Leh

Leh, the capital of the former Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, sits at 3,500m in a high-altitude cold desert along the Indus River. Once a critical stop on the Silk Route caravan trade between Tibet, Kashmir and Central Asia, Leh remains a town of dramatic contrasts - a 17th-century palace modeled on Lhasa's Potala crowns the old town, while prayer-flag-draped stupas dot every hilltop. The bazaars still bustle with Tibetan refugees selling turquoise, pashmina and silver; gompas like Soma and Shankar sit within the town; and Leh's cafes and bakeries have made it one of India's most cosmopolitan mountain towns. Leh is the mandatory acclimatization base and starting point for every Ladakh journey - to Nubra, Pangong, Zanskar and the monasteries.