Kargil

A river town between Kashmir and Leh

Kargil sits at about 2,680 m where the Suru river opens into a wide basin, roughly 204 km east of Srinagar and 234 km west of Leh on the national highway. For centuries it was a halt for caravans moving between Kashmir, Leh, Skardu and Central Asia, and the town still feels like a stopover: a long main bazaar, hotels along the river, and traffic heading for Leh or Zanskar. Most people spend one night here. Two or three nights let you see the Suru Valley properly.

Who lives here

This is the Purig and Balti side of Ladakh. Most people in and around the town are Shia Muslims, while Dras to the west is mostly Sunni, and Buddhist villages begin around Mulbekh to the east and at Rangdum in the upper Suru Valley. Expect call to prayer, black flags during Muharram, and a more conservative dress sense than in Leh.

What to see

• The Kargil War Memorial at Dras, below Tololing and Tiger Hill, about 60 km west.
• The 9 m rock-cut Maitreya at Mulbekh, about 45 km east on the Leh road.
• The Suru Valley, with views of the 7,000 m Nun and Kun peaks from Panikhar and Parkachik.
• Rangdum Monastery, an 18th-century Gelugpa gompa about 130 km south, on the road to Zanskar.
• The Dras Valley, green in summer and among the coldest inhabited places in India in winter.

In town, the Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum, run by a local family near the bazaar, keeps goods from the old caravan trade: Yarkandi hookahs, Kashgar rugs, Khotan silk, costumes and coins.

Getting here

There are no regular passenger flights. The nearest airports are Srinagar and Leh, and the nearest big railhead is Jammu. Shared taxis and government buses run along the highway in season. From Srinagar the road crosses Zoji La, which usually closes for part of the winter, though recent winters have seen it kept open for longer. Kargil, Dras, the Suru Valley and Zanskar do not need an inner line permit; Batalik and the Aryan Valley to the north-east do.

Altitude and border rules

Coming from Srinagar, the climb is gradual and Kargil makes a good first night at height. Rangdum is above 4,000 m, so go slowly and drink plenty of water. The Line of Control is only about 11 km north of town. Photograph mountains, villages and the memorial, but never army posts, bridges or convoys, and follow any instruction from a soldier.

When to go

June to September is when every road is open. The best time to visit page goes month by month, and what to wear covers the cold mornings and the conservative town.