran. He is said to have converted 37,000 people to Sufi Islam, and it’s likely that his retinue introduced Kashmiris to the Persian art of fine carpet-making.
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Wanla Gompa
Above Wanla village, tiny medieval Wanla Gompa is dramatically perched on a towering knife-edge ridge flanked by two shattered tower remnants of a now-destroyed 14th-century fortress. Its carved porch is reminiscent of Alchi's famous Choskhor Temple and a single, magical chamber contains three large statues backed by stunning murals.
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Nishat Bagh
Of all Srinagar's Mughal gardens, Nishat Bagh is arguably the most appealing, with beautiful water features that frame a lovely lake panorama. It's on Foreshore Rd, 7.5km from Nehru Park.
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Leh Old Town
Behind Leh’s central Jamia Masjid, winding alleys and stairways burrow between and beneath a series of old mud-brick Ladakhi houses and eroded chortens. The alleys themselves are a large part of the attraction, but some buildings have been particularly well restored, notably the pair of 17th-century mansions now housing the interesting LAMO arts centre. To get a taste, walk past the Dhyani Buddha–fronted building that houses Lala's Art Cafe, turn hard left on an easily missed passageway beside a rigsum gonbo (represented by a trio of yellow, white and blue mini-stupas) and tunnel under a building past a magenta door marked 'Chamba Gonba' (normally locked). Wind up a rocky slope to LAMO and beyond to the Old Town Cafe and the Leh Palace just above.
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Diskit Gompa
Directly above Old Diskit, a 2km spaghetti of hairpins winds up to this photogenic monastery complex, much of which dates to between the 14th and 17th centuries. At the back far right-hand corner of the medieval gonkhang (guardian spirits' temple), a six-armed white Mahakala statue clasps a withered forearm and a human skull, supposedly body parts of a Mongol warrior. The gigantic (32m) full-colour Chamba statue next to the monastery was formally inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in 2010 and offers superb valley views. A monastery restaurant here serves up decent food (mains ₹100 to ₹250) and a guesthouse offers comfortable rooms.