Dras Valley
The Coldest Place
Dras Valley, located in the Kargil district of Ladakh, India, is renowned for being the second coldest inhabited place on Earth and the coldest place in India. It's situated on the Leh-Kargil National Highway at an altitude of 3,300 meters (10,800 feet). The town of Drass, the main settlement in the valley, is often referred to as "The Gateway to Ladakh".
Dras has been developed as a tourist destination since 1999, following the Kargil War, when visitors came to see the war zone. The 130-kilometer road connecting the Gurez Valley to Mushkoh Valley in Kargil’s Drass Sector, connected by Kaobal Gali (4,166.9 metres, between Abdullum and Batokul), the highest pass in Gurez, is now open for tourists, offering a glimpse into the historic landscape of the Kargil War. These areas, once battlegrounds, hold significant importance in the Kargil conflict. The Kargil War Memorial is 7 km from Dras. Dras is located on NH-1 Srinagar-Dras-Karil-Leh highway.
In early 2025, high-speed public 4G/5G mobile and internet connectivity was made available by India.
