Festival Calendar
Festivals in Ladakh
12 festivals across Ladakh — organized by month
January
Zanskar Chadar Trek Season
Zanskar Valley
The frozen Zanskar River becomes a walkable highway — the legendary Chadar (ice sheet) trek connecting Zanskar to Leh, one of the world's most extreme winter treks.
February
Dosmoche Festival (Diskit)
Nubra Valley
Two-day Buddhist festival at Diskit Monastery in Nubra Valley with Cham masked dances, ritual destruction of evil effigies, and prayers for the new year.
June
Hemis Festival
Leh
Cham dance with masked monks at Hemis Monastery. Sacred Thangkas displayed. Drums, horns, ritual drama.
Lamayuru Yuru Kabgyat
Lamayuru
Sacred Cham dance festival at the moonland monastery of Lamayuru, one of Ladakh's oldest monasteries (11th century), with mask dances depicting the victory of good over evil.
July
Pangong Nomad Festival
Pangong Tso
Celebration of Changpa nomadic culture near Pangong Tso with pashmina goat herding demonstrations, butter tea ceremonies, and traditional Changpa tent exhibits.
Karsha Gustor
Zanskar Valley
Two-day monastic festival at Karsha Gompa, Zanskar's largest monastery, with Cham dances, oracle prophecies, and ritual burning of evil effigies.
Korzok Gustor
Tso Moriri
Monastic festival at Korzok Gompa on the shores of Tso Moriri at 4,595m, with Cham dances by monks and Changpa nomads gathering from surrounding camps.
Kargil Vijay Diwas
Kargil
National commemoration at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass of India's 1999 victory, with military ceremonies, wreath-laying, and veteran tributes at -60°C winter-famous Drass.
August
Munshi Aziz Bhat Memorial Festival
Kargil
Cultural festival in Kargil celebrating local Purig and Balti culture with traditional music, archery, polo, and food from the Shia Muslim heritage of the region.
September
Ladakh Festival
Leh
Polo matches, archery, traditional music, masked dances. Cultural performances at multiple monasteries.
Nubra Valley Festival
Nubra Valley
Cultural festival showcasing the Balti and Nubra heritage with yak polo, double-humped Bactrian camel rides at Hunder dunes, and traditional music.
October
Hanle Stargazing Festival
Hanle
Astronomy event at the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle at 4,500m — one of the world's highest observatories — with public telescope sessions and astrophotography.