Jammu and Kashmir
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Jammu and Kashmir

Paradise on earth

Photo: Suhail Skindar Sofi, CC BY-SA 4.0
Capital

Srinagar (summer), Jammu (winter)

Best time to visit

March to October; December to February for snow

Getting there

Fly into Srinagar or Jammu. The rail link now reaches Srinagar through the Pir Panjal.

Ideal trip

10 to 13 days to cover the highlights

About Jammu and Kashmir

Kashmir is a valley of houseboats, saffron fields, meadows and snow peaks. Check current advisories and roads before you travel.

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Popular cities in Jammu and Kashmir

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GulmargJammuKatra (Vaishno Devi)PahalgamPatnitopSonamargSrinagar

Top places in Jammu and Kashmir

Dal Lake, SrinagarPhoto: Suhail Skindar Sofi, CC BY-SA 4.0

Dal Lake, Srinagar

Shikara rides, houseboats and the Mughal gardens on the lake's edge.

Best time: April to OctoberBase: Srinagar2 daysNatureCity
Directions
From Wikipedia

Dal is a freshwater lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir in Indian-administered Kashmir. It is an urban lake, the second largest lake in Jammu and Kashmir, and the most visited place in Srinagar by tourists and locals. It is integral to tourism and recreation in the Kashmir Valley and is variously known as the "Lake of Flowers", "Jewel in the crown of Kashmir" or "Srinagar's Jewel". The lake is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.

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Video by Desi Traveling on YouTube

GulmargPhoto: Anurag Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0

Gulmarg

Meadows and one of the highest cable cars in the world; a ski resort in winter.

Best time: December to March, May to SeptemberBase: Gulmarg2 daysMountainsAdventure
Directions
From Wikipedia

Gulmarg is a hill station and a notified area committee in Baramulla district of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, close to the Line of Control that serves as the de facto border between India and Pakistan. It is in the Pir Panjal Range in the Western Himalayas within the boundaries of the Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary. Gulmarg is situated at an altitude of 2,650 m, and is a popular tourist and skiing destination in the Kashmir Valley.

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Video by Shariq Bakshi on YouTube

Pahalgam

Lidder river valley meadows such as Betaab and Aru, and the base for the Amarnath Yatra.

Best time: April to OctoberBase: Pahalgam2 daysNatureMountains
Directions
From Wikipedia

Pahalgam or Pahalgom is a town in Anantnag district of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is located on the banks of Lidder River at an altitude of 2,200 m in the Vale of Kashmir. Pahalgam is the headquarters of the Pahalgam tehsil, one of the eleven tehsils in Anantnag district. Located about 45 km from Anantnag, the town is a popular tourist destination and hill station. The town is the starting point of the annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath Temple, which takes place in July–August.

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Video by Journeys with AK on YouTube

SonamargPhoto: Wikiditot, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonamarg

The Meadow of Gold, with Thajiwas glacier and trails to the great lakes.

Best time: May to SeptemberBase: Sonamarg1 dayMountainsNature
Directions
From Wikipedia

Sonamarg or Sonmarg, known as Sonamarag in Kashmiri, is a hill station located in the Ganderbal District of Jammu and Kashmir, India in the disputed Kashmir region. It is located about 62 kilometers from Ganderbal Town and 80 kilometres northeast of the capital city, Srinagar.

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Video by Explore with Love on YouTube

Vaishno DeviPhoto: Yatin. 123, CC BY-SA 4.0

Vaishno Devi

A cave shrine in the Trikuta hills, reached by a 12 km trek or helicopter from Katra.

Best time: March to OctoberBase: Katra2 daysSpiritualMountains
Directions
From Wikipedia

The Vaishno Devi Temple, also known as the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple and Vaishno Devi Bhavan, is a Hindu temple in Katra, Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir. Dedicated to Vaishno Devi, a manifestation of goddesses Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasarasvati, it is on Trikuta mountain at an elevation of 5,200 feet. The temple is 43 km from the main city of Jammu and 29 km from the district headquarters Reasi town.

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PatnitopPhoto: My Lord, CC BY-SA 4.0

Patnitop

A pine-forested plateau on the Jammu-Srinagar road with meadows and winter snow.

Best time: March to June, December to FebruaryBase: Patnitop1 dayMountains
Directions
From Wikipedia

Patnitop is a hill station, located, between Ramban Town and Udhampur city in the Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is in located on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, 112 km from Jammu, on the way from Udhampur to Srinagar. Situated in the lower Himalayan belt of the Himalayas, Patnitop sits at an altitude of 2,024 m. The river Chenab flows in close proximity to this location.

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JammuPhoto: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain

Jammu

The City of Temples, with Raghunath temple, Bahu fort and Mubarak Mandi palace.

Best time: October to MarchBase: Jammu1 daySpiritualCity
Directions
From Wikipedia

Raghunath Temple is a Hindu temple located in Jammu in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It consists of a complex of seven Hindu shrines. Raghunath Temple was constructed by the first Dogra ruler Maharaja Gulab Singh in the year 1835 and later his son Maharaja Ranbir Singh got it completed in the year 1860 during Dogra rule. The temple has many gods in its complex of shrines, but the presiding deity is Rama – also known as Raghunath, an Avatar of Vishnu.

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Gurez ValleyHidden gemPhoto: Zahid samoon, CC BY 3.0

Gurez Valley

A remote valley along the Kishanganga with wooden villages and Habba Khatoon peak.

Best time: May to SeptemberBase: Bandipora2 daysNatureMountains
Directions
From Wikipedia

Gurez, or Gurais, is a tehsil in Bandipore District of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. It contains most of the Gurez Valley, located in the high Himalayas to the north of the Kashmir Valley, separated from it by the great Himalayan range, and is situated about 86 kilometres from district headquarters Bandipore and 123 kilometres from Srinagar. A sub-valley of Gurez beyond Kamri came under Pakistani control after 1947, including Minimarg, and is today part of Astore District in Gilgit-Baltistan.

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Video by visa2explore on YouTube

DoodhpathriHidden gemPhoto: Ankur P from Pune, India, CC BY-SA 2.0

Doodhpathri

Meadows of milky streams near Srinagar, far quieter than Gulmarg.

Best time: April to OctoberBase: Srinagar1 dayMountainsNature
Directions
From Wikipedia

Doodhpathri is a tourist destination and a hill station located in the Khansahib tehsil of the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Situated at an altitude of 2,730 metres from sea level, it is located at a distance of 42 km from Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital, Srinagar, and 30 km from its district headquarters, Budgam.

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YusmargHidden gemPhoto: Suhail Skindar Sofi, CC BY-SA 4.0

Yusmarg

A pine meadow in the Pir Panjal, good for pony rides and treks to Nilnag lake.

Best time: April to OctoberBase: Srinagar1 dayMountainsNature
Directions
From Wikipedia

Yusmarg or Yousmarg is a hill station in the western part of the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated 43 km from Budgam town and 53 km south of Srinagar, the summer capital of the state.

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Food to try

Wazwan (rogan josh, gushtaba, rista), kahwa, noon chai, Kashmiri pulao, rajma chawal in Jammu

Where to stay

Houseboats on Dal Lake, hotels in Gulmarg and Pahalgam, Katra for Vaishno Devi

Getting around

Fly into Srinagar or Jammu; Vande Bharat to Srinagar via Katra; hired cars for valleys

Good to know

Prepaid mobile SIMs from other states may not work; postpaid does. Carry warm layers even in summer.

Jammu and Kashmir: quick answers

What is the best time to visit Jammu and Kashmir?

March to October; December to February for snow

How do I reach Jammu and Kashmir?

Fly into Srinagar or Jammu. The rail link now reaches Srinagar through the Pir Panjal.

How many days do I need for Jammu and Kashmir?

Plan 10 to 13 days to see the highlights, such as Dal Lake, Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam.

What food should I try in Jammu and Kashmir?

Wazwan (rogan josh, gushtaba, rista), kahwa, noon chai, Kashmiri pulao, rajma chawal in Jammu

Where should I stay in Jammu and Kashmir?

Houseboats on Dal Lake, hotels in Gulmarg and Pahalgam, Katra for Vaishno Devi

Neighbouring states

Timings, fees, permits and road conditions change. Please check official sources before you travel.