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Srinagar, your base in Kashmir
Almost every Kashmir trip begins in Srinagar. You arrive, settle into a houseboat on the Dal or a hotel along the Boulevard, Lal Chowk or Raj Bagh, spend a day or two on the lake and in the old city, then day-trip out to the meadows and valleys. Here’s how to plan that.
See in Srinagar
APR – OCTSrinagar · Central Kashmir
Dal Lake
Srinagar's iconic urban lake, ringed by Mughal gardens and houseboats
APR – OCTSrinagar · Central Kashmir
Nishat Bagh
Terraced 'Garden of Joy' on Dal Lake, backed by the Zabarwan hills
APR – JUN · SEP – OCTSrinagar · Central Kashmir
Hazratbal Shrine
Marble Sufi shrine on Dal Lake holding a revered relic
APR – OCTSrinagar · Central Kashmir
Nagin Lake
Quieter lake beside Dal, known for houseboats and clear water
APR – JUN · SEP – OCTSrinagar · Central Kashmir
Pari Mahal
Seven-terraced Mughal garden above Srinagar and Dal Lake
APR – OCTSrinagar · Central Kashmir
Chashme Shahi
Smallest of Srinagar's Mughal gardens, built around a spring
APR – OCTSrinagar · Central Kashmir
Shalimar Bagh
Jahangir's 1619 terraced garden on the shore of Dal Lake
MAR – APRSrinagar · Central Kashmir
Tulip Garden
Asia's largest tulip garden, open only in the spring season
APR – JUN · SEP – OCTSrinagar · Central Kashmir
Hari Parbat
Hilltop fort above Srinagar with Hindu, Muslim and Sikh sites
Day trips from Srinagar
Approximate drive from Srinagar (mountain roads, so allow more time than the distance suggests): Manasbal Lake ~41 min, Doodhpathri ~1h 30m, Yusmarg ~1h 20m, Naranag ~1h 35m, Gulmarg ~1h 33m, Achabal ~1h 26m, Wular Lake ~1h 27m, Sonamarg ~2h 6m.
APR – SEPGanderbal · Central Kashmir
Manasbal Lake
Kashmir's deepest lake, ringed by Mughal-era gardens and famed for its summer lotus blooms
APR – OCTBudgam · Central Kashmir
Doodhpathri
The 'Valley of Milk' — a wide grazing meadow in Budgam district
APR – OCTBudgam · Central Kashmir
Yusmarg
Pine-ringed alpine meadow in Budgam, on the banks of the Doodganga
MAY – OCTGanderbal · Central Kashmir
Naranag
Ruined 8th-century Shiva temple group and Gangabal trailhead
DEC – JUN · SEPBaramulla · North Kashmir
Gulmarg
Kashmir's premier ski resort and alpine meadow beneath Apharwat Peak
APR – OCTAnantnag · South Kashmir
Achabal
Mughal terraced garden built by Nur Jahan around a strong spring
APR – OCTBandipora · North Kashmir
Wular Lake
One of Asia's largest freshwater lakes, a haven for migratory birds and traditional fishing communities
MAY – SEPGanderbal · Central Kashmir
Sonamarg
Glacier-fed meadow on the Ladakh highway, gateway to Zojila and the Kashmir Great Lakes
Anantnag · South Kashmir
Chatpal
A quiet forested meadow hamlet in Shangus, south Kashmir
APR – OCTAnantnag · South Kashmir
Verinag
Octagonal Mughal spring that is the source of the Jhelum
APR – OCTAnantnag · South Kashmir
Kokernag
Kashmir's largest freshwater spring, with gardens and a trout farm
MAY – SEPKupwara · North Kashmir
Bangus Valley
Remote high meadow bowl in Kupwara, about 300 sq km
APR – OCTAnantnag · South Kashmir
Pahalgam
Riverside hill town on the Lidder, and the traditional start of the Amarnath Yatra
APR – OCTAnantnag · South Kashmir
Betaab Valley
Pine-forested valley on the Lidder, a short drive from Pahalgam
MAY – SEPAnantnag · South Kashmir
Baisaran
Pine-ringed meadow above Pahalgam, reached on foot or pony
JUN – SEPGanderbal · Central Kashmir
Zojila
Pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway, closed by snow each winter
MAY – SEPAnantnag · South Kashmir
Aru Valley
Trekking base village 12 km upstream from Pahalgam
JUN – SEPKishtwar · Jammu
Sinthan Top
3,784 m road pass linking the Kashmir valley with Kishtwar
MAY – SEPKishtwar · Jammu
Margan Top
A 3,696 m unpaved pass linking Kashmir Valley to the Warwan
MAY – OCTBandipora · North Kashmir
Gurez Valley
High Dard-Shina valley on the Kishanganga, near the LoC