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Suru Valley Tour

Situated 140 kms south of Kargil,It is the preetiest valley of Ladakh which divides two of the world's largest formidable mountain ranges. Lying nestled along the north-eastern foothills of the great Himalayan Wall, The general topography of this valley is rugged and mountaineous. However, this valley is relatively more fertile than other valleys of Ladakh, due to its location which is formed by the catchements of Suru river.

The average altitude of the valley is above 3000 mtrs.Although immobilized in winter by heavy snowfall, its fields are watered by streams from the surrounding mountains, the major crops of the valley are wheat and barley The cold season begins around mid-November and continues till May. The open valley adorned with undulating alpine meadows strewn with wild flowers, groves of poplars. The valleys are especially picturesque in spring when the apple, apricot and mulberry trees are in full bloom all around.The inhabitants of Suru Valley are the Baltis. They are admixture of the Dards from Dardistan and the Mongoloids from Tibet.

Panikhar
It is a lovely place which is often full of flowers. Panikhar is the largest settlement of Suru Valley and it is a good place to break the long journey to Padum. Few years ago, Panikhar was a major trekking centre whereas these days, it has just got small collection of roadside stalls and poor mud-brick farm houses. One of the major reason to visit Panikhar is for its day hike to nearby Parkachik La to enjoy the panoramic view of the twin mountains of Nun (7135 mtrs.) and Kun (7087 mtrs.). It is the point which takes one closest to these twin mountains. This particular trail is locally known as Largo La, which means 'nothing'.

Rangdum
Situated in between Kargil & Padum, this place offers great opportunity to trek into the higher Himalayas. Rangdum is known for its Rangdum Gompa which can be reached in 7 - 8 hrs. drive by jeep. The monastery stands on a hill and belongs to Gelukpa Order. The structure of the monastery dates back to 16th Century and is home to over 40 monks.Also worth a visit is the small monastery called Zongkul Gompa.