One of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh (built ~1000 CE), Alchi is unique because it's built on flat ground rather than a hilltop. Famous for its exquisite Kashmiri-style wall paintings and wooden carvings — some of the finest surviving examples of early Buddhist art in the world. UNESCO tentative list.

Lamayuru is one of the oldest and largest monasteries in Ladakh, set in a surreal lunar landscape called "Moonland" — eroded clay formations that look like the surface of the moon. The monastery dates to the 10th century and belongs to the Drikung Kagyu order. The drive from Leh along the Srinagar Highway is spectacular.

The current residence of the Ladakhi royal family (Namgyal dynasty). The palace museum displays a rich collection of royal artifacts, thangka paintings, crown jewels, and the queen's perak (turquoise-studded headpiece). Stok village is also the starting point for the Stok Kangri summit climb (6,153m).