Where to go in Kashmir

🛶 Paradise on Earth

Srinagar

Srinagar is the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir and the beating heart of every Kashmir holiday. Glide across Dal Lake on a hand-rowed shikara, wake up on a carved cedar houseboat, wander the terraced Mughal gardens of Nishat and Shalimar, and lose an afternoon in the spice-scented lanes of the old city.

• Dal Lake Shikara Ride
• Deluxe Houseboat Stay
• Mughal Gardens Tour
• Old City & Jamia Masjid Walk
• Floating Vegetable Market

Best time: March to October

🏔️ Meadow of Flowers

Gulmarg

Gulmarg swings between two personalities. From December to March it is one of Asia's finest ski destinations, with the Gulmarg Gondola lifting you to 3,979 m on Apharwat Peak. Through summer the same slopes turn into a wildflower meadow ringed by pine forest, perfect for golf, horse rides and gentle treks.

• Gulmarg Gondola Phase I & II
• Skiing & Snowboarding
• Apharwat Peak Snow Point
• Strawberry Valley
• World's Highest Golf Course

Best time: December to March for snow, April to September for meadows

🌲 Valley of Shepherds

Pahalgam

Pahalgam sits where the Sheshnag and Lidder rivers meet, an hour of switchbacks past saffron fields and cricket-bat willow groves. It is the gentlest base in Kashmir: raft the Lidder, ride up to the alpine bowl of Baisaran, drive out to Aru and Betaab valleys, or simply sit by the water and do nothing at all.

• Betaab Valley
• Aru Valley
• Chandanwari
• Baisaran Meadow
• Lidder River Rafting

Best time: April to November

❄️ Meadow of Gold

Sonmarg

Sonmarg, the meadow of gold, is the last Kashmiri valley before the road climbs into Ladakh over Zojila. A short pony ride or a two-hour walk brings you to the Thajiwas glacier, where snow survives well into July, framed by the Sind river and stands of silver birch.

• Thajiwas Glacier
• Sind River Valley
• Zero Point Drive
• Zojila Pass Gateway
• Great Lakes Trek Base

Best time: May to October

🌊 Valley of Milk

Doodhpathri

Doodhpathri is what Gulmarg felt like thirty years ago. Milky white streams braid across a wide green bowl at 2,730 m, with almost no construction and very few visitors. It is the best day trip from Srinagar for travellers who want the meadows without the crowds.

• Milk-white Mountain Streams
• Open Alpine Meadows
• Pony Rides
• Picnic & Photography
• Tangnar Viewpoint

Best time: April to October

🐎 Meadow of Jesus

Yusmarg

Yusmarg is a hushed pocket of pine and pasture in the Pir Panjal, 47 km from Srinagar. Walk to the Doodh Ganga stream, ride out to the frozen-blue Nilnag lake, or trek towards the Sang-e-Safed valley where snow lingers most of the year.

• Doodh Ganga Stream
• Nilnag Lake
• Pine Forest Walks
• Horse Riding
• Sang-e-Safed Valley Trek

Best time: April to October