Kashmir is among the most beautiful places in the world. Situated at a very high altitude from the earth’s surface, this place is often known as the heaven on earth. Every year lakhs of people from India and all over the world come to visit this amazing beauty of nature. Although Kashmir has been a bit of a disputed place in India yet it is not a place to be missed witnessing once in a lifetime. The snow-covered mountains, the white sheets of snow, and the great deodar trees which welcome you to enjoy the valleys of Kashmir and the places around it will win your heart. 

Best Time to Visit

The temperature in Kashmir is quite low throughout the year, but during the winter season this place is unbelievably beautiful and one simply cannot resist its beauty. For snow and snowfall visit in December to April. If you don’t want to see snow and see open weather with sun visit in May to July and October. August and September are generally rainy season. But weather can change anytime in Kashmir.

In this blog, we will guide you through every big and small detail of Kashmir helping you to plan your trip in a better way. There are a lot of scams that can happen to you can the locals here might misguide you resulting in you spending more money. In this blog, we will provide you with an honest and raw detailing of the Kashmir trip through which you save a lot of money at many places in Kashmir. So, stay with us during the entire blog and make your trip to Kashmir a memorable one.

Before starting the blog, you must know a bit about the local tradition of Kashmir. The local dress of Kashmir is known as fairan. This is the local loose kurta-like cloth which most of the Kashmiri people wear. Inside the fairan, people carry a lighted-up Kangiri which keeps them warm during the extremely cold Kashmir. 

How to reach in Kashmir? To Book Bus Click Here

Kashmir is a quite famous place in India but due to certain geopolitical issues, Kashmir is not directly reachable like any other place in India. Still, a lot of people visit Kashmir every year. To reach Kashmir from your location you can either take a direct or go via Delhi if direct transport is not available from your location. Book Your Flight From Here

If you are coming by train, you can take a train from Delhi to Jammu, and from Jammu, you can take a shared car to Srinagar.

The cost of a shared car from Jammu to Srinagar can range from Rs 1200 to Rs 1500 per person and the journey takes around 6 to 8 hours. Another option from Jammu can be to take a bus which will cost between Rs 300 to Rs 500 per person in Srinagar.

Apart from the train and bus, there is also the facility to take a flight that lands directly at the Srinagar airport.

Hotels and Lodging In Kashmir

Hotels in Srinagar: When coming to Srinagar, the best possible location to take a hotel can be near Nigeen Lake or Dal Lake.

The cost of renting a hotel room in Srinagar can range between Rs 2000 to Rs 2500 depending on the quality of the hotel you choose.

Hotels in Sonmarg: The trip to Sonmarg is of one complete day and you can return to Srinagar at noon. But if you want to stay in Sonmarg for any reason, the cost of hotels here can be around Rs 2000 per night.

Hotels in Pahalgam: You will have to take a hotel in Pahalgam and the cost of renting a hotel room here can be around Rs 3500 per night.

Places to visit in Kashmir

When visiting Srinagar, the most famous places to visit from here are Sonmarg and Gulmarg. Though these places are at a suitable distance from Srinagar, you will have to rent a car to go there.

Sonmarg

Sonmarg is the most beautiful place to witness in Kashmir and if you are visiting the winter season, you cannot miss. This beautiful place is at a distance of around 80 km from Srinagar and it will take around 3 to 4 hours to reach there. 

To visit Sonmarg, you can book a car from Srinagar. The cost of taking a car from Srinagar to Sonmarg can range between Rs 3000 to Rs 5000 which will include going and returning. There isn’t any fixed cost anywhere in Kashmir and it all depends on the season.

Although it is recommended to take a shared car till Sonmarg since it will help you to save some money ahead in the journey. If you are unable to get directions to Sonmarg from Srinagar, you can travel from Srinagar to Kangan and then Kangan to Sonmarg. The cost of taking a shared car from Srinagar can range between Rs 300 to Rs 500 for a side journey.

Sonmarg sometimes closes from January to February due to extreme cold in that area. Thus, you should also avoid going to Kashmir during this period since the temperature falls to a minus degree.

Is Manali Good Option for Snow?

If you are going to Sonmarg in the off-season, people will ask you to take a horse which will take you to the zero point where you can find snow. The cost of a car or horse to the top can range between Rs 1500 to Rs 3000. Although, it is not necessary to take a horse or car since you can walk around half a kilometer to reach the point where you can find snow. In winter, you can find snow at the bottom itself and certain snow activities also take place when there is a sufficient amount of snow available. 

Sonmarg takes one complete day to explore and you can return to Srinagar at noon.

Kulan Talab: This is a small talab which lies on your way from Srinagar to Sonmarg. All you have to do is watch the beauty of this beautiful talab and spend some time here if you want.

Shalimar Bagh:

Built-in 1619, this beautiful flower garden has just an entry fee of Rs 24. Here you can witness amazing colorful plants and trees which are a sight to the eyes. The Shalimar Bagh is situated in Srinagar. Book Flight At Cheapest Price

Nishat Bagh: 

The Nishat Bagh isalso situated in Srinagar near Shalimar Garden. This is just another garden like Shalimar Garden but is much more organized and beautiful. This is yet another sight to watch in Srinagar.

Gulmarg

Another beauty that lies in Kashmir is the amazing Gulmarg. This is the place just like sonmarg where you can go witness the beautiful snow everywhere around you. Gulmarg is at a distance of about 52 km from Srinagar and takes about two and a half hours to reach there. You can either book your car for Gulmarg or can also take a shared car to reach there.

The cost of renting a shared car to Gulmarg can cost around Rs 500 to Rs 600 per person.

You might also be able to get a car only till Tangmarg. This is a place just before Gulmarg. From Tangmarg you will have to again take a car to Gulmarg.

Note:

In Tangmarg, you might get many people asking you to take a guide and they would guide you through every place in Gulmarg. There is no need to take guide and you can explore by your own.

Before going to Gulmarg you can rent snow jackets and snow boots from Tangmarg. But it is only recommended to do so when there is heavy snowfall, otherwise there is no need to spend your money on jackets and boots.

Gandola Ride in Gulmarg (Ropeway)

In Gulmarg, there is also the availability of a ropeway or Gondola. You can take this ropeway to enjoy the fabulous views of the snow and the beauty of Gulmarg. Although the cost of riding a ropeway is quite high and it can be around Rs 1700 per person. This will include both coming and going from your destination. You can also do adventure or snow activities in Gulmarg if you are not going in the off-season. Although Gulmarg is heavily loaded with snow in the winter season, you might not find snow in the summer at the bottom point. 

Along with this, there are many restaurants and shops in Gulmarg from where you can buy dry fruits or shop for jackets and other woolen clothes.

To give an estimate, it will cost around Rs 5000 per person to explore Gulmarg completely. The exploration of Gulmarg takes only one and just like Sonmarg, you can return to Srinagar at noon.

Dal Lake:

The Dal Lake is another beautiful sight to watch in Srinagar. This is the most attractive lake with lots of Shikaras and houseboats in it. At Dal Lake, you can take a Shikara to wander sometime in the lake and can then spend a night in a houseboat. Do not book cheap price houseboat because it can be very dirty or bad experience. Along with this, the food inside the houseboat is also of low quality. The cheapest houseboat can cost you around Rs 2000 to Rs 3000 but if your budget allows you must go for a better houseboat.

How to reach Pahalgam and places to visit

Pahalgam is another amazingly explorable place in Kashmir and people spend days here witnessing different places in this beautiful area. Situated at a distance of about 100 km from Srinagar, reaching Pahalgam takes about 4 to 5 hours and you can enjoy a fun road trip to reach Pahalgam.

Pamprone Town: On your way from Srinagar to Pahalgam, you will find a place called pamprone town. Here you will find a huge and widely spread field of Pamprone or what we know as Kesar. In this route you will find many kesar shops and it is worth to buy from here.

Apple Gardens:

Next to Pahalgam, you can witness the amazing apple gardens with thousands of apple trees. Here you can also buy apples and other products made from apples.

On your way to Pahalgam, you can also witness the beauty of the cold and clean Jhelum river which runs through Pahalgam increasing its beauty to a great extent. 

After reaching Pahalgam you can book a sightseeing ticket to explore Pahalgam. There are two types of ticket. The first category costs around Rs 2800 to Rs 3500 and is a full-day tour that includes all the famous places here including Aru Valley, Betab Valley, Tullian Lake, Sheshnag Lake, Mamaleshwar Temple, and other places. The second category costs around Rs 1800 to Rs 2000 and is a half-day tour to only the famous places of Pahalgam like Aru Valle, Betab Valley, and Tullian Lake. 

All over you need around 2-3 days to completely explore Pahalgam.

Total Budget and Expenses

Kashmir is frankly an expensive place to visit and thus it can cost a bit higher than your expectations. The total cost to explore Kashmir is mentioned below.

Hotel: Rs 10000 (for 5 days approx.)
Meals: Rs 3500 (5 days)
Transport: Rs 12000 (5 days)
Total: Rs 25500

Apart from this, there will surely be other expenses in Gulmarg, sonmarg, and Pahalgam. Moreover, the budget increases if you are interested in doing snow activities. So, it might cost around Rs 35000 per person to visit Kashmir and explore its beauty.

Conclusion

Kashmir is a highly recommended place to visit from October to March. The beauty of Kashmir is like nowhere else. Although this place is a bit costly. Talking about the foods, you can try local foods including Kahwa and Amlok. 

Certain things to remember are that it is recommended to take a shared car when possible. No need to rent a horse or car unless you want to. You must take your food everywhere since the food in sonmarg and Gulmarg is quite expensive. You can also buy jackets and dry fruits at cheap rates and the best quality in Kashmir.

We hope to have guided you with every detail needed to travel to Kashmir and we will find you again in the next blog.