Kashmir, the Paradise on Earth, is a dream destination for every nature lover. But with so many places of interest in the Kashmir valley, many find it to be a daunting task planning their tour. Through this post, I would guide you, so that you can plan the tour on your own. I have already written individual travelogues on each of the destinations that we had visited, so please click on the corresponding links for the information in detail.
At the end of the post, I will also tell you the itinerary that we followed.
Where to start from – Jammu or Srinagar?
The first question that came to my mind when I started planning for our Kashmir trip is: Where from to start – Srinagar (the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir) or Jammu (the winter capital). So, let me answer that first.
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is divided into 2 distinct regions – Jammu to the south and Kashmir to the north. If you are planning to visit only the Kashmir valley and if you do not mind travelling in direct flights (and thereby saving time), then you should start from Srinagar.
But if you want to club your visit to Kashmir along with the Jammu region (i.e. Vaishno Devi shrine, Katra, Jammu, Patnitop etc), and can afford a couple of extra days by travelling from Jammu by road, then you can start from any of the cities of Jammu or Katra or Udhampur. By road, the distance between Jammu and Srinagar is 245 KM, and it should take around 6 hours and 30 minutes. But one should always account for the huge traffic jam on the Jammu – Srinagar highway before making the travel plans.
Another point to note is that, Srinagar is at present not connected to the rest of India by direct railway line. On the other hand, Jammu/ Katra/ Udhampur have direct rail connectivity with the rest of India.
Srinagar has its own rail station, but the railway line at present runs till Banihal (around 150 KM from Jammu). As of 2023, railway tracks are being laid to connect Srinagar to Jammu, and that would make the travel to Srinagar even more convenient.
Places to visit in Kashmir:
The entire Kashmir valley boasts of unparalleled natural beauty. Although there are a few popular places that tourists explore, majority of the valley is still unexplored. If you have time in your hand and want to spend some time in tranquillity, take help from the local Kashmiris and venture out to the serene meadows, unknown villages and trek the nearby mountains. Wherever you go, the surrounding would be engrossing and you would have a delightful experience.
Our Kashmir trip, in the summer of 2023, was our first one to the valley. So, we chose to visit the popular places of interest, as well as a few offbeat ones.
In this section, I would try to portray a picture of the important places and the time you would need to explore them.
Must visit places:
Srinagar:
The winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir is the largest city in the entire region. Situated at the foothills of the mighty Himalayas, Srinagar is famous for the pristine water bodies of Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake and the lavish Mughal Gardens. During the one month period, from the 3rd week of March to 3rd week of April, Srinagar attracts lakhs of tourists to its Tulip Garden. It is the largest tulip garden in Asia.
1 day is enough to visit the important places of the city like, Shankaracharya Temple, Four Mughal Gardens (Chashme Shahi, Pari Mahal, Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh), Hazrat Bal Dargah and Jamia Masjid. In the evening, enjoy a Shikara ride in the Dal Lake.
Gulmarg:
Gulmarg, literally meaning the Meadow of Flowers in Kashmiri, is located around 50 KM from Srinagar, in the Baramulla district.
The town is famous for winter sports. During the winter months, the entire place is covered with a thick blanket of snow and tourists can indulge in a variety of activities like skiing, sledging and snowboarding. But it is equally popular in the other months of the year, when it welcomes the visitors with its vast green meadows, variety of flowers and snow capped mountain peaks.
The major attraction here is the Gondola or the Cable car ride to the top of the Apharwat peak at an altitude of 13,500 feet or 4,115 meter.
1 day is enough to cover Gulmarg, and most of the travellers make a day trip from Srinagar. But I would advise you to halt for the night, and in that case you can club Doodhpathri during your onward or return journey from Srinagar.
Sonmarg:
Sonmarg or Sonamarg (the Meadow of Gold) is an alpine valley with green meadows and snow clad mountain ranges on the Srinagar – Leh highway, around 80 KM from Srinagar. It is also strategically important as it is one of the starting points (the other being Pahalgam) of the holy pilgrimage of Amarnath yatra, that commences from Baltal.
From Sonmarg, there are a few destinations which the travellers can explore:
- A pony ride or a trek to the Thajiwas Glacier.
- Zero Point/ Zojila Pass, Baltal Valley and Fishing Point by hiring a separate local vehicle.
- The Great Kashmir Lakes trek, to visit Vishansar, Kishansar, Gadsar, Satsar and Gangabal Lakes. This trek is a strenuous one and it takes around one week to complete.
- If you have time on your journey back to Srinagar, you can take a detour and visit the Kheer Bhavani Temple. It is one of the Adya peeths of Goddess Durga.
We had planned for a day-trip to Sonmarg from Srinagar, and we could only visit the Thajiwas Glacier. So, I would recommend that you to stay in Sonmarg for a night if you want to include Zero Point/ Zojila Pass, Baltal Valley etc. in your plan.
Pahalgam:
The jewel on this crown of Kashmir is Pahalgam – the Valley of Shepherds. Among all the places we visited in the Kashmir valley, we liked Pahalgam the most due to its enchanting natural beauty. Apart from the verdant green meadows of Betaab Valley, Chandanwari, Aru Valley and Baisaran, and the snow capped mountain peaks, what attracted us the most is the pristine Lidder River. Originating from the holy Amarnath caves and meeting the mighty Jhelum downstream, the river caters to several vantage points that mesmerizes one and all.
Located in the Anantanag district of Jammu and Kashmir, Pahalgam is at a distance of 90 KM from Srinagar and 240 KM from Jammu. If you are travelling from Jammu to Srinagar by road, you can visit Pahalgam on the way.
During your visit to Pahalgam, you can also cover places like Martand Sun Temple, Awantipora Ruins, Cricket bat factory and Kesar shops of Pampore.
A minimum of 2 days is required to appreciate the beauty of Pahalgam. Try to book for a hotel on the banks of the Lidder River.
Offbeat places to visit in Kashmir:
Doodhpathri:
Doodhpathri, or the Meadow of Milk, is located at a distance of around 45 KM from Srinagar, in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is characterized by lush green meadows, with sheep grazing all around. The major attraction here is the Shali Ganga River, a fierce mountain brook that flows through the heart of the Doodhpathri valley.
In the recent years, Doodhpathri has become very popular and we found many tourists here. You can cover the place on a day trip from Srinagar. But if you are planning for a night halt at Gulmarg, then you can cover Doodhpathri during your trip to Gulmarg.
Yusmarg:
Yusmarg or Yousmarg (the Meadow of Jesus) is a quaint hill station located at a distance of around 50 KM from Srinagar, in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Known for its verdant meadows, tall mountains, green forests of lofty pine & fir trees, Yusmarg still an offbeat place visited by not many tourists. We loved our hike through a forest area to the banks of the Doodh Ganga River.
Yusmarg can be visited on a day trip from Srinagar. If you want to stay in Yusmarg, then JKTDC (Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Development Corporation) Tourist Bungalow is the only option at present.
Few more offbeat places:
Outside the popular tourist circuit, there are few more places in Kashmir that we could not cover in this trip. But we would surely include them in the plan during our next trip to the valley. They include:
- Dachigam National Park
- Verinag, Kokernag and Achabal
- Gurez Valley
- Wular Lake
- Manasbal Lake
- Aharbal Waterfall
What is the best time to visit Kashmir:
Kashmir is a place which you can visit in all seasons. The summer caters you to a green Kashmir with lots of foliage. Winters welcome you with a blanket of snow. From mid-March to mid-April, the added attraction is the Tulip festival. If you are visiting in October-November, you will be fascinated by the changing colour of the leaves of Chinar tree.
But during the winter months, due to the heavy snowfall, movement gets restricted and you may not be able to visit all places. For instance, it is not advisable to visit Doodhpathri and Yusmarg. And Sonmarg remains completely shut down. On the other hand, winter is the peak season for Gulmarg, when tourists indulge in winter sports and activities.
Kashmiri Food:
A visit to the Kashmir valley remains incomplete unless you try the local cuisine. Here, I will suggest you the ones that you must try.
Wazwan:
The most popular Kashmiri food is the Kashmiri Wazwan.
It is a multi-course meal consisting of 20-25 items. The main course is served in a decorated copperware plate called trami, and the side dishes in copper pots. Here are few of the popular items served as part of Wazwan:
- Rogan Josh – A spicy mutton curry
- Tabak Maaz – Ribs of sheep fried in ghee
- Gostava – Meat balls in a curd based white gravy
- Rista – Meat balls in a red curry
- Mirch Korma – Mutton curry prepared with Kashmiri spices and red chilli
- Methi Maaz – A curry prepared with different parts of sheep
- Dhaniya Korma – Mutton curry prepared with coriander
- Mutton Lahabi Kabab
- Mutton Sheekh Kabab
- Mutton Shammi Kabab
- Nadroo Yakhni – A curd based dish prepared with Lotus stem
- Kashmiri Dum Aloo
- Kashmiri saag
Most of the Kashmiri restaurants serve a miniature version of Wazwan (consisting of 6-10 dishes) and also sell the items individually. So, you can order them as per your liking and appetite.
Other popular Kashmiri dishes:
Chicken Kanti (a non spicy gravy with lots of tomato, onion and capsicum), Tuuj Kabab, Waza Chicken, Kashmiri Biryani and Kashmiri non-veg Pulao are some of the other mouth-watering dishes that you can try out.
Kashmiri Breads:
In Srinagar, every street or every market has a one or more bakery shops. They bake various kinds of local breads and cakes. The ones we liked the most are – Walnut fudge, Bakarkhani and Sheermal.
When in Kashmir, you also must also try Girda Roti (thick flat bread baked in a Tandoor oven) with Tea in one of your morning’s breakfast. Although they are sold by grocery shops also, try to locate (by enquiring from the locals) and buy from the shops that themselves bake the Girda roti.
Lavasa is similar to roti or chapatti in shape, but is very soft and thin and is served cold. It is consumed with kababs or non-veg gravy items.
Kashmiri Tea:
Kashmir is famous for the Kehwa (or kahwa) tea, which is prepared by boiling the tea leaves with saffron, cinnamon, cardamom and honey, and garnished with thin of slices of dry fruits (like almond and walnut). It rejuvenates you instantly, especially when the weather is cold.
You will get kehwa everywhere in Kashmir, sold by local vendors. But they may not be authentic. We tasted authentic kehwa at Laripora, on our way to Pahalgam.
Another popular tea is the Noon chai (the tea with salt). It is prepared by boiling tea with milk and salt. Unfortunately, I did not like the taste (or may be, I did not have the authentic one).
Please refer to my individual travelogues to find out the restaurants where we tried out these Kashmiri food.
Mobile connectivity in Kashmir:
If your phone has a Prepaid SIM card, then it will stop working as soon as you enter Jammu and Kashmir. But don’t worry, you can buy a local Prepaid SIM card and use it during your stay. For that, you need to carry official documents like Aadhaar card or Passport etc.
If you have a Postpaid connection, then you can use it in Kashmir, but the connectivity would depend on the service provider. For example, if you have a connection from Jio, Airtel or BSNL, then you can use it at most places. I had a Vodafone Postpaid connection, but it worked only in Srinagar. Once we travelled outside Srinagar, my phone stopped working.
How to hire a car for your travel:
Whether you start from Jammu or Srinagar, hiring your own car is the most convenient way to travel. There are many car agencies in Jammu/ Udhampur/ Katra and in Srinagar. As we had planned to cover Kashmir only, I searched for agencies based out of Srinagar. I found a lot of contacts in Google and also in Just Dial, with ratings and reviews. I had jot down the numbers and called them one by one.
We rented a Sedan car from a Srinagar based rental agency – Kashmir Car Rental (+91-88250-62819). As per our itinerary, the rental charges were Rs. 19,800 (Airport pickup on Day 1 to Airport drop on Day 9). That comes to Rs. 2200 per day. Zahoor Bhat (+91 70064 05231) was our driver for the entire trip. A perfect gentleman and guide, our Kashmir trip wouldn’t have been that smooth without Zahoor bhai.
Our itinerary:
We had planned for 8 nights / 9 days of trip of Kashmir, where our itinerary was:
- Day 1: Catch early morning flight from Kolkata and reach Srinagar via Delhi. In the evening, Shikara ride in the Dal Lake to visit Open Lake, Lotus Lake, Meena Bazar Floating Market, followed by shopping at Lal Chowk. Overnight at Srinagar.
- Day 2 – Day trip to Sonmarg. Horse ride to Thajiwas Glacier. Due to lack of time, we couldn’t visit Kheer Bhavani temple on the way back to Srinagar. Overnight at Srinagar.
- Day 3 – Check-out from Srinagar hotel and visit Doodhpathri. Then travel to Gulmarg. Walk around Gulmarg town. Overnight at Gulmarg.
- Day 4 – Gandola ride (Phase 1 and Phase 2) in Gulmarg. Return to Srinagar by evening. Overnight at Srinagar.
- Day 5 – Srinagar Local sightseeing – Shankaracharya Temple, Four Mughal Gardens (Chashma Shahi, Pari Mahal, Nishat bagh, Shalimar bagh), Hazrat Bal Dargah, Jamia Masjid, Shikara ride in Dal Lake to visit the Char Chinar Island. Overnight at Srinagar.
- Day 6 – Check-out from Srinagar hotel and visit Yusmarg and Charar-e-Sharif. Then travel to Pahalgam. Overnight at Pahalgam.
- Day 7 – Local sightseeing in Pahalgam – Aru Valley, Betaab Valley, Chandanwari. We didn’t go to Baisaran Valley as we felt that the horse ride is risky. Overnight at Pahalgam.
- Day 8 – Visit Pahalgam Golf Course. Then travel from Pahalgam to Srinagar. On the way, visit: Apple Orchard, Martand Sun Temple, Awantipora ruins, Cricket bat factory and Kesar shops of Pampore. Overnight at Srinagar.
- Day 9 – Check-out from Srinagar hotel and return to Kolkata.
I hope I was able to give you an idea of how to plan your Kashmir trip. If you have any question, please feel free to contact me, and I will be happy to help.
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