Best Festivals of Ladakh To Celebrate

Hemis Tsechu is one of Ladakh's largest and most famous festivals, held at Hemis Monastery, to honor Guru Padmasambhava. The festival is renowned for its Cham dance, where monks wear intricate costumes and masks to depict mythological stories. Visitors come from far and wide to witness the dances and participate in the religious ceremonies. The event is a grand celebration of spirituality, culture, and Ladakhi heritage.

Location: Hemis Monastery
Date: 05-06 Jul 2025

Losar is the Tibetan New Year, celebrated all over Ladakh with prayers, family gatherings, and community feasts. The festival includes traditional rituals, dances, and offerings to ensure a prosperous year ahead. It’s a time for reflection, renewal, and honoring the spiritual traditions of Ladakh. The festive atmosphere is filled with colorful decorations, local food, and religious ceremonies.

Location: All over Ladakh
Date: 20 Dec 2025

The Ladakh Festival is a grand celebration of Ladakhi culture, with events held throughout Leh to showcase traditional dances, music, and sporting activities. The festival features performances of local folk songs, dances, and a display of Ladakhi crafts and traditions. It’s a lively event where both locals and tourists celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the region. The festival offers visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the vibrant customs of Ladakh.

Location: Leh
Date: September 2025

Dosmochey is celebrated in Leh, Diskit, and Likir as a festival to honor the guardian deities and ensure peace and prosperity in Ladakh. During the festival, monks perform traditional rituals, including mask dances and the creation of sacred offerings. The event is also marked by the burning of effigies, symbolizing the destruction of evil forces. It’s a festival filled with religious fervor and local community spirit.

Location: Leh, Diskit, Likir
Date: 26-27 Feb 2025

Sindhu Darshan is a festival held near Shey village, celebrating the Indus River, which holds spiritual significance in Ladakh. Devotees from all over India come to pay homage to the river by offering prayers and performing rituals. The festival is a grand celebration with cultural performances, music, and dance. The spiritual aspect of Sindhu Darshan emphasizes harmony and reverence for nature.

Location: Near Shey village
Date: June 2025

Matho Nagrang is a unique and spiritually rich festival held at Matho Monastery, known for its sacred mask dances performed by monks. The festival honors the guardian deities of Ladakh and is marked by rituals to ensure a good harvest and prosperity. Pilgrims from across the region gather to witness the monks’ elaborate costumes and symbolic dances. The festival is an important event for both locals and visitors, offering a glimpse into Ladakh’s Buddhist traditions.

Location: Matho Monastery
Date: 13-14 Feb 2025

Spituk Gustor is a vibrant festival held at Spituk Monastery, marking a significant religious occasion in Ladakh. The festival features mask dances and rituals performed by monks to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity to the region. It’s a time for locals and visitors alike to gather in celebration, with spiritual chants and traditional music filling the air. The highlight is the dramatic Cham dance, which is believed to drive away negativity and usher in good fortune.

Location: Spituk Monastery
Date: 27-28 Jan 2025

Stok Guru Tsechu is a religious festival held at Stok Monastery, where monks perform dances and rituals to honor Guru Rinpoche. The festival is a blend of spirituality and cultural tradition, with colorful mask dances depicting various Buddhist legends. Pilgrims and tourists alike flock to Stok to witness the vibrant celebrations. The atmosphere is filled with prayer flags fluttering in the wind and the sounds of drums and cymbals.

Location: Stok Monastery
Date: 09-10 Feb 2025

Saka Dawa is observed all over Ladakh, marking the birth, enlightenment, and death anniversary of Lord Buddha. It is one of the most significant Buddhist festivals, during which people engage in prayers, offerings, and acts of charity. Monks and locals alike gather in monasteries for spiritual rituals, and the day is marked by religious processions. Pilgrims light butter lamps and make offerings to accumulate merit for the future.

Location: All over Ladakh
Date: 11 Jun 2025

Yuru Kabgyat is celebrated at Lamayuru Monastery, where monks perform the Cham dance in honor of the deity of the monastery. The festival involves colorful processions, prayer offerings, and sacred rituals that reflect Ladakh’s Buddhist traditions. It is one of the most anticipated events in the region, attracting pilgrims and visitors from across the world. The sacred dances and ceremonies are believed to purify the land and protect the people.

Location: Lamayuru Monastery
Date: 22-23 Jun 2025

Shachukul Kabgyat takes place at Shachukul Monastery and is celebrated with vibrant rituals and dances to honor the local deities. The festival is an important spiritual event for the Ladakhi community, filled with mask dances that represent the victory of good over evil. It also includes the offering of prayers and the creation of sacred mandalas. The festival draws both locals and tourists to the monastery for an immersive cultural experience.

Location: Shachukul Monastery
Date: 12-13 Jul 2025

Stongde Gustor is a religious festival held at Stongde Monastery in Zanskar, known for its traditional Cham dances performed by monks. The festival is a time for locals to come together in devotion, offering prayers and performing rituals for good health and prosperity. The vibrant mask dances are a highlight, symbolizing the triumph of divine forces over evil. The event also features the burning of an effigy, signifying the destruction of negativity.

Location: Stongde Monastery, Zanskar
Date: 12-13 Jul 2025

Phyang Tsedup is celebrated at Phyang Monastery, where colorful Cham dances are performed to honor the spiritual teachings of Guru Rinpoche. The festival is a mixture of religious devotion and local tradition, with ceremonies and prayers aimed at bringing blessings to the region. The vibrant dances and chants are a key part of the celebrations, bringing together locals and pilgrims. Visitors can immerse themselves in the spiritual atmosphere and witness the region’s Buddhist practices.

Location: Phyang Monastery
Date: 22-23 Jul 2025

Karsha Gustor takes place at Karsha Monastery in Zanskar, where monks perform the dramatic Cham dance to commemorate important Buddhist figures. The festival is marked by the offering of prayers and rituals for the well-being of the community and the world. The colorful costumes and masks worn by the monks are a visual highlight of the celebrations. Locals and visitors gather for the occasion to experience Ladakh's unique cultural and spiritual heritage.

Location: Karsha Monastery, Zanskar
Date: 22-23 Jul 2025

Korzok Gustor is a major festival at Korzok Monastery on the shores of Tso Moriri Lake, where spiritual ceremonies and Cham dances are held in honor of the local deities. The festival is an important occasion for the Ladakhi community to gather, make offerings, and seek blessings. The event features elaborate rituals, mask dances, and the creation of sacred offerings. Pilgrims and tourists come to witness the stunning natural backdrop and vibrant cultural displays.

Location: Korzok Monastery
Date: 27-28 Jul 2025

Takthok Tsechu is celebrated at Takthok Monastery, with elaborate Cham dances and rituals to honor Guru Padmasambhava. The festival is a time for both spiritual devotion and cultural festivities, with monks performing sacred dances to invoke blessings. Visitors can enjoy the colorful display of costumes, masks, and religious chanting. It’s one of the more intimate festivals in Ladakh, attracting a blend of locals and visitors.

Location: Takthok Monastery
Date: 04-05 Aug 2025

Sani Naro Nasjal is a significant festival celebrated at Sani Monastery in Zanskar, featuring rituals and prayers to honor local deities. The festival is marked by mask dances, symbolic acts, and the offering of prayers for the protection of the region. Pilgrims from nearby villages gather to participate in the spiritual activities, making it a community-centered event. The rich cultural and spiritual atmosphere makes it an unmissable experience for those in the area.

Location: Sani Monastery, Zanskar
Date: 08-09 Aug 2025

Galdan Namchot is a festival observed across Ladakh, celebrating the birth of Guru Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The festival includes prayers, rituals, and community gatherings, with monks chanting sacred texts and making offerings. It’s a time of reflection and devotion, where people seek blessings for the year ahead. The festival fosters a sense of community and spiritual renewal.

Location: All over Ladakh
Date: 14 Dec 2025

Chemrey Wangchok is a religious festival held at Chemrey Monastery, with elaborate Cham dances and offerings to honor the monastery's guardian deities. The festival is a lively celebration of Ladakhi Buddhist traditions, featuring spiritual rituals and colorful dances. Visitors can witness the unique customs and take part in the community’s devotion. The festival is an important event for locals, with an emphasis on spiritual growth and protection.

Location: Chemrey Monastery
Date: 17-18 Nov 2025

Thiksey Gustor is held at Thiksey Monastery, where monks perform sacred Cham dances in honor of Guru Padmasambhava. The festival is an important occasion for locals and visitors to come together in religious devotion, witnessing the rituals and dance performances. The atmosphere is vibrant, with monks dressed in colorful costumes and masks to depict spiritual stories. It’s one of the key Buddhist festivals in Ladakh, reflecting the region’s deep spiritual heritage.

Location: Thiksey Monastery
Date: 08-09 Nov 2025

Diskit Gustor is celebrated at Diskit Monastery with mask dances and spiritual rituals to honor the deities and protect the community from evil spirits. The festival features vibrant Cham dances, where monks wear elaborate costumes and masks. It’s a lively occasion that attracts both pilgrims and tourists, offering a glimpse into the spiritual practices of Ladakh. The burning of the effigy at the end symbolizes the destruction of evil forces.

Location: Diskit Monastery
Date: 19-20 Oct 2025