Kashmir — Heaven on Earth

Extend Your Journey

The Lake City at 1,585 Metres

Srinagar & Dal Lake

Srinagar is built around Dal Lake, an 18 sq km body of water that functions as a city in itself. More than 900 houseboats, many built from hand-carved cedar, line the lake's edges and canals. Floating vegetable gardens (known as rad) supply the city's morning markets, and shikara water-taxis are still the primary transport for lakeside residents. A dawn shikara ride through the floating market, where vendors sell lotus roots, tomatoes and fresh flowers from boat to boat, is one of India's most distinctive urban experiences. On the lake's western shore, the Mughal Gardens form a trio of 17th-century terraced landscapes: Shalimar Bagh (1619, built by Emperor Jahangir for his wife Nur Jahan), Nishat Bagh (1633, the largest, 12 terraces descending to the waterfront), and Chashme Shahi (the smallest, fed by a natural spring). The old city's Jama Masjid, with its 378 wooden pillars and courtyard of mature chinar trees, dates to 1394. The Shah-i-Hamdan shrine on the Jhelum River is the oldest mosque in Srinagar, built entirely from wood without nails.

Home of the World's Highest Gondola

Gulmarg

Gulmarg sits at 2,650 m in a bowl-shaped meadow surrounded by Himalayan fir and pine forest, 51 km (roughly 90 minutes by road) from Srinagar. Its centrepiece is the Gulmarg Gondola, a two-stage cable car that climbs from the meadow (2,650 m) to Kongdoori (3,080 m) at the first stage and then to Apharwat Peak (3,979 m) at the second. At its upper station, Apharwat is the highest operating gondola point on earth. In winter (December to March), Gulmarg transforms into India's premier ski destination, with runs dropping 1,330 vertical metres from Apharwat through untouched powder snow and open bowls. In summer, the meadow becomes a wildflower carpet of buttercups, daisies and forget-me-nots. The Gulmarg Golf Course (2,650 m) is the highest green golf course in the world. A 7 km circumference walk around the meadow, past the 13th-century Rani Temple and St Mary's Church (1902), takes about three hours at a comfortable pace.

River Valleys and Pine Forests at 2,130 Metres

Pahalgam & Lidder Valley

Pahalgam (2,130 m) lies 95 km southeast of Srinagar in the Lidder Valley, where the Lidder River runs cold and fast through a corridor of Himalayan cedar and blue pine. The town is the starting point for the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage (48 km trek to the Amarnath Cave at 3,888 m) and a base for some of Kashmir's finest day walks. Aru Valley (12 km from Pahalgam, 2,408 m) is a high meadow surrounded by snow-dusted peaks, reachable by road or a gentle 3-hour walk through forest. Betaab Valley (15 km from town, named after the 1983 Bollywood film shot there) offers a flat, open landscape of green turf and glacial streams. Chandanwari (16 km, 2,895 m), reachable by road in summer, is the first stop on the Amarnath pilgrimage trail and a popular snow-point. The Kolahoi Glacier trek (3-4 days from Aru, reaching 3,600 m) follows the Lidder through alpine meadows to one of the largest glaciers in the Kashmir Valley.

Gateway to Zoji La and the Old Silk Road

Sonamarg

Sonamarg (2,800 m, meaning "Meadow of Gold") lies 80 km northeast of Srinagar on the road to Ladakh, the last major settlement before the highway climbs to Zoji La pass (3,528 m). This was the ancient Silk Road route connecting the Kashmir Valley to Central Asia, and the landscape here is more raw and open than the southern valleys. The Sindh River runs through the town, fed by the Thajiwas Glacier, which can be reached on a 3 km pony or foot trail from Sonamarg's centre. In summer, the meadows around Sonamarg are carpeted in wildflowers, with views extending to 5,000 m snow peaks. The Vishansar and Krishansar twin alpine lakes (3,710 m) are reachable on a 2-day trek and rank among the most remote accessible lakes in the western Himalaya. Sonamarg is typically visited as a day trip from Srinagar (2.5-hour drive each way) or as a stopover on the Srinagar-to-Leh highway.

Arrive at Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport (SXR), 14 km from the city centre. Transfer to your houseboat on Dal Lake or a lakeside hotel. Afternoon shikara ride through the lake's inner waterways, passing floating gardens, lotus beds and wooden bridge crossings. The pace is slow and deliberate. Evening walk along the Boulevard Road promenade with views across the lake to the Zabarwan Hills. Dinner on the houseboat: Kashmiri Wazwan dishes including rogan josh and gushtaba served on a copper trami.

Pre-dawn shikara to the Dal Lake floating vegetable market, where local farmers trade lotus root, greens and fresh flowers from boat to boat starting at 5am. Return for breakfast, then visit the three Mughal Gardens: Nishat Bagh (12 terraces, 1633), Shalimar Bagh (built by Jahangir in 1619, 4 terraces with a central water channel), and Chashme Shahi (fed by a natural spring). Afternoon in the old city: Jama Masjid (1394, 378 wooden pillars), the Shah-i-Hamdan wooden mosque on the Jhelum, and the pashmina workshops of the old bazaar. Visit a carpet-weaving cooperative to see silk-on-silk knotting.

Drive through rice paddies and apple orchards to Gulmarg, climbing steadily through pine forest. Check in to your hotel and take the Gulmarg Gondola Phase 1 to Kongdoori (3,080 m) for an orientation view. In summer, walk the 7 km meadow loop past wildflower slopes, the 13th-century Rani Temple, and St Mary's Church (1902). In winter, the same meadow is deep powder and the slopes above are India's only serious ski terrain. Afternoon at leisure. The air is noticeably thinner and cooler than Srinagar.

Take the Gondola Phase 2 from Kongdoori to Apharwat Peak (3,979 m), the highest gondola station on earth. At the top, the Pir Panjal and Himalayan ranges stretch in every direction, with Nanga Parbat (8,126 m) visible on clear days to the northwest. In winter, ski or snowboard the untouched powder runs below Apharwat. In summer, walk the ridgeline trail toward Alpather Lake (frozen until June, 4 km from the station). Return to Gulmarg for the afternoon. Optional: 9-hole round at the Gulmarg Golf Course, the highest green course on the planet.

Drive back through Srinagar and continue southeast through the saffron fields of Pampore (October harvest turns the fields violet) and the ancient temple ruins of Avantipur (9th century) to Pahalgam. The final approach follows the Lidder River through a narrowing valley of cedar and pine. Afternoon walk along the Lidder riverbank from town. The water is glacier-fed, fast, and cold. Evening in Pahalgam's small bazaar, which has the feel of a hill station from a previous era.

Full day exploring Pahalgam's three valleys. Start with Aru Valley (12 km, 2,408 m), a meadow ringed by snow peaks, reachable by road or a 3-hour walk through forest. Continue to Betaab Valley (15 km), a wide, flat glacial meadow framed by dark pine slopes. Afternoon drive to Chandanwari (16 km, 2,895 m), the snow-point and first stop on the Amarnath pilgrimage route. Return via Baisaran meadow (5 km walk from Pahalgam), a high clearing locally called Mini Switzerland for its alpine profile. Each valley is distinct; together they cover a full day without rushing.

Drive north through the Kashmir Valley, passing through Srinagar and continuing along the Sindh River to Sonamarg. The landscape opens up beyond the valley floor: fewer trees, wider skies, glacial moraines. Afternoon trek or pony ride to Thajiwas Glacier (3 km from town), where the ice wall is visible even in July. The meadows around the glacier are carpeted in wildflowers from June to August. Sonamarg feels different from the rest of Kashmir: higher, wilder, with the influence of the Central Asian steppe coming through from beyond Zoji La.

Optional early morning walk to the Nilagrad River viewpoint, where the water runs with a distinctive red mineral tint. Drive back to Srinagar (80 km, 2.5 hours). Time permitting, stop at Hazratbal Shrine on the western shore of Dal Lake, a white marble mosque that holds a relic believed to be a hair of the Prophet Muhammad. Final shopping in Lal Chowk or the old city for pashmina, walnut wood, and saffron. Transfer to Srinagar Airport for departure. Those extending to Ladakh can continue by road over Zoji La.