kargil is a peaceful city of  district kargil of Ladakh region. Kargil has an average elevation of 2,676mtrs  (8,780 feet), and is situated along the banks of the white River Suru  and located at  204 km from  Srinagar to the west 234 km and  Leh 240km to the east, 240 km from Padum to the southeast and 1,047 km from Delhi to the south.

This city was centre point during the international trade from china to Asia famously known as Silk Rout.

Now a days it is a tourist destination, there are many interesting villages nearby, there are many beautiful and deluxe hotels in the city. Walking in the evening in Small market is very interesting to see the local sells offers a selection of dry fruits and some great food. Some shops also sell locally produced folk music, which are unique experience for travelers. there are many wonderful places to explore in kargil region of Ladakh. Below given are some of them:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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MULBEKH MONASTERY it is 36 Km drive from Kargil on the way towards Leh. Enshrined with the 9 meter tall idol of Maitreya Buddha (future) chiseled in the rocks, Mulbekh monastery is a spiritual retreat. It is believed that the idol dates back to the 8th century but another school of thought believes it to have been built in Kushan's period. The sculpture is said to have been carved by the missionaries, but the artwork further depicts that these missionaries were not Tibetans and were probably Ladaakhis. There are other ancient edicts near the main sculpture in Kharoshti script. Mulbekh otherwise forms a panorama uncompressed of sturdy rock with occasional green patches spread across the unending horizon.

 

SHERGOL This village has a mixed population of Muslims and Buddhists,it is about  35km from Kargil  and can be approached through a 5km link road from the main highway. The main attraction for visitors is a cave monastery visible from afar as a white old monastery the vertically rising brown hillside,. Down below is a Buddhist nunnery. There is an interesting 4- day trek from here into the Suru Valley across two mountain passes, Safi-la and Rusi-la. 

 

 

DRASS WAR MEMORIAL Drass is the second coldest inhabited place in the world, where the temperature goes as low as - 50 in winter. It is  is around 60 Kms. to the west of Kargil. A great place for the patriotic Indian inside you, Maintained by the Indian Army, the memorial depicts war photos, stories of soldiers and explains the difficulties Indian soldiers faced in the Kargil war, all topped with 100 feet high flagpoles.

Another attraction here is the Sandstone wall, which lists the names of all the Indian army personnel, who sacrificed their lives during the Kargil war. One can also see some of the peaks that the Indian army captured back from Pakistan.

Drass has become famous in recent years because of Pakistan’s misadventure in the Tiger hill and Tolloling areas. One can have a lovely view of Tiger hill from Drass village.

 

ARYAN VALLEY 75km away from the kargil city crossing by Hambuting la(400m) on the bank of River Indus, the valley is (2800m)  high above sea level.  The Aryans known for their unique culture and pure Aryan  race,  tourist visit here to  attain their  interesting festivals , festival like Bononha, losar, Bee, Manthana, etc. and to see the beautiful traditional dresses which is unique.

Their Apricot, local chung, grun-chang (grapes wine),  Apricot-oil, Salagit etc. famous all over India.

On the way to Aryan valley the statue of 6mtr high  future Buddha in Apaty village .

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PANIKHAR is the best station to undertake mountaineering expeditions to the various Peaks surrounding the valley. Tanyol, the approach base for climbing Mt. Nun, is just 6 Kms. further up the valley along the road. A short walk up the hill slopes from here takes one across the Sentik Ridge to the base camp on the rim of the ice plateau. Another very interesting hike is to the Nun- Kun view saddle (3810m) in the Parkachik ridge. This requires 3 hours of walking along verdant slopes overlooking the fertile valley below.

 

HUNDERMAN village just 30 km away from Kargil.  Less than a kilometer away from the border of India &Pakistan is a heritage village, recently discovered?  Very interesting history behind must visit once.

 

SURU BASIN Just after leaving the kargil town, you enter suru valley ladakh popular for its enchanting greenery spread across the long stretch of the valley flanked by snowcapped mountains and the sparkling suru river. The valley ends with a pass called the penz la. The majority population of suru valley ladakh comprises shia muslim of Tibetan origin which once followed Buddhism before converting to muslims in the 15th century.

 

KARTSE KHAR in kartse village of Suru Valley is just one among the many hidden treasures in kargil area the beautiful rock sculpture of Future Buddha"  is the rare Buddhat sculpture dates back to seventh century and is 7mtrs tall. People came to see the uniqueness of this statue, and the village itself will realize every visitors the real meaning of peace and the people  Kartse vellage are very friendly and welcome nature.

 

POLO The famous Polo tournament organized in Village Drass every year and the people from every region participate with full of enthusiasm, the game is very famous all over Ladakh.

This  interesting festival organized in the month of November every year, the local cultural show by the Purkhi, Balti, Aryans young childerns from schools etc. add different colors to this tournament.

 

TIGER HILL KARGIL is a peak in the Drass-Kargil rerion and one of the famous kargil sightseeing. It is situated at an altitude of 3230. The neighboring mountain ridges however range from 16000 feet to 21000 feet. It has become famous kargil sightseeing due to the second coldest occupied places in the world. During winter season, the temperature comes down to less than -60 degrees. And it is recognized as The Gateway to Ladakh. Tiger Hill Kargil is one of the uppermost crests in the area and it is famous for the battle between India-Pakistan during the year of 1999.  

 

PUBLIC MUSEUM a family-operated, Public Museum dedicated to preserving the life and legacy of Munshi Aziz Bhat – A Silk Route trader, pioneer, visionary, social entrepreneur, collector, patriot, husband and father.

The  museum offers anyone who visits, a rare glimpse into the Indian and Central Asian trader culture of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Through its collection of artifacts and mercantile items, the museum exhibits the range of goods and services that were transported on the many maritime and overland trajectories of the Silk Routes. Apart from the commerce, the Silk Route memorabilia at the museum is an enduring peek into the lives of the many merchants, horsemen, herders, pilgrims, artisans, nomads and farmers who traversed these trader routes and evolved a culture that saw its ultimate demise with the growth of mechanized trade and reorganization of boundaries in the post-independence era.