Thiksey Monastery
Located on top of a hill, the monastery is an excellent example of Ladakhi architecture. This contains several stupas, statues, thangkas, wall paintings and a large pillar depicting Buddha's teachings.

Hemis Gompa
Located 45 km south of Leh, Hemis Gompa is the biggest in Ladakh. The monastery was built in 1630 and belong to the Red Hat Sect. It houses some beautiful wall paintings, thangka and several other historic objects. The Hemis Gompa is renowned for its annual festival held every year in the month of June-July. The festival is also called as the Tse Chu festival and is distinguished from other festivals by its colorful masked dances.

This festival marks the birth anniversary of religious guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. This two-day festival is celebrated on the courtyards of the monastery where sacred mask dance are performed by artists that represents good and evil character in Mahayana Buddhism. The festival also displays the rich Ladakhi art and crafts in its vibrant bazaars where local craftsmen sell their handicraft items.

Lamayuru
The oldest and spectacularly set holy site Lamayuru monastery is about 125 kms. West of Leh, founded in the 10th century . Lamayuru was once a lake. It was blessed by a lama after which, as legend goes, the water of the lake receded upto the mountains leaving place for the monastery to be built. It is also the free zone of Ladakh since not even a criminal can be apprehended in this place. Now mostly in ruins, only the main hall exists today and houses numerous tankhyas.

The Yundrung Kabgyad festival is held during summer on the 28th and 29th days of the 2nd Tibetan month.

Lamayuru has fascinating caves carved out of the mountainside. Also known as Yung Drung (Swastika) it is sited on a high promonotory overlooking the village and valley.

The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa
Constructed in 1430, this monastery has good collection of ancient Buddhist manuscripts, paintings, a three stories high image of Lord Buddha and some other historic artifacts. There is also a ruin historic fort that offers breathtaking views of Leh.

Phugtal Gompa
Phuktal monastery is like a honeycomb, cut into a rock under a gignantic grotto and has more than 70 Monks. The library three large and one small prayer room etc and the grave of Gangsem Sherap Sampo who founded Phuktal. In the cave over the monastery there is a hollow in rock the water level of which never reduces even after taking out any amount of water from there. Water is said to have healing powers. There is also a stone tablet left by Alexander Cosmo de Koros an Hugaraian who explore Tibet and lived in this monastery in 1826-27.

Phugthal is accessible from the Padum-Manali trekking route through a 7 km long trail that branches off from the Purney Bridge on the main trail. This unique monastic establishment is inhabited by a resident community of about 70 monks.

Cave Monastery
The cave monastery of Shergole is small but this old Buddhist monastery has elegant frescoes. It juts out of a brown, granite cliff and appears as if suspended in the middle of the mountain. This architectural quirk makes it an object of curiosity among local people too.