Road trips · 6 min
North
Kashmir Travel Guide: Best Time & Routes
Dal Lake · Gulmarg · Sonamarg
Dal Lake houseboats at dawn, the wide meadows of Gulmarg, the Lidder valley road to Pahalgam — Kashmir is a place of real scale and beauty, best experienced slowly and with local guidance.
Plan your trip
When to go
- Jan: Fine, with trade-offs
- Feb: Fine, with trade-offs
- Mar: Fine, with trade-offs
- Apr: Best
- May: Best
- Jun: Best
- Jul: Best
- Aug: Best
- Sep: Best
- Oct: Best
- Nov: Fine, with trade-offs
- Dec: Fine, with trade-offs
Dark green: best. Light: fine, with trade-offs. Sand: hard: monsoon, heat, snow or closures. Editorial judgement, not measured data.
- Best time
- April to June for blooming meadows, mild temperatures, and clear mountain views. December to February for snow in Gulmarg and Pahalgam, but cold in Srinagar.
- How to reach
- Fly into Srinagar (SXR) — direct flights from Delhi take around 1.5 hours. The road from Jammu via the NH44 tunnel is also an option if you prefer not to fly.
- Getting around
- Hired cars with local drivers are the practical choice for Gulmarg and Pahalgam. Shikaras on Dal Lake are slow and cheap. The gondola at Gulmarg is the main attraction for the upper meadows.
- Rough budget
- A week in Kashmir runs roughly ₹25,000–55,000 per person including flights, a houseboat or guesthouse, food, and travel within the valley. Houseboat prices vary widely — negotiate directly.
A short itinerary
- Days 1–2: Srinagar: morning shikara on Dal Lake, old city Jama Masjid, Nishat and Shalimar Bagh Mughal gardens.
- Day 3: Gulmarg: the two-stage gondola to 3,980 m, flower meadows in June and July, ski season in winter.
- Days 4–5: Drive to Pahalgam via the Pampore saffron fields and Awantipora temple ruins, then Betaab Valley and the Lidder river walk.