Five nights across the valley — the Mughal Gardens and the Dal, the Gulmarg gondola, the Pahalgam valleys and Sonmarg, finishing on a houseboat
The Kashmir valley is small enough that you can see most of it from one base, and this trip works that way. Srinagar is the hub: you sleep there at the start and the end, and drive out to Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam in between. Nothing is more than a few hours away, so the days stay unhurried and you get time on the ground rather than in the car.
The last night is spent on a houseboat moored on the Dal, which is worth doing once even if you have a hotel room waiting. Transfers from Sheikh ul-Alam airport, a private air-conditioned vehicle for the whole trip, and breakfast and dinner at every property are arranged. Pony rides, the gondola tickets at Gulmarg and the local union taxis at Sonmarg and Pahalgam are paid on the spot, as the operators there only deal in cash on the day.
The essentials
Trip information
Package code
EH06KA001
Pickup
Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport, Srinagar
Drop
Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport, Srinagar
Night count
05 Nights, 06 Days
Travellers
6 pax
Vehicle
Toyota Innova Crysta (AC)
At a glance
Itinerary highlights
Day 1Arrive in Srinagar and an evening on the Dal
Day 2Day out to Sonmarg and the Thajiwas glacier
Day 3Mughal Gardens, then up to Gulmarg
Day 4Gulmarg in the morning, then across to Pahalgam
Day 5Betaab and Aru valleys, then a houseboat night on the Dal
Day 6Old city, then the flight home
Your route, day by day
Day-by-day itinerary
Srinagar
The valley's main city, built around two lakes, with the old Mughal gardens terraced into the hills on the eastern shore.
Day 1
Arrive in Srinagar and an evening on the Dal
You are met at Sheikh ul-Alam and driven into the city, which takes well under an hour. After check-in the afternoon is easy — an hour on a shikara across the Dal, past the floating vegetable gardens and the houseboats moored along the far bank. Dinner is at the hotel.
Starts from Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport, Srinagar, ends at The Dal View Srinagar, covering around 14 km in an estimated 40m.
Sightseeing
Dal Lake shikara rideDaylight hoursAllow 60 min
The Dal is not one open sheet of water but a network of channels, floating gardens and small settlements built on the lake itself. A shikara is a flat wooden boat rowed with a heart-shaped paddle, and an hour is enough to get out to the quieter water and back.
Row out past the floating vegetable gardens
Look at the carved houseboat fronts
Buy saffron or papier-mâché from the boat vendors
Watch the light go off the Zabarwan hills
Sonmarg
A high meadow on the Sindh river, the last town in the valley before the road climbs to Zoji La and Ladakh.
Day 2
Day out to Sonmarg and the Thajiwas glacier
An early start for the drive up the Sindh valley to Sonmarg. The road follows the river most of the way and the last stretch opens into the meadow the town is named for. From the roadhead you take a local pony or a union taxi up towards the Thajiwas glacier — the track is rough and no private vehicle is allowed on it. You come back down in the afternoon and are in Srinagar by evening.
Based at The Dal View Srinagar, covering around 160 km in an estimated 9h 00m.
Sightseeing
Thajiwas GlacierDaylight hours, weather permittingAllow 180 min
A small hanging glacier a few kilometres above Sonmarg, reached on pony or on foot along a stony track beside a stream. Snow sits in the gully through most of the year, and even in high summer there is usually some to walk on at the top.
Pony ride up the valley track
Walk out onto the snow field
Sledge run if the snow is holding
Photograph the peaks above the meadow
Sonmarg Meadow and the Sindh riverOpen all dayAllow 60 min
The flat grazing ground on the valley floor where shepherds bring flocks up for the summer. The Sindh runs fast and very cold through the middle of it, with wooden bridges across at a few points.
Walk the meadow
Cross one of the river footbridges
Tea at a roadside stall
Kheer Bhawani Temple (en route)Open 6 AM – 8 PMAllow 45 min
A spring-fed temple at Tulmul on the way back, built over a sacred water tank surrounded by old chinar trees. It is one of the most visited Hindu shrines in the valley.
Walk around the spring tank
Sit under the chinars
Watch the evening offerings
Gulmarg
A meadow bowl at the foot of Apharwat, used as a ski resort in winter and a walking base in summer.
Day 3
Mughal Gardens, then up to Gulmarg
The morning goes to the three Mughal gardens on the eastern shore of the Dal, taken in order as you climb the hill. After lunch you leave the city and drive west through Tangmarg, where the road starts to switchback up through pine forest into Gulmarg. Check in, then take the gondola if the afternoon is clear — otherwise it is kept for the next morning.
Starts from The Dal View Srinagar, ends at Gulmarg Pine Retreat, covering around 62 km in an estimated 2h 30m.
Sightseeing
Nishat BaghOpen 9 AM – 7 PMAllow 60 min
The largest of the Srinagar gardens, laid out in twelve terraces stepping down towards the Dal. Water runs the length of it through a central channel, and the chinar trees along the sides are several hundred years old.
Walk up through the terraces
Photograph the lake from the top level
Sit under the old chinars
Shalimar BaghOpen 9 AM – 7 PMAllow 45 min
Built by Jahangir for Nur Jahan and the oldest of the three. It is flatter and quieter than Nishat, arranged around a long water channel with black stone pavilions set in it.
See the black marble pavilion
Follow the central water channel
Look at the chinar avenue
Chashme ShahiOpen 9 AM – 7 PMAllow 30 min
The smallest of the Mughal gardens, built around a natural spring that still runs. It sits higher than the other two and gives the cleanest view straight down the Dal.
Drink from the spring
View across the lake
Walk the terraced beds
Gulmarg Gondola, Phase 1Open 10 AM – 5 PM, weather permittingAllow 90 min
The cable car runs in two phases. The first climbs from the Gulmarg bowl to Kongdoori, over meadow and pine, and is the section most people are content with. Tickets are limited daily and sold at the base station.
Ride up to Kongdoori
Walk the meadow at the mid-station
Views back across the Gulmarg bowl
Pahalgam
A river town at the meeting of two valleys, and the starting point of the Amarnath pilgrimage route.
Day 4
Gulmarg in the morning, then across to Pahalgam
The morning is free in Gulmarg for the second phase of the gondola, a walk around the meadow or the old church, depending on the weather. After an early lunch you set off across the valley to Pahalgam. It is the longest drive of the trip and the road runs through saffron fields around Pampore and apple orchards further on. You reach Pahalgam in the late afternoon, in time for a walk along the Lidder before dinner.
Starts from Gulmarg Pine Retreat, ends at Lidder Valley Resort, covering around 140 km in an estimated 4h 30m.
Sightseeing
Gulmarg Gondola, Phase 2 (optional)Open 10 AM – 3 PM, weather permittingAllow 120 min
The second stage runs from Kongdoori up towards Apharwat, finishing near the snow line at well over 3,900 metres. It is closed often and at short notice when the wind gets up, so it is never guaranteed.
Ride up towards Apharwat
Walk on the snow at the top station
See the ridge towards the line of control
St Mary's Church and Gulmarg MeadowDaylight hoursAllow 45 min
A small grey stone church from the British period sitting on its own in the middle of the meadow, with the golf course spread out around it. The whole bowl is a gentle walk when there is no snow.
Walk to the church
Circle the meadow
See the golf course, one of the highest in the world
Pampore saffron fields (en route)Best late October to early NovemberAllow 30 min
The flat land around Pampore, just south of Srinagar, produces almost all of Kashmir's saffron. In late autumn the fields turn purple with crocus and the harvest is done by hand.
Stop at the fields
See how the stigmas are separated
Buy saffron at source
Day 5
Betaab and Aru valleys, then a houseboat night on the Dal
The morning goes to the valleys above the town. Private vehicles are not allowed past a point on the Chandanwari road, so a local union taxi takes you up to Betaab and on to Aru. You come back for lunch, then drive down to Srinagar. The last leg is by shikara across to the houseboat, where you spend the night on the water.
Starts from Lidder Valley Resort, ends at Heritage Houseboat Nigeen, Srinagar, covering around 125 km in an estimated 6h 00m.
Sightseeing
Betaab ValleyOpen 8 AM – 6 PMAllow 75 min
A narrow green valley a short drive above Pahalgam, with the Lidder running through it and steep pine slopes on both sides. It took its name from a Hindi film shot there in the 1980s and has been a fixed stop ever since.
Walk the riverside path
Cross the wooden bridge
Photograph the valley from the upper garden
Aru ValleyOpen 8 AM – 5 PMAllow 90 min
A grazing village about twelve kilometres up the Lidder from Pahalgam, and the trailhead for the walk to Lidderwat and the Kolahoi glacier. It is wider, higher and much quieter than Betaab.
Walk out onto the meadow
Pony ride towards the upper pastures
Tea at the village
Chandanwari (optional)Open 8 AM – 4 PM, road open in seasonAllow 90 min
The point where the Amarnath yatra begins, sixteen kilometres above Pahalgam. A snow bridge across the Lidder survives here well into summer.
See the snow bridge
Sledge on the packed snow
Look up the yatra trail
Srinagar
A last morning on the lake before the short drive out to the airport.
Day 6
Old city, then the flight home
Breakfast on the houseboat, then check out. If the flight is late enough there is time to stop at the Jama Masjid or the handicraft shops on the way, otherwise you go straight to Sheikh ul-Alam. Security checks at Srinagar airport take longer than at most Indian airports, so we get you there well ahead of time.
Starts from Heritage Houseboat Nigeen, Srinagar, ends at Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport, Srinagar, covering around 16 km in an estimated 45m.
Airport pick-up and drop
× 2
Full-day Sonmarg excursion
Srinagar to Gulmarg to Pahalgam transfer
Shikara transfer to the houseboat
The fine print, clearly
What’s included
Inclusions
Five nights of accommodation, including one night on a houseboat on the Dal.
Breakfast and dinner daily at the hotel, resort or houseboat.
All transfers and sightseeing by private air-conditioned vehicle.
Airport pick-up and drop at Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport.
One hour on a shikara on the Dal Lake.
Driver allowance, fuel, toll, parking and state permit charges.
24×7 destination support for the whole trip.
Exclusions
Airfare or train fare to and from Srinagar.
Gulmarg Gondola tickets for both phases, booked and paid on the day.
Local union taxis at Sonmarg, Betaab Valley, Aru and Chandanwari — these are compulsory and paid directly.
Pony rides, sledges, snow gear hire and guide charges.
Entry tickets at the Mughal Gardens and other monuments.
Lunch, room service and personal expenses such as laundry and tips.
GST, charged extra on the final bill as applicable.
Good to know
Policies
Payment policy
50% of the package cost is needed at the time of booking to confirm it.
The remaining 50% must be cleared at least 20 days before the trip starts.
Peak season (April to June, and the Christmas and New Year week) needs full payment at booking.
The booking is confirmed only once the advance payment reaches us.
Payment by bank transfer or UPI.
Cancellation policy
0–10 days before check-in: 100% of the booking amount is charged.
11–20 days before check-in: 70% of the booking amount is charged.
21–30 days before check-in: 30% of the booking amount is charged.
A minimum cancellation charge of 10% applies in all cases.
No refund for unused nights, an early check-out or a missed excursion.
Peak season (1 April – 30 June and 20 December – 5 January): no refund on cancellation.
Important information
Carry a valid photo ID — Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licence. Hotels and houseboats verify it at check-in.
Sightseeing beyond Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam town is run by local taxi unions. Their vehicles are compulsory on those stretches and the rate is fixed by the union, not by us.
The Srinagar–Sonmarg road and the road up to Gulmarg can close after heavy snow or a landslide. If that happens we swap the day around rather than cancel it.
Between December and March you need proper layers, waterproof shoes and gloves; snow gear can be hired at Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
Prepaid mobile SIMs from outside Jammu and Kashmir do not work in the valley. Postpaid connections are fine.
Houseboats are wooden and heated by a bukhari or a room heater rather than central heating, so a winter night on the lake is cold.
Hotels and the day order may shift slightly with weather or road conditions; we tell you in advance if so.
Easy Holiday
