Tourism in Ladakh encompasses the expedition which unwrap the contrasts of chilly breeze and the scorching sunlight. Ladakh offers leisure tourism with monasteries, valleys, wildlife sanctuaries, lakes and the mountain passes. Ladakh also offers the river rafting, mountaineering and trekking for the presence of glaciers and the mountain ranges of Himalaya Mountain Range, Kunlun Mountain Range and Karokaram Range.

Monasteries in Ladakh
Ladakh has the beautiful monasteries which show intricately the Buddhist culture and traditions. The central part of Ladakh has the most number of Gompas or monasteries. These were built during the rule of Ladakhi kings. Phiyang Monastery, Hemis Gompa and Chemrey Monastery are belonging from the Namgyal dynasty. These monasteries are popular in celebrating different festivals. Thikse Monastery in Thikse, Likkir Monastery, Rhidzong Monastery, Zangla Monastery and Spituk Monastery are known as reformist group monasteries. Apart from these, there are some other monasteries like Sani and Stongdey which are located near Padum in Ladakh.

Valleys in Ladakh
Drass Valley known for its Brokpa people, Nubra Valley, better known as the orchard of Ladakh, Rupshu Valley with its salt water lake, Shyok Valley with the River of Death, Suru valley with its snowfalls, Rangdum Valley, Zangla, Zanskar, Padum, Markha Valley and Shey; all are the prime attractions in Ladakh.

Wildlife Sanctuaries in Ladakh
Ladakh is the centre for wildlife sanctuaries like Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, Noorichan Wildlife Sanctuary, Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve, Pangong Tso wetland conservation reserve, Hemis National Park and Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary.

Lakes in Ladakh
Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri lake, Tso Kar, Mirpal Tso, Chagar Tso, Kyun Tso and Ryul Tso, Kiagar Tso, Stat Tso and Lang Tso are the popular lakes in Ladakh.

Festivals in Ladakh
Ladakh also enjoys the summer festivals like Lamayuru in Lamayuru Monastery (early July), Phyang in Phyang Monastery (late July/ early August), Tak-thok (after Phyang) and Karsha in Zanskar (after Phyang). Like Hemis, the Phyang festival too involves the unveiling of a gigantic Thangka, though here it is done every third year.

Shopping in Ladakh
In addition to enjoying the pleasant beauty of Ladakh, the tourists can enjoy shopping for various items in the local markets of Ladakh. The markets and shops are replete with curios, souvenirs and the handicrafts of the native land. The popular items of shopping in Ladakh are Pashmina shawls, stoles, woolen garments, handmade woolen socks, gloves, caps and sweaters, which are locally made by the Ladakhis.

Visiting Information
It is advisable to visit Ladakh in the months of summer (March- June), because summers are cool and pleasant. It is connected with airways and roadways. Jammu is the nearest railway station to reach Ladakh. One needs to travel to Srinagar, which is accessible by road from Jammu. Ladakh is about 430 kms away from Srinagar. Ladakh is connected with all the cities of India with two national highways.