5 fun things to do in Ladakh without putting on hiking boots

Experience slow travel in Ladakh

The ‘Ladakh 2026’ group chat has been created, all of your schedules have aligned like a rare astrological event, and even your bank balance is being cooperative for a change. So maybe now is not the time to bring up to your friends that you don’t want the quintessential Ladakh vacation—if that means strenuous hiking or trekking, or biking, through the high-altitude desert and taking that one picture of all of you staring meditatively across Pangong lake. Or to tell them you’re looking for something a little more cosy and cultural, which doesn’t require you to hit the gym with an urgency in the approaching days.

Even though you’d be on to something, because there is so much you can do in Ladakh without ever going near any hiking gear. You could opt for culinary and art workshops, savour unique farm-to-table experiences, or bunker down in home stays that are straight out of your childhood fairytales. You could also attend the Ladakh Art Festival (Aug 1-10), curated by artist-architect Vishal K Dar and Ladakhi multimedia artist Tsering Motup Siddho, across different venues, from Leh to Kargil.

No, best not to disturb the fine balance. Instead, just post this list in the group chat. We put it together with help from Salil Inamdar, the founder and CEO of True North Expeditions, a travel company focussed on immersive and sustainable experiences in Ladakh. Your only sales pitch? ‘A breathtaking adventure through the beautiful union territory, without ever getting out of breath.’ Who’s going to fight you on that?

5 slow travel experiences in Ladakh for the unadventurous

Sample Ladakhi food from a monk’s kitchen in Horzay

Monk-turned-chef Jigmet Mingur’s Tsamkhang Kitchen is a 10-seater farm-to-table restaurant, just a 15-minute drive from Leh. Their seasonal menu is curated by Mingur (long story short: he left monkhood in Ladakh to become a chef, went to Goa where he cut his teeth in the kitchens of Prana and Umbrella Cafe, before returning to start his own establishment), with produce that he grows himself. Crowd pleasers include nyamthuk, a roasted barley soup, and the Ladakhi staple mokthuk, a rich broth served with dumplings.

In addition to the food, what makes this a very special experience according to Inamdar, is the setting: a table in the open mountains literally, with an outdoor kitchen, far flung Himalayan views and the gentle gurgling of a running stream as you tuck into Mingur’s fresh, inventive recipes. A typical meal here would be eight to nine courses so make sure you don’t snack too much en route.

Make your reservation: Tsamkhang (via DMs/contact in bio) | Cost: Price on request

Weave a pashmina shawl in Thiksey

Sonam Angmo and Stanzin Minglak, founders of the sustainable textile brand Lena Ladakh, run a pashmina workshop from their home in Thiksey village, east of Leh, by the Indus river. Lena has worked to bring the narrative and ownership of pashmina back to Ladakh, from where the world-famous wool of the indigenous Changthangi mountain goat originates. The founders work with local communities and artisans to hand-make shawls and other winter accessories like mufflers, socks and beanies, prizing slow, small-batch production. In the workshop, they walk visitors through the wool dyeing, soaking and weaving techniques, and as well as the sustainability practices that make the final shawls the warm hugs they feel like. An experience here really brings home how true luxury takes time, respects origin and artistry, and can uplift the communities that make it possible.

In case you can’t make the workshop, you can do the next best thing and visit their store in Leh’s main market. A soft, pastel Lena Ladakh is the perfect gift for someone you really care about back home.

Make your reservation: Lena Ladakh (via DMs) | Cost: Price on request

Chant with monks in Thiksey/ Stok

This one requires a very early start, but it’s well worth the effort. Find your way to the hilltop Thiksey monastery—or then the more remote, tourist-sparse Stok monastery—to witness the sunrise chanting. At the former, you’ll see a large assembly of monks clad in red and yellow robes chanting from sacred texts, accompanied by a chorus of musical instruments. The sound reverberates through the temple complex, and your soul. At the latter, there is less ceremony, but the still, rustic atmosphere of the surrounding village is just as affecting. Chances are that post-chant, you’ll be invited for a cup or two of butter tea with the monks. Fair warning, your old life might not feel quite the same after this.

Eat your history lesson in Leh/Stok

If your knowledge of Ladakh’s cuisine extends to thukpa and momos, chef Kunzes Angmo would like a word with you. Preferably over a curated, fine Ladakhi meal she organises through Artisanal Alchemy, an initiative she started to preserve and celebrate the region’s food history and culture. Inamdar describes Angmo’s dinners as, “a one-of-its-kind experience where the chef is also a storyteller.” The experience not only introduces you to the rich food culture of Ladakh, but Kunzes also weaves incredible stories and anecdotes that are significant in understanding indigenous food ecosystems.

Diners learn about the cuisine of a cold desert with no rainfall and scarce glacial water, how food is preserved to last during the long and dark winters, and interesting trivia, as well as recipes. All of this while making their way through five or six courses that run for about three hours. Kunzes also accommodates dietary restrictions and preferences, so even though the fare is meat-heavy, your vegan or vegetarian friends will find enough to enjoy here.

Make your reservation: Artisanal Alchemy (via DMs) | Cost: Jade House, ₹4,500; The Stok Palace Hotel, ₹8,000. Bookings available only until October.

Live like a Ladakhi in Tirido

Cho House, an eco- farmstay run by Dechan Angmo and her parents, is situated in Tirido, in the picturesque Rong valley, about a two-hour drive from Leh. Spanning five acres, with views of the Himalayas and the Indus river running alongside it, this four-room establishment allows you a real look into rural Ladakhi life, but with modern comforts to tether you to reality.

You can also learn how to make the mok-mok, a Ladakhi momo dish, with Angmo’s mother in their kitchen, and eat local delicacies made from their homegrown, organic produce. Inamdar says, “Every time I am planning an immersive journey for my travellers, I urge them to make a pit-stop at Dechan’s. The food, butter tea and village hikes are an absolute favourite.” Angmo personally organises small hikes inside the village and to a monastery in Tirido, which can be your concession to your more outdoorsy friends.

Make your reservation on Airbnb or via True North Expeditions | Cost: doubles start from ₹4,500 per day, including breakfast and dinner