Srinagar, Sonamarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam
Kashmir circuit with a spare day
The four classic stops in a sensible order, plus one day in Pahalgam with nothing booked. Use it for Aru, a long river walk or a lie-in.
Srinagar and Dal Lake
Houseboats, old city lanes and the lakeside gardens. Every trip starts here.
1,585 m All year
AltitudeAbout 1,585 m
From SrinagarBase city, airport about 30 minutes from Dal
Best monthsAll year
Our trips here7 trips
Why go to Srinagar
Srinagar is where every trip begins, and our office is here too, in Rambagh on the way in from the airport. Most visitors give the city one night and a shikara ride. Give it two and you see a different place: vegetable traders on Dal at first light, the wooden shrines and spice lanes of Downtown, and the old bridges over the Jhelum.
The lake side is the postcard. Dal is ringed by Mughal gardens laid out in the 1600s, with Shalimar, Nishat and Chashme Shahi along the eastern shore and Pari Mahal on the hill above. Nigeen, just to the north, is calmer and our first choice for a houseboat if you want a quiet night.
What to see
- The floating market on Dal before sunrise
- A night on a houseboat on Dal or Nigeen
- A walk through Downtown to Shah-e-Hamadan and Jamia Masjid
- Nishat, Shalimar and Chashme Shahi gardens
- Pari Mahal for the view at sunset
Local tip
Arriving on an afternoon flight? Spend that first evening on the lake and keep the gardens for the next morning, when they are cooler and emptier.
Our trips that include Srinagar
Each one has a full day-by-day plan, and every one can be changed.
Sonamarg to Naranag, with Srinagar either side
Kashmir Great Lakes trek
Seven alpine lakes, three passes and about 70 km of trail from Sonamarg to Naranag. We build in a buffer day at Gangbal and finish with a houseboat night.
Srinagar, Wular Lake, Razdan Pass, Dawar and Tulail
Gurez valley road trip
Five hours north over the Razdan Pass to a valley of log houses and the Kishanganga river. Four nights up there, including a full day in Tulail.
What to do around Srinagar
Season, timing and where each one happens. We arrange guides, permits and tickets.
Rivers and lakesA houseboat night
Cedar hulls, carved walnut ceilings and tea brought out to the deck. We book on Nigeen when you want quiet and on Dal when you want to be near the Boulevard.
- Where
- Dal and Nigeen lakes
- When
- All year
- Time
- Overnight
Rivers and lakesFloating market by shikara
Leave the houseboat at about half past five and paddle to the inner lake, where growers sell lotus stem, greens and gourds from one boat to the next. It is all over by seven.
- Where
- Dal Lake, Srinagar
- When
- All year, best May to October
- Time
- 2 hours
Food and cultureWazwan dinner
The Kashmiri feast, cooked by a waza: tabak maaz, rista, rogan josh and gushtaba to finish, shared from one trami. Ask and we will find a vegetarian spread too.
- Where
- Srinagar
- When
- All year
- Time
- Evening
More places in Kashmir
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Glacier meadows on the Sindh, and the start of the Great Lakes trek.
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Log villages on the Kishanganga, over the Razdan Pass from Bandipora.
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