The beautiful city of Kargil is the second largest in Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir after Leh. Known for its rich cultural, historical and political importance, this city sits at 2676 meters above sea level, along the banks of the Suru or Indus River. The location of Kargil makes for an extreme climate, with temperatures dropping to as low as -45 degree Celsius in winters!

The people of Kargil were mostly Tibetan-Buddhist until the 18th and 19th century after which most converted to Islam. They are of mixed Dard and Tibetan descent, and most are Baltis. Kargil is known as the battleground for the Kargil War which was fought in 1999 when Pakistani soldiers, disguised as Kashmiri military insurgents, infiltrated the area in and around Kargil. Ever since several movies and documentaries have been made about the War, the most famous of them being the multi-starrer J P Dutta movie, LOC Kargil.

Kargil is now a peaceful and immensely beautiful city, which serves as a famous spot for tourists year after year. Nestled right in the middle of the massive, naked mountains of the Himalayas, with the pristine waters of the Indus flowing right beside it, Kargil is nothing short of a piece of heaven.

Cultural Tours

Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. Tourism may be international, or within the traveller’s country. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism more generally, in terms which go “beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity only”, as people “traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes”.

Tourism can be domestic or international, and international tourism has both incoming and outgoing implications on a country’s balance of payments. Today, tourism is a major source of income for many countries, and affects the economy of both the source and host countries, in some cases being of vital importance.