Sham Valley, nicknamed the "Apricot Valley", is a Himalayan valley along the

Indus River The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayas, Himalayan river of South Asia, South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northw ...

and NH1 - Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway in the

Leh district Leh district is a district in Indian-administered Ladakh in the Kashmir#Dispute, disputed Kashmir-region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:T ...

of the Indian Union Territory of

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...

. The valley is located around 170 kilometres from

Kargil Kargil or Kargyil is a City in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:TERTIARY, tert ...

and 180 kilometres from the Ladakh's capital

Leh Leh () is a city in Indian-administered Ladakh in the Kashmir#Kashmir_dispute, disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:TE ...

. The nearest airport is

Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport is a military airfield of the Indian Air Force as well as domestic airport serving Leh, the capital of Ladakh, India. Situated at above mean sea level, it is the highest commercial airport in India and one of ...

in Leh. The valley, which starts from

Spituk Spituk or Spaythub is a census town located in the Leh district of Ladakh, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by ...

and also includes area till

Lamayouro Lamayouro (also known as Lamayuru) is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. The Lamayuru Monastery is located nearby. It is located in the Khalatse, Khalsi tehsil. The region is also referred to as ‘Moon Land’, due to its terrain's ...

, is well known amongst trekkers. The valley is 32 km long and it takes 4-5 days to complete the trek. The maximum elevation is 3874 metres. Likir village located in the valley is famous for its

Buddhist Monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may ...

History

On 16 August 2024, the Union Minister of Home Affairs

Amit Shah Amitbhai Anilchandra Shah (born 22 October 1964) is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the 32nd Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Minister of Home Affairs since May 2019 and the 1st Ministry of Co-operation, Minister of Co-operat ...

announced the creation of five new districts in Ladakh including Sham valley.

Economy

Apricot is region's main crop. For this reason the valley is called as 'Apricot valley'.

Villages

Alchi Alchi is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Likir tehsil, on the banks of the Indus River 70 km (43.49miles) downstream from the capital Leh. Unlike the other gompas in Ladakh, Alchi is situated on lowland, ...

* Bazgoo * Giramangu *

* Likir * Saspochey * Suspol * Hemis Shukpachan * Tingmosgang * Uleytokpo * Yangthang

Major tourist attractions

* Gurudwara Pathar Sahib * Magnetic Hill * Confluence of

and

Zanskar River The Zanskar River is the first major tributary of the Indus River, equal or greater in volume than the main river, which flows entirely within Ladakh, India. It originates northeast of the Great Himalayan range and drains both the Himalayas and t ...

* Basgo Monastery *

Likir Monastery Likir Monastery or Likir Gompa (Klud-kyil) is a Buddhist monastery in Ladakh, Northern India. It is located at 3700m elevation, approximately west of Leh. It is picturesquely situated on a little hill in the valley, in Likir village near the ...

Alchi Monastery Alchi Monastery () or Alchi Gompa (, also Alci) is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, known more as a monastic complex (chos-'khor) of temples in Alchi village in the Leh District, under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council of the Union ...

* Rizong Monastery *

Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru or Yuru Monastery ( "Eternal Monastery") is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Lamayouro, Leh district, Ladakh, India. It is situated on the Srinagar-Leh highway east of the Fotu La at a height of and 19 km southwest of Khalsi. His ...

Saspol Caves Saspol Caves ( Gon-Nila-Phuk Cave Temples) are situated in the hills behind Saspol, Ladakh, India, which is about 76 km from the city centre of Leh. Paintings exist in five caves, two of them extensively damaged. One of the painted caves, ...

* Mangyu temple complex

Images

References

{{Leh district Valleys of India Ladakh Geography of Ladakh