“If there is heaven on earth, it is this, it is this” – Amir Khusrau
Needless to say, Kashmir is indeed heaven on earth, something that we were able to appreciate only after visiting the place. And indeed, a trip to Kashmir is not just another trip, it is an experience of a lifetime – one that is calming and enriching and above all, humbling.
Always having been in the limelight for its green meadows and colourful landscapes in summers, winter Kashmir is indeed a welcome surprise. We always wanted to do a winter trip to Kashmir and hence planned the trip during Feb. Here are some tips if you are looking to plan a trip to this winter wonderland of India.
🗓️ High level plan
One would need at least 5 days to cover Kashmir – we would recommend 1-2 buffer days during winter given the unpredictable weather resulting in road closures and heavy traffic
- Srinagar (1-2 days) – Dal Lake, Shankaracharya temple, Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh
- Gulmarg (1 day) – Gondola ride, Drung waterfall, Shiv temple, Church, Golf course
- Doodhpathri (1 day) – Shaliganga river point (some points on the way)
- Pahalgam (1-2 days) – Baisaran valley, Aru valley, Betaab valley, Chandanwaari valley
There are few notable monuments/ attractions on the Srinagar-Pahalgam route which one should definitely visit. Saffron shops and fields at Pampore, Awantipora ruins, Surya Martand temple, Apple orchards and a Cricket bat factory are the must visits.
Sonamarg is generally not accessible during peak winter and hence we did not plan for it. However, if you have a buffer day and the weather conditions permit, you could also do a day trip from Srinagar (the journey takes around 2 hours – one way).
💰Budget
| INR Per person | Comments | |
| Flights (round trip from Bangalore) | 20,000 | |
| Internal Transportation | 10,000 | between cities |
| Accommodation | 12,000 | Rs.2,000 per night per person |
| Food | 9,000 | Rs.1,500 per day |
| Experiences | 7,000 | Skiing, Shikara, Pony rides |
| Miscellaneous | 2,000 | Tips |
| Total Budget | 60,000 |
🚊Transport
Intercity travel
- Transport in Kashmir is expensive since union rules are applicable in all cities except Srinagar. And the union doesn’t permit any other city’s vehicle enter beyond the checkpoint of the city. For example, if you hire a cab from Srinagar, then you would be able to get to Tangmarg, which is located around 12 kms from Gulmarg and near the market in case of Pahalgam but not beyond that. You would have to hire a separate cab for reaching Gulmarg, and another cab for visiting all the valleys in Pahalgam.
- Considering all the available options, here are a few recommended ways in which one can minimize the travel cost:
- Hire a sedan from Srinagar (ideal when not snowing)
- 2K daily rate + 5K for Gulmarg sightseeing & Drung SUV + 2.5K for Pahalgam sightseeing
- Hire an SUV with Gulmarg registration with snow chains (ideal when snowing)
- 3K daily rate + 2.5K for Pahalgam sightseeing
- Hire a sedan from Srinagar (ideal when not snowing)
Intra city travel
Use Jugnoo app or Nova cabs app for cabs in Srinagar. There are also shared cabs available if you would want to try it. Autos are also available.
In the other places you will either have your own vehicle or the local union cab to go around.
🏠 Stay
Srinagar – Would recommend staying near Dal Gate since every major attraction is just 5-10 min away. However, Lal Chowk, which is the market area is still far but you can take cab till here. We stayed a bit far near Nishat Bagh in Zostel Srinagar, so we ended up spending quite some time on commute.
Gulmarg – Would recommend staying in Tangmarg since you get economical homestays and is just 30-40min away from Gulmarg
Pahalgam – Would recommend staying in and around Pahalgam market area to save on commute time since starting point of the most of the attractions is the market. We stayed in Zostel Pahalgam which was 30 min away from the main market area – would recommend it to folks who want to stay in a peaceful area with amazing mountain views
🍜 Food & Shopping
Srinagar
- Lal Chowk
- Ahdoos – 100+ year old restaurant known for authentic Kashmiri food. They have good vegetarian options as well
- Chai Jaai – Kashmiri Kahwa with a good ambience
- Cafe Liberty – Cafe with retro ambience
- Shop at Makkah market, one of the oldest markets in Srinagar. Prices here are lower than any other markets or shops around all the tourist spots. If you are planning to shop for any winter wear this is the right place
- Airport road
- Olive Tree – Fine dining, serves Kashmiri food as well
- Moonlight Cafe – Best Walnut Fudge
- Dal Lake
- Winterfell Cafe – GOT theme – good Italian food
Pahalgam
- Srinagar-Pahalgam highway
- Buy Kesar at Pampore (we bought it at Anmol Kesar Company – INR 250-300 per gram). Recommend not buying dry fruits in this area since they sell at a premium
- Pahalgam market
- Dana Paani – Primarily North Indian Vegetarian food – Kashmiri options also available
- Sagar Ratna – multi-cuisine
- Buy dry fruits (Mamra Badam, Walnuts, Berries) at Kissan shop – sells at a reasonable prices compared to shops in Pampore
- Papier mache products in one of the shops next to Kissan
📝 Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Land in Srinagar
We landed in Srinagar at around 4:30 pm. Only the postpaid SIMs work in Kashmir, so either convert your prepaid to postpaid before the trip or buy a temporary SIM at one of the counters outside the airport.
Rested at our hotel for a while and then headed to Lal Chowk for dinner and shopping. Had Kashmiri food (Kashmiri Saag, Dum Aloo) at Ahdoos and Kahwa at Chai Jaai – would highly recommend both the places!
Day 2: Day trip to Doodhpathri and reach Tangmarg
Although not very widely popular among tourists, Doodhpathri is a must-visit if you want to witness some jaw-dropping landscapes with sky-kissing pine trees and crystal clear flowing water.
Had breakfast in Srinagar and started at around 9:30 am to Doodhpathri. Though it is just 40km from Srinagar, it takes around 1.5 hours to reach since it is a single lane road with lot of potholes. If it is snowing, would recommend you to rent snow boots and jackets at Greenland hotel on the way for INR 400 per person.
By the time we reached the TRC gate, cars were being asked to stop at that point since it started snowing and there was heavy snowfall prediction that day. TRC is around 13km away from the Shaliganga river view point. Generally cars go all the way to the 2nd Parking gate which is just 1-2km away from the river – you can just walk to the view point in such cases.
In case if it is snowing heavily and cars are stopped at TRC, there are two ways to reach the river view point –
- ATV ride – costs around 2.5-3K per person and takes around 20-30min one way.
- Pony ride – costs around 1K per person and takes around 1.5 hrs one way.
We would recommend the pony ride since it gives a chance to soak in the magical views which you witness on the way and click some pictures of the breathtaking landscapes that unfold. The pony guys will quote 2-3x the price in the beginning, you can bargain and bring it down.
Also make sure to try out the Makki ki roti and Sarson ka Saag at the stalls on the way. We reached back TRC around 4 pm and then headed to our Tangmarg homestay.
Day 3: Day trip to Gulmarg from Tangmarg
There was heavy snowfall prediction today as well. And in order to beat the traffic coming from Srinagar, we decided to start early at around 9:30 am from Tangmarg. We reached Gulmarg in an hour (PS: tourists who left at around 10:30/ 11 am took 4-6 hours to reach Gulmarg). The drive from Tangmarg to Gulmarg is one of the most scenic drives one can witness with snow covered pine forests as far as the eye can see and the pine trees taller than one can even comprehend. We were just looking out of the window in awe for the entire duration.
As soon as we reached the peak, there were sledge operators who were constantly pestering us to take sledge to the Gondola point and few other view points. They try to create a scene saying it won’t be possible to walk around since it is snowing. Honestly from the parking all the view points and the Gondola gate are walkable. So strongly advice you to ignore them and start walking slowly.
Due to heavy snowfall, Gondola was closed on the day we went (both Phase 1 and Phase 2). We had made advanced reservation online – would recommend doing the same since it generally gets sold out few days prior. The fee will be refunded in such a situation (one should drop a mail to gondolabookings@gmail.com). The prices of Gondola are fixed by the government, it costs INR 800 per person for Phase 1 and INR 1,000 per person for Phase 2.
We walked around to the nearby viewpoints. In all honesty, Gulmarg is the place where we truly experienced snow to the fullest. Went to the Golf course first, where the snow is knee-deep and has a decent amount of slopes for skiing. They quoted around INR 3,000 per person, we bargained and brought it down to 1K per person for however long one can ski (most of the folks get tired in around 30-45 min time). If it is not snowing, generally all the activities are at Phase 1. However, due to heavy snowfall, vendors had set up shop at a much lower height when we went.
After skiing, we went to the Church and the Shiva temple. Climbing up to the temple when it was heavily snowing was a different experience altogether and felt surreal to some extent. We then had lunch at one of the small restaurants in the market area and started our return journey at around 3:30 pm. Even though we started early, we were stuck in the traffic jam for about an hour. Reached the homestay around 5:30 pm.
Day 4: Head to Pahalgam
The journey from Tangmarg to Pahalgam takes around 2.5 hours on a good day. One would need to go via Srinagar and that makes for a good pit stop for lunch. We started at around 9.30 am and reached Srinagar at around 11.30 am since there was heavy snowfall throughout. Had Kashmiri Pulao for lunch at Olive Tree Restaurant. Started from Srinagar at around 12.30 pm and what should have taken us 2 hours took around 5-6 hours because of heavy snowfall all along the route which caused several traffic jams.
On the Srinagar-Pahalgam route, lies the city of Pampore, famous for its Saffron fields and also known as India’s Saffron capital . If one wants to buy Saffron they should purchase here will get genuine saffron at reasonable prices. We purchased at Anmol Kesar Company – would highly recommend.
On the way we went through the apple orchards valley – even if they were all dried up, they looked pretty when covered in snow.
We reached Zostel Pahalgam around 6 pm.
Day 5: Pahalgam sightseeing
It had snowed the entire night and the snow had transformed the surrounding areas into a pristine white canvas. The view from our balcony was just to die for.
Headed to Pahalgam market area. Aru, Betaab and Chandanwari valleys were closed due to heavy snow. Hence, we decided to go only to Baisaran valley. There are 2 ways to get to the end point, known as Mini Switzerland – either hike or take a pony. The only option for us was to take pony since hiking wouldn’t be possible due to heavy snow. You need to take a pony from the union guys who will try to pull a scam saying the union rate is INR 3,000 per person and show some tariff list. We negotiated and ended up paying just INR 1,500 per person which includes 3-4 view points that come along the way as well.
There are 3 view points along the way – Pahalgam valley, Kashmir valley and Doubling Hunting point.
The helper who comes along with the pony will try to scam you saying some random spot 30 mins from the starting point is the Baisaran valley view. However, reaching Mini Switzerland takes around 1 hour on pony. Just quickly check on google maps and tell them to take you to the actual point. Also don’t hire any photographers on the way. Pony helpers will only click your photos throughout if needed in return for a small tip (INR 100-200).
The path to Baisaran valley is very scenic especially when it is covered in snow. It does get steep at some points towards the end but the ponies are extremely well trained to handle this terrain. It took us around an hour to reach Mini Switzerland. Since it was covered with fog, the visibility was not great so we spent around 20-30 min, clicked few pictures and headed back. It took us another hour to come back.
We went to the Pahalgam Club Garden near the pony stand to experience a garden completely covered in snow. It is a good place for photoshoots! We then headed to Dana Paani for lunch and had the Kashmiri Thaali. Shopped some dry fruits from Kissan Dry Fruits. Purchased some woolen shawls and headed back to Zostel. We left the Pahalgam market at around 4.30 pm to avoid the traffic jam.
Day 6: Head back to Srinagar
It had stopped snowing finally!
We decided to start early at 9 am. On the way to Srinagar, we first made a pitstop at Martand Surya Temple (now mostly in ruins), located near Anantnag and located at just a 3km deviation from the Pahalgam-Srinagar highway. The temple ruins date back to the 8th century and is said to be an excellent specimen of Kashmiri architecture. The grandeur of the architecture can be witnessed in the sheer size of the pillars and some of the inscriptions in the temple. The snow made the ruins look more mystical and it was truly an out of the world experience.
Next we stopped at Awantipora and visited the Awantiswami temple ruins built in the 9th century, this is also just a 2-3 km deviation from the highway. The architecture of this temple is similar to the Martand Surya temple, but, smaller in size. Both these temples are now declared as site of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.
We also passed by Pulwama, which was a reminder of how safe we are with our forces.
Reached Srinagar at around 1 pm and had lunch at Winterfell Cafe. Headed to Shankaracharya temple. Cars can go till the drop point on top of the hill, and one needs to climb around 250 stairs to reach the temple. The temple is considered to be the oldest in Kashmir and has significance among the Hindus for various reasons.
One can get a 360 degree view of Srinagar from the top with the winding Jhelum river on one side and the massive Dal lake on the other.
We then headed to Dal lake for a Shikara ride. The government rate here is INR 750 per person for one hour ride, for a boat that accommodates 4 people but the vendors start from INR 1,500 per person. However, there is enough scope for negotiation – we negotiated and brought it down to INR 500 per person for a boat with just 2 people. On the boat ride, you will pass through a few points – Nehru park, floating post office and the Meena bazaar (floating market). There will be a lot of vendors on boats who will pester you to buy their Kahwa, Hookah, Fruits, juice and Kesar. One word of caution – the Kesar that is sold here is fake, so do not fall for the trap.
Day 7: Fly back home
We woke up and went for a walk near Dal gate and Nishat Bagh – one of the many Mughal gardens in Srinagar in the morning. While the gardens are in full bloom and hence prettier in summers, one can still visit in winters since they generally less crowded.
We checked out in the noon and headed to airport to catch our flight back home
FAQs
Q: Is it safe to travel to Kashmir?
A: Yes, it is quite safe to travel to Kashmir. There are CRPF professionals at every 100m safeguarding the entire area. We never felt scared at any place.
Q: What is the best time to visit Kashmir? What is the best time to experience snow in Kashmir?
A: Dec to Feb is the best time to experience the snow in Kashmir
Q: Do we get vegetarian food in Kashmir?
A: We are vegetarians and found veg food in every city. So yeah, there are ample options for vegetarians.
Q: How many days is enough for Kashmir?
A: 5-7 days as mentioned above should be good enough to cover key attractions in Kashmir. If you prefer slow travel, you could add a few more days.
Q: Is Ola and Uber available in Kashmir?
A: No, Ola and Uber are not available in Kashmir. In Srinagar, you could use Jugnoo app to book taxis.
Q: What is the best way to spend time in Kashmir?
A: As mentioned above, spend a day or two in each of the major cities – Srinagar, Gulmar, Pahalgam, Dhoodpatri
Q: Do you recommend to carry our snow jackets and snow boots to Kashmir?
A: No, you can carry your normal jackets and rent the heavy snow jackets at Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Dhoodpatri at normal rates. If you already have a snow boot you can carry but you have an option to rent that as well.
Q: What are some of the must visit places in Kashmir?
A: Srinagar – Dal Lake, Shankaracharya temple, Nishat Bagh; Gulmarg – Gondola, Drung waterfall, Shiv temple; Doodhpathri – Shaliganga river point; Pahalgam – Baisaran, Aru, Betaab, Chandanwaari Valleys
Q: What to shop in Kashmir?
A: Buy Kesar, Walnut, Almond for sure. You could also shop winter wear like jackets and shawls. Papier Mache products are are quite famous in Kashmir
Roamantic Affair 