Archive · 17 Nov 2025
Dras, India: World's Second Coldest Inhabited Place
Dras is a village in India that gets super duper cold in the winter, even colder than your freezer!
It's the second-coldest place in the world where people still live.
In the summer, it's a great place to go hiking and see beautiful views.
It's also close to places where a big war happened a long time ago, so there are special memorials for the soldiers who fought there.
You can stay in small houses with friendly people who will give you warm drinks.
Dras, in Ladakh's Kargil district, is the world's second-coldest inhabited place.
Winter temperatures frequently fall below -40°C, creating a frozen landscape.
Dras is close to major sites from the 1999 Kargil War, including the Dras War Memorial.
It's a popular summer destination (June-September) for treks and sightseeing.
Travelers can experience local hospitality in homestays and reach Dras via Leh airport or Jammu Tawi railway station.
- Who
- Residents and travelers visiting Dras, India.
- What
- Experiencing extremely low winter temperatures, reaching below -40°C.
- When
- Winter temperatures drop below -40°C; best time to visit is June to September.
- Where
- Dras, a Himalayan settlement in the Kargil district of Ladakh, India.
- Why
- Dras is known for its extreme winter cold due to its high-altitude location in the Himalayas.
Summer Travel
Winter Travel
Accessibility and Activities
Summer Travel
Dras is a popular travel hotspot in summers, with open roads and green valleys. Treks to Amarnath Cave and Suru Valley begin here. It offers historical significance with proximity to Kargil War landmarks like Tiger Hill and Tololing viewpoints.
Winter Travel
In winter, Dras becomes a frozen landscape with temperatures plunging below -40°C. Life moves very slowly, and it is considered a destination for seasoned adventurers. Glimpses of the frozen village are unforgettable even from the highway.
Accommodation and Experience
Summer Travel
Accommodation options are primarily small homestays offering hot butter tea and local hospitality.
Winter Travel
While remote, the winter experience offers unique mountain hospitality and a slow-paced life.
- Location
- High in the Kargil district of Ladakh, India
- Temperature
- Plunges below -40°C in winter
- Significance
- World's second-coldest inhabited place, historical significance due to Kargil War landmarks
- War Memorial
- Dras War Memorial commemorates soldiers lost in the 1999 India-Pakistan war
- Best Time to Visit
- June to September
- Nearest Airport
- Leh
- Nearest Railway Station
- Jammu Tawi (Srinagar)