Kashmir Travel Guide

Hey guys, welcome back to my blog. The Week 2 of #BlogchatterA2Z begins today with letter G. And, I thought of bringing to you an ultimate travel guide to help you plan a trip to Kashmir. Jammu & Kashmir is a state in northern India surrounded by the great Himalayan ranges. J&K consists of 3 regions – Jammu, Kashmir Valley, and Ladakh. Today, I will be talking about the Kashmir valley which is famous for its beautiful landscape, snow-capped mountains & pristine lakes & rivers. Not to forget the warm and lovely people of Kashmir.

I know currently the situation in Kashmir is bit tensed & not favorable for tourism. Also, families may not consider it as a preferred travel destination. But, I am sure that everything is going to get normal very soon. And, travelers & tourists will start flocking this beautiful valley once again.

I fell in love with Kashmir at a very young age. I have heard many stories of its heavenly beauty from my parents & have seen it in their b&w honeymoon pictures.

My Parents in Kashmir (1983)

It was my childhood dream to travel to this beautiful destination. And my dream came true last year when we planned a family trip to Kashmir in the month of October. My mother and mother-in-law had also joined us since it was a special birthday trip for my husband.

We were confused about whether to go or to cancel this trip until the last minute. But once we stepped out of the airport and the fresh air touched us, we knew our stay in Kashmir was going to be very memorable. And, we would be taking back so many memories with us.

Here’s a famous quote by Mughal Emperor Jehangir when he visited Kashmir “Gar Firdaus bar-rue zaminast, hamiasto, hamin asto, haminast.” Meaning ‘If there is heaven on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here’. And, it still holds true.

Let me help answer some of the common questions which we had while planning our trip.

When to visit?

The first thing we wanted to check was the best time to visit Kashmir. We were looking for the month of October which is considered the onset of winter season & also the offseason in Kashmir. My husband called a few tour operators in Kashmir and checked with them about the weather conditions. He even checked with the hotels to be sure about the weather since we were traveling with a toddler and senior citizens.

Kashmir is one destination in India which you can visit at any time of the year. It depends on what you want to enjoy there. And what temperatures you can tolerate.

• Summer – April to June (Max tourist footfall)
• Monsoon – July to September
• Winters – October to March (Max Snowfall in Dec-Jan-Feb)

Summer months get the maximum crowd in the valley. However, people who love snow, flock in the winter months. We visited in October and found it to be the perfect time to enjoy the true beauty of Kashmir, it was neither too cold not too hot.

How to Reach?

Since we had only 5 days in hand, we chose the fastest way to reach Srinagar. The airport is very well connected to all the major cities in India. The flight takes only 1 hour 30 min from Delhi to Srinagar. And the fare ranges from INR 3000 to INR 5000 depending on the airline. You can reach Kashmir by any of these means, by-

Air- Srinagar International Airport

Road- Delhi to Srinagar (809 Km via NH 44)

Train- Jammu Tawi Railway Station in Jammu

Places to Visit in Kashmir?

Now that you have decided when & how you want to travel to Kashmir, it’s time to decide which places you want to include in your itinerary. Below is the list of 10 famous places in J&K-

1. Srinagar
2. Pahalgam
3. Gulmarg
4. Sonmarg
5. Leh
6. Anantnag
7. Pulwama
8. Jammu
9. Patnitop
10. Kargil

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Here’s a Quick 5D/6N Kashmir Itinerary 

This is the itinerary that we followed for our 5-day trip.

We all know the situation in Kashmir. We keep hearing about the news of violence, stone pelting, and ceasefire violation in J&K. Srinagar is the main city that witnesses the violent protests by the frustrated youth. But let me tell you, Kashmir is the warmest place on Earth & the care and hospitality by the Kashmiris is truly heart touching.

For Kashmiris, tourism is the main source of their income. And, they can never go against tourists or hurt them. In fact, they go out of their way to save tourists from any foul situation. During our stay, we felt that warmth, love, and care in their hospitality.