The Valley in Seven Days
Srinagar and Dal Lake · Gulmarg · Pahalgam and the Lidder Valley
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6 days, 5 nights
Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Pahalgam
One base in Srinagar, day trips out to the three big valleys
The trip
What this is
This is our most requested itinerary, and the one to pick if you want the classic Kashmir sights without changing hotels every night. You stay on a houseboat for one night and in a Srinagar hotel for the rest, and each valley, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Pahalgam, is a there-and-back day trip from the same bed. Less packing, more time actually looking at the view.
Best for. First-time visitors and families who want to see Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Pahalgam without repacking for a new hotel each night.
Highlights
- A night on a Dal Lake houseboat, including a one-hour shikara ride
- A full day in Gulmarg with the option of the gondola and a horse ride to Strawberry Valley
- A Srinagar sightseeing day: Shankaracharya Temple, Shalimar Bagh, Nishat Bagh and Chashme Shahi
- A day trip to Sonamarg past the Sindh river, with the option of a horse ride to Thajiwas Glacier
- A day trip to Pahalgam via the saffron fields and the Avantipur ruins, with Betaab Valley, Chandanwari and Aru Valley all optional stops
Day by day
The itinerary
A working outline. We move nights around, add or drop a day, and adjust for weather once we know your dates.
- 01Srinagar
Arrive in Srinagar, settle onto the houseboat
Shikara ride on Dal Lake
We meet you at the airport and take you straight to the houseboat. Once you have checked in and rested, head out to see the edge of the lake and the Zabarwan mountains behind it, and take a one-hour shikara ride while the light is good. Dinner is on board.
Houseboat on Dal LakeDinner - 02Gulmarg
Srinagar to Gulmarg and back
Gondola ride and Strawberry Valley (both optional)
Check out of the houseboat after breakfast and drive out through villages and rice fields to Tangmarg, then up the last stretch to Gulmarg, home to the world's highest golf course and, in winter, to skiing. If you want to go up, the gondola runs via Khilanmarg toward Apharwat. Back at the base, a horse ride out to Strawberry Valley is worth the hour if you are up for it. We head back to Srinagar in the evening and check into your hotel.
Hotel in SrinagarBreakfast, dinner - 03Srinagar
A day of Srinagar sightseeing
Shankaracharya Temple, Shalimar Bagh, Nishat Bagh, Chashme Shahi
A full day around the city, starting at the Shankaracharya Temple on its hill above Srinagar, also known as Jyotishwara Temple or Pas-Pahar and one of the oldest temples in the country. From there we take in the Mughal gardens in sequence: Shalimar Bagh, terraced under old chinar trees; Nishat Bagh, carved into the hillside across twelve levels with a Mughal water channel running through it; and Chashme Shahi, the smallest and quietest of the three.
Hotel in SrinagarBreakfast, dinner - 04Sonamarg
Srinagar to Sonamarg and back
Thajiwas Glacier (optional horse ride)
A full day out to Sonamarg, the Meadow of Gold, sitting at around 9,000 feet against snow-holding peaks with the Sindh river running through it. If you want a closer look at the Thajiwas Glacier, a horse ride can take you up. Sonamarg is also the road toward Ladakh, so this is as far as most Kashmir trips go in that direction. Back to Srinagar for dinner.
Hotel in SrinagarBreakfast, dinner - 05Pahalgam
Srinagar to Pahalgam and back
Saffron fields, Avantipur ruins, Betaab Valley (optional)
On the way to Pahalgam we stop at the saffron fields outside Pampore and at the Avantipur ruins, an eleven-hundred-year-old temple site. Pahalgam itself sits on the Lidder river and has been a location for a long list of Indian films. From here, Betaab Valley and the glacier point at Chandanwari are both easy add-ons, and Aru Valley a little further if you want to walk, ride or simply sit somewhere quieter. A pony ride up to Baisaran is worth doing if your legs are willing.
Hotel in SrinagarBreakfast, dinner - 06Srinagar
Departure
Check out after breakfast and we take you to Srinagar airport for your flight home.
Breakfast
Places you will see
- Dal Lake
- Gulmarg
- Strawberry Valley
- Shankaracharya Temple
- Shalimar Bagh
- Nishat Bagh
- Chashme Shahi
- Sonamarg
- Thajiwas Glacier
- Avantipur ruins
- Pahalgam
- Betaab Valley
- Chandanwari
- Aru Valley
- Baisaran
What is included
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Private vehicle with a local driver for the whole trip
- One night on a Dal Lake houseboat and four nights in a Srinagar hotel, twin sharing
- A one-hour shikara ride on Dal Lake
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- All road tolls, parking and driver costs
What is not
- Flights to and from Srinagar
- Lunches
- The Gulmarg gondola, horse and pony rides, and entry tickets at sightseeing points, all charged at the counter on the day
- Betaab Valley, Chandanwari and Aru Valley entry and local taxi charges where these apply
- Anything personal, and anything not listed under inclusions
Worth knowing before you book
- The gondola, horse rides and pony rides are optional and paid for on the spot, at local rates. We tell you what to expect before you go so there is no surprise at the counter.
- Because you keep the same Srinagar hotel for four nights, this trip has less packing and unpacking than one that changes base every night.
- Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam are each a long day out and back. If you would rather sleep in the mountains instead of driving back each evening, our seven-day trip does that.
Questions
Why stay in Srinagar the whole time instead of in the mountains?
It means one hotel for four nights instead of packing for a new one every day, and it works well if you would rather have a stable base than spend evenings in transit. The trade-off is a longer drive out and back on the Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam days. If you would rather sleep closer to the mountains, ask us about the seven-day trip instead, which spends nights in Gulmarg and Pahalgam directly.
Are the gondola ride and horse rides included?
No. They are optional, run by local operators at fixed rates, and paid for on the day. We will tell you roughly what to budget for each before you travel.
Can we skip Betaab Valley or Aru Valley if we are short on time?
Yes. They are built in as options on the Pahalgam day, not fixed stops. Tell us what you would rather spend the time on and we will adjust the day.
Is this a good trip for families with children?
Yes. The drives are the main thing to plan around, and none of them are longer than what the seven-day trip already involves. The sightseeing days in Srinagar are especially easy on younger children.
Nearby
Other trips through here
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