8N/9DLadakhKashmir and Ladakh Road Trip
2N Srinagar · 1N Kargil · 2N Leh · 1N Nubra · 1N Pangong · 1N Leh- Hotels
- Meals
- Transfers
- Sightseeing
Starts from
₹34,900
per person
Lamayuru Monastery, Lamayuru
An old monastery above the moonland landscape
- Type
- Monastery
- Location
- Lamayuru, Ladakh
- Time needed
- 1 to 2 hours, plus a full day of driving from Leh
- Best time to visit
- May to October.
About Lamayuru Monastery
Lamayuru Monastery stands on a hill above the village of Lamayuru, on the Leh to Srinagar road about 125 km west of Leh. It is one of the oldest and largest monasteries in Ladakh, and belongs to the Drikung Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
The area around the monastery is known as the moonland. The hills here are made of soft, pale, eroded rock in yellow and grey shades, which look very different from the rest of the Indus valley. The best views of these formations are from the road just before Lamayuru and from the monastery itself.
Inside, the prayer halls have statues and wall paintings, and the village below has old houses built into the hillside. Lamayuru makes a long day trip from Leh, often combined with Alchi and Likir in Sham Valley. It is also a natural stop for travellers driving between Leh and Kargil or Srinagar, and some stay a night in the village.
Things to do at Lamayuru Monastery
- Visit the monastery prayer halls
- Stop at the viewpoints over the moonland formations
- Walk around Lamayuru village below the monastery
- Combine with Alchi and Likir on the same day
How to reach Lamayuru Monastery
- By road from Leh: about 125 km on the Srinagar road, about 3.5 to 4 hours by car.
Tips before you go
- Start early from Leh if you are making it a day trip
- Combine with Sham Valley sights to break the long drive
- The road climbs over Fotu La, which is higher than Leh, so do this trip after acclimatising
Packages that cover Lamayuru Monastery
8N/9DLadakhView
Nearby places to visit
Valley · Leh
Sham Valley
The road west of Leh to Magnetic Hill, Gurudwara Pathar Sahib and the Sangam of the Indus and Zanskar rivers, with Likir and Alchi monasteries further on.
Time needed: 1 dayRead more →War museum · Leh
Hall of Fame
A museum run by the Indian Army near Leh, honouring soldiers who served in Ladakh, with galleries on the Kargil war and life on the Siachen glacier.
Time needed: 1 to 1.5 hoursRead more →Must visit
Town
Leh
Ladakh's main town, with Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa and a busy main bazaar. Your base for the first and last nights, and the place to acclimatise.
Time needed: 2 to 3 days, split between the start and end of the tripRead more →Lamayuru Monastery: FAQs
Why is Lamayuru called moonland?
The hills around Lamayuru are made of soft, pale, eroded rock that looks like a lunar landscape, which gave the area the name moonland.
Can I visit Lamayuru as a day trip from Leh?
Yes. It is about 3.5 to 4 hours each way, so start early and combine it with Alchi or Likir on the return.