Monastery festivals in Zanskar follow the Tibetan lunar calendar, so their dates move every year against the Western one. If a festival is the reason for your trip, tell us early: we can confirm the date once it is set and build the route around it.
The festivals worth planning around
Karsha Gustor
The biggest gathering in the valley, at Karsha Monastery above the Stod valley. Two days of masked cham dances performed by the monks, ending with the destruction of a ritual effigy. Held in summer. People come in from the whole western half of Zanskar, so it is as much a social event as a religious one.
Stongdey Gustor
The same form of festival at Stongdey, on the road towards Zangla. Smaller than Karsha and, for that reason, easier to experience up close.
Sani Naro Nasjal
At Sani, west of Padum, around the ancient stupa. Masked dances and a procession; one of the few festivals here associated with a site rather than only with a monastic community.
Losar
The new year, celebrated in winter. Ladakh and Zanskar traditionally observe it earlier than the Tibetan calendar would suggest, which surprises people. It is a family and village occasion rather than a spectacle for visitors, and the valley is closed by road when it happens.
Dates for the coming season
Confirmed festival dates for the coming season — Karsha Gustor, Stongdey Gustor, Sani Naro Nasjal. Update this block every year.
What a festival is actually like
Long. The dances run for hours, with pauses, and the crowd treats it as a day out: families arrive early, sit along the walls, share food, and talk through the quieter passages. There is no ticket and no seating plan. Arrive early if you want to see anything, expect to stand, and expect it to be cold in the morning and hot by midday.
Photography is generally accepted in the courtyard during the dances and generally not accepted inside the temple buildings. Ask, watch what others do, and keep out of the dancers' path.