Kargil at 2704 mt, 204 km from Srinagar in the west and 234 km from Leh in the east, is the second largest urban centre of Ladakh and headquarters of the district of the same name.

The town lies nestling along the rising hillside of the lower Suru basin. Two tributaries of the Suru river that meet here are the Drass and Wakha. The land available along the narrow valley as also the rising hillsides are intensively cultivated in neat terraces to grow barley, wheat, peas, a variety of vegetables and other cereals. Kargil is famous for the fine apricots grown here. In May, the entire countryside becomes awash with fragrant white apricot blossoms, while in August, the ripening fruit lends it an orange hue.

A quite town now, Kargil once served as important trade and transit centre in the Pan-Asian trade network. Numerous caravans carrying exotic merchandise comprising silk, brocade, carpets, felts, tea, poppy, ivory, etc. transited in the town on their way to and fro from China, Tibet, Yarkand and Kashmir. The old bazaar displayed a variety of central Asian and Tibetan commodities even after the cessation of the Central Asian trade in 1949, till these were exhausted about two decades ago.

Being located in the centre of the Himalayan region with a tremendous potential for adventure activities, Kargil serves as an important base for adventure tours in the heart of the Himalayas. It is also the take-off station for visitors to the lovely Zanskar valley. Tourists travelling between Srinagar and Leh have to make a night halt here before starting the second leg of their journey.

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