Kashmir EasyKashmir in 4 nights

Four nights that keep the drives short and the views big. We start with a night on land in Srinagar so you can rest after the flight, go up to Gulmarg while you're fresh, and finish with two slow nights on a houseboat, with Sonamarg as a day out. It suits first-timers, parents and anyone with limited leave.

Day 1

Arrive in Srinagar (1 Night)

About 14 km · 30–45 minutes from the airport

Welcome to Kashmir. Your driver meets you outside arrivals at Srinagar airport and takes you to your hotel. After lunch and a rest, we drive along the Boulevard to Nishat Bagh and Shalimar Bagh, terraced Mughal gardens laid out in the 1600s, with old chinar trees and water channels stepping down towards the lake. As the light softens, you board a private shikara for an hour on Dal Lake, gliding past rows of houseboats, floating vegetable gardens and little shops that come to you by boat. Dinner is at the hotel, and the evening is yours to rest. Overnight in Srinagar.

• Nishat Bagh
• Shalimar Bagh
• Dal Lake shikara ride
• Boulevard Road

• Note: The Mughal gardens close around sunset. If your flight lands late in the afternoon, we keep today to the shikara and visit the gardens on Day 3.
• Note: The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden usually opens for three to four weeks between late March and April; we add it on if your dates fall in that window.

Prafull’s tipTake the shikara in the last hour of daylight. The water goes still and the Zabarwan hills turn gold behind the houseboats.

Dinner

Day 2

Srinagar – Gulmarg (1 Night)

About 50 km · 1.5–2 hours by road

After breakfast we drive out through the paddy fields and apple orchards to Tangmarg, then up a winding road lined with pine and fir to Gulmarg. The town sits at about 2,650 m, so check in, put on a warm layer and take things slowly. In the afternoon we take you to the Gulmarg Gondola. Phase 1 climbs to Kongdori, at about 3,080 m, and suits everyone. Phase 2 continues to Apharwat at nearly 4,000 m; it is cold, windy and often shut by weather, so we decide on the day. In the evening, walk across the meadow past St Mary's Church as the light fades. Overnight in Gulmarg.

• Tangmarg
• Gulmarg Gondola
• Kongdori
• Apharwat
• St Mary's Church
• Gulmarg meadow

• Note: Gondola Phase 2 to Apharwat is optional, approx. ₹1,000 per person. We book it online in advance; it runs only when the weather allows.
• Note: Ponies, sledges and snow gear in Gulmarg are paid locally. Agree the rate and the waiting time before you set off.

Prafull’s tipCarry a warm jacket and gloves even in May or June. Kongdori can be 10–15°C cooler than Srinagar, and there is snow at Apharwat most of the year.

Breakfast & Dinner

Day 3

Gulmarg – Srinagar Houseboat (2 Nights)

About 50 km · 1.5–2 hours by road

Enjoy a slow morning in the meadows. Walk up to the little Maharani Temple on its knoll, or take a pony to Khilanmarg for a wider view of the peaks. After lunch we drive down to Srinagar, where a shikara carries you and your bags across to your houseboat. If you're keen, we first drive up to the Shankaracharya Temple on its hill above the city, about 250 steps from the car park, for the view over Dal Lake and the old city. Back on the houseboat, tea on the carved veranda while the shikaras go by, and dinner cooked on board by the houseboat family. Overnight on the houseboat in Srinagar.

• Maharani Temple, Gulmarg
• Khilanmarg
• Shankaracharya Temple
• Dal Lake

• Note: The pony ride to Khilanmarg is optional and paid locally.
• Note: Phones and cameras are usually not allowed past the security check at Shankaracharya Temple, so leave them in the car.

Prafull’s tipShikara sellers will come alongside the houseboat with saffron, shawls and jewellery. A polite 'no thank you' is enough, and there's no need to buy on the first evening.

Breakfast & Dinner

Day 4

Srinagar – Sonamarg – Srinagar

About 80 km each way · 2.5–3 hours by road

We leave by 8 am for Sonamarg, the 'meadow of gold', following the Sindh river past Kangan and Gund as the valley narrows and the pine forests close in. At Sonamarg, about 2,700 m, local rules mean ponies or union cabs take over from your car. A pony ride of about an hour takes you up the side valley towards Thajiwas Glacier, with snow on the slopes for much of the year; we fix the handler and the rate in advance. There is time for a hot lunch at one of the dhabas by the river before the drive back. Dinner on board. Overnight on the houseboat in Srinagar.

• Sindh river
• Kangan
• Sonamarg
• Thajiwas Glacier

• Note: Ponies to Thajiwas and union cabs to points beyond Sonamarg are paid locally at the notified rates.
• Note: In winter the road beyond Sonamarg is closed and the town is often under snow; we confirm road conditions the evening before.

Prafull’s tipCarry cash and snacks, agree the pony's waiting time before you set off, and stay off the snow bridges near the glacier in warm weather.

Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5

Srinagar – Departure

About 14 km · 45 minutes to 1 hour to the airport

If you're up at first light, take a last shikara out to the floating vegetable market, where farmers trade lotus stem, greens and turnips from their boats before the sun is properly up. Back on the houseboat for a relaxed breakfast, then a shikara takes you to the shore, where your driver is waiting. We drive you to Srinagar airport with time to spare for the extra security checks at the outer gate. Your holiday ends here, and we hope you'll be back for the chinar colours of autumn or the snow of winter.

• Dal Lake floating vegetable market

• Note: The early-morning floating market shikara is optional and paid locally; it runs from around 5.30 am in summer.

Prafull’s tipThere is an extra security check at the airport's outer gate, so we aim to get you there 2.5 hours before your flight.

Breakfast

Tour details

Accommodation

Choose the hotel category. The same route and sightseeing in every category.

Hotels are confirmed when you book. If a hotel is full, we give you one of the same category in the same area, and tell you before you pay.

Optional add-ons

Not in the price. Prafull can book them for you or you can pay locally.

Tour information

Read this to prepare for your holiday.

Good to know

• Local taxi-union rules apply in Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam: your Srinagar car brings you there, but local union cabs or ponies take you on to the sightseeing points. We pre-arrange them and tell you the going rate.
• Prepaid mobile connections from outside Jammu & Kashmir don't work here; postpaid ones do. Make sure at least one person in your group is on postpaid.
• Gulmarg is at about 2,650 m and Gondola Phase 2 at nearly 4,000 m. Walk slowly and drink water; skip Phase 2 if anyone has heart or breathing trouble.
• Pure-veg and Jain meals are easy to arrange in hotels and on the houseboat with notice. Kashmiri food leans on meat, but haak, nadru (lotus stem) and dum aloo are vegetarian classics.
• Good for parents: no drive is longer than about 3 hours, and we keep the Gulmarg day light. Houseboats have a few steps down from the shikara, so tell us about any mobility needs.
• Pack layers in every season. Summer days in Srinagar are warm, but nights in Gulmarg and on the lake are cool, and December to February is well below freezing.

When to go

April to June, and December to February for snow. Spring and early summer bring green meadows and the Srinagar tulip garden (usually late March to April). Winter turns Gulmarg white. Late October brings golden chinar trees.

Our favourite months

Cancellation policy & payment terms

• Cancellations must be sent in writing, on email or WhatsApp; the date we receive it is the cancellation date.
• Flights, trains, visa fees and non-refundable hotel or activity bookings are refunded only as their own rules allow.
• Date changes are free when made 30 days or more before travel, subject to hotel availability and any difference in price.
• Refunds are paid within 14 working days of us receiving them from the hotels and suppliers.
• No refund is possible for services not used during the holiday.
• Hotels may ask for a refundable security deposit at check-in, paid directly to the hotel.

Questions about this holiday