Panikhar, 67 km south of Kargil, consists of a series of cultivated plateau descending in level steps from the Himalayan foothills to the bed of the Suru River.
During summer the area is converted into a valley of flowers with a variety of alpine flora blossoms. It is the base station for undertaking mountaineering expeditions to the various Himalayan peaks surrounding the valley and is also a base for the famous trans-Himalayan traverse between Ladakh and the Kashmir Valley.
