Leh
With its coppiced willows, the large courtyard of this 20th-century temple offers an oasis of relatively meditative calm just steps from the bustle of…
Must-see attractions in Kashmir & Ladakh
Kashmir & Ladakh
Raised on a rock at the entry to town, the small Sitlama shrine is Gulabgarh's most photogenic temple. Illuminations make it look especially intriguing at…
Ladakh
The remote monastery at tiny Sumdha Chun boasts some splendid Alchi-style carvings that are directly linked to Tibet's 'Great Translator' Ringchen Zangpo.
Srinagar
Much of Srinagar's fresh produce is brought in from 'floating gardens' and landed at this tiny dock, making for photogenic scenes.
Kashmir & Ladakh
On a modest hilltop across the River Tawi from the main city, Bahu Fort's sturdy walls were reinforced in the early 19th century. Today they enclose a…
Kashmir & Ladakh
A large rock set above the Lungnak River bank, southeast of Padum, is inscribed with a row of five seated Buddha figures in Gandharan style, clumsily…
Ladakh
The vast majority of tourists zipping between Leh and Pangong Tso drive straight past this small but charming monastery, home to the venerated 'talking…
Ladakh
Built memorably into a cliff face, little Shargol Gompa's minuscule prayer chamber is lit by a single flickering butter lamp. To access the site from the…
Kashmir & Ladakh
The remarkable 5th-century terracotta heads that you might have seen in Jammu's Dogra Art Gallery, were originally found at this important if visually…
Kashmir & Ladakh
Kishtwar's holiest spot entombs sufi 'saint' Shah Fariduddin Shaib (1592–1691) whose arrival here in 1650 is considered a key date in the town's history…
Leh
The early 15th-century Chamba Lhakhang was one of a trio of Maitreya ('future Buddha') temples built in Leh by King Draspa Bum-lde. The obvious…
Ladakh
Stepped handsomely within a hidden amphitheatre of rocky cliff, this lonely but much-revered little 19th-century monastery is famous for its code of…
Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley
Beside the Srinagar–Jammu highway in Awantipora, 30km south of Srinagar, lies the chunky ruins of the 9th-century Avantiswamin Temple. The stone blocks…
Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley
This sprawling hilltop pilgrimage town celebrates Kashmir’s ‘patron saint’ Sheikh Nuraddin-Wali (1377–1438). His shrine is covered by a vast new mosque…
Srinagar
At the north end of the triangular patch of grass near the Sufi shrine of Pir Dastgir Sahib is a small, green shrine known as Rozabal. A highly…
Kashmir & Ladakh
On the east bank of the Lungnak River, southeast of Padum, the village of Shilla is backed by a crag with ruins at the top and a substantial waterfall…
Srinagar
On the southern flank of Hari Parbat, the large and ornately carved Makhdoom Sahib Shrine is dedicated to the Qadri-order Sufi saint who helped the spread…
Srinagar
A few colonial-era half-timbered buildings remain along the northern towpath of the Jhelum River. The most splendid example is the former British…
Srinagar
Unlike most typical Kashmiri wooden spired mosques, Pather Masjid is a heavy Mughal stone structure, built by Nur Jahan in 1623. The road-facing side is…
Kashmir & Ladakh
Seen from Rangdum village, 5km west, this small, slightly raised monastery looks like a tiny island floating above the valley floor. Postcards are sold to…
Srinagar
Created in the 16th century, then planted with almond (badam) trees in 1876, this quiet orchard garden fell apart during Kashmir's 1990s troubles but has…
Kashmir & Ladakh
The Yurbaltak Buddha figure makes an appealing half-day trip from Kargil. It's the smallest and most eroded of the region's Buddha statues but getting…
Leh
This mysterious whitewashed cube is the shrine of Leh’s guardian deity. While not much to see in itself, its rocky outcrop setting offers superb 360…
Kashmir & Ladakh
Started in 1710 and vastly expanded after 1824 under the Dogras, this extensive complex of palace buildings is fascinating for both its scale and its…
Srinagar
This stone gateway, directly north of the white-domed Chetipacha Gurdwara, is part of one of the last remnant sections of Srinagar's late 16th-century…
Ladakh
This intriguing little monastery includes troglodyte cell rooms tucked improbably into pillars of unstable-looking composite rocks. It's backed against a…
Srinagar
Crowds throng Asia’s biggest Tulip Garden, just behind the Botanical Garden, during March and April. Its long, straight rows of blooming tulips (60…
Leh
Well off the radar of most visitors, this photogenic knot of traditional houses and minor Buddhist monuments 4km north of central Leh makes for a good…
Srinagar
Built in 1649 by Shah Jahan's son Dara Shikoh for his spiritual mentor, the mosque of Akhund Mullah Shah is only a chunky stone shell set amid plane trees…
Kashmir & Ladakh
When Kishtwar was its own kingdom, there was a palace on the low, flat-topped Qila Hill that lies around 10 minutes' walk west of the bus stand. Apart…
Srinagar
Pari Mahal (literally 'Palace of the Fairies') is a 17th-century former Sufi centre built by the eldest son of Shah Jahan. The terraced lawns and arched…
Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley
This partly tree-shaded garden with its series of central fountain pools was said to be the favourite of Mughal Queen Nur Jahan, who commissioned it…
Ladakh
The museum is unmarked and hidden away beneath the monastery restaurant; staff should be able to unlock it. Displays include well-labelled Tantric…
Ladakh
Around 2km south of the palace, Stok's small monastery has some crumbling old stupas, but the dominant feature, 200m above, is its huge 21m-tall gilded…
Ladakh Rocks & Minerals Museum
Leh
This sweet one-room museum outside Sankar Gompa presents labelled examples of Ladakh's geological curiosities, including a natural lingam (phallic image…
Leh
Namgyal Tsemo Gompa consists of two little 15th-century temple buildings directly beneath the Tsemo Fort ruins. One enshrines an 8m-tall gold-faced…
Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley
This vast, hillside shrine complex is devoted to 15th-century sufi holy man, Zainalabddin Wali. The humid main shrine, accessed by 272 steps, is inside a…
Leh
This group of ancient stupas is an old town landmark reached from the northeastern corner of the polo ground. Join the pilgrims on a kora (clockwise walk)…
Srinagar
This beautifully proportioned if uncoloured 17th-century shrine was built in Himachal Pradesh style, with alternating layers of wood and brick to…
Ladakh
The extensive ruins of Sakti's old stone dzong (fortress) add a touch of intrigue to the landscape as you drive past en route to the Chang La and Pangong…
