Ladakh is a tourist’s haven known for its awe-inspiring landscapes, clear blue skies, amazing food & unique culture! Apart from all this, Leh has a number of markets where you can indulge your inner shopaholic! Here’s a list of places highlighting all the places that you definitely need to visit and go crazy shopping at:
1. The Main Bazaar Road
The Main Bazaar Road is nothing less than a shopper’s paradise. Located in the Old Town of Ladakh, the bazaar has a plethora of small shops offering popular shopping items like Pashmina shawls, jewellery, handicrafts and small souvenirs for you to take back home. There are a lot of shops out here, but don’t forget to check out the very famous Ladakh Art Palace and Tibetan Handicraft Emporium for handicrafts and Buddhist Thangka House for Thangkas and other items.
Location | Old Town Leh
2. Moti Market
If you’re looking to buy jewellery, the best place to go to is Moti Market. As the name ‘Moti’ suggests, it’s known for pearls and semi precious jewellery. You can easily find authentic silvery jewellery and traditional Turquoise Ladakhi jewellery here. It’s one of the oldest markets in Leh and you can find anything and everything here! There is no dearth is quality and you can easily bargain as the prices aren’t fixed like that of the Ladakh Art Palace.
Location | Near The Leh Bus Stand
3. Tibetan Market
The Tibetan Market is the ideal place for you if antiques and handicrafts are what you’re crazy about! True to it’s name, the Tibetan Market is a flea and street market with a horde of stalls offering various Tibetan handicrafts like shawls, hand-spun rugs, carpets, and precious and semi precious gems! It’s also an amazing place you can practice and put use your bargaining skills to use but do beware of the fake antiques!
Location | Off Leh Road
4. Shar Market
Running parallel to the Main Bazaar Road, Shar market is the best place to buy traditional Ladakhi dresses. Like the other markets, it too has a whole range of stalls and small shops selling handicrafts and antiques. The Ladakhi dress Goncha – a thick woolen robe with a colourful cummerband tied at the waist, tends to fascinate a lot of travellers. The women also wear a Perak, a lambskin headgear studded with semi precious turquoise stones. So don’t forget to give Shar Market a visit!
Location | Opposite Main Bazaar Road, Old Town Leh
5. Changspa Road
Picture Credits: clicksandtales
The Changspa Road has an array of shops you can splurge away at. The road is full of small shops selling souvenirs, besides a host of eateries and hotels. Cottage Industries Exposition and Women’s Alliance are popular places to get good quality clothes from. Venture Ladakh is a great shop for getting Mountaineering outfits and renting climbing gear. There is also a small office of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation here as well so you can check it out if you’re planning to do some trekking!
Location | Changspa Road
So splurge away!
