Alchi Monastery, 65 kilometres west of Leh on the Leh-Kargil Highway, contains some of the oldest and finest Buddhist murals in the Himalayas. The complex dates from around the 11th–12th century and preserves frescoes and wood carvings of a quality that later gompas rarely match — the art here belongs to a Kashmiri-influenced tradition that was largely swept away by later Tibetan styles.
The Sumtseg temple is the jewel: three monumental clay bodhisattva figures, each around four metres tall, fill the interior. The Dukhang assembly hall has walls covered in a thousand painted Buddhas and intricate mandalas. The woodwork throughout is baroque in its elaboration, with carved doorframes and galleries unlike anything else in Ladakh. The site is managed by Likir Monastery and maintained carefully — photography restrictions inside apply. Worth the hour-long drive from Leh.