Kardang Gompa is the largest and most important monastery in the Lahaul valley, perched on the hillside directly across the Bhaga River from Keylong at around 3,500 metres. Getting there involves crossing the river and walking uphill through the village of Kardang — about 8 kilometres from town — but the effort is well rewarded. The monastery belongs to the Drukpa Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and is still an active religious centre with a resident community of monks.
Inside, you'll find a large prayer hall hung with thangka paintings, a collection of old Buddhist scriptures, and elaborate clay sculpture. The setting is extraordinary: on a clear day the views down the Bhaga valley and up toward the Baralacha La pass are among the finest in Lahaul. The monastery hosts an annual Chham dance festival in summer, usually in June or July, when monks perform elaborately costumed ritual dances in the courtyard.