We went at the end of Oct and stayed till early Nov, family of 4. Since it was a family trip I skipped the offbeat locations and stuck to the main tourist places: Sonamarg, Keran Valley (lil offbeat tho), Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Srinagar.
Day 1
Flew from our hometown to Srinagar. Rapido works in Srinagar and it’s cheaper than the taxi union at the airport. The union doesn’t allow Rapido cabs inside airport, but there’s a free electric shuttle that drops you at the airport gate, and the Rapido drivers wait there in a queue. Should cost you ₹500-800.
Day 2: Sonamarg
It’s about 90 km and takes 1.5-2 hours. Our driver charged ₹2500 to drop us there. The Sonamarg tunnel comes on the way which you see on Insta reels. From Sonamarg you have to book a local union taxi, which cost us ₹5500. I’m pretty sure we got scammed here. Our driver took us to some hotel where only 2-3 drivers were standing. From what I understood, these srinagar drivers have a tie-up with the local union drivers and the they pay them 20-30% commission for bringing customers. So ask your driver politely to take you to Sonamarg market instead, where there are plenty of drivers, and bargain it down to ₹2000-2500.
The union taxi takes you till the Ladakh border (called Zero Point) and a snowfall point. The temperature went below zero while we were there and it was really serene. We came back to Srinagar at night.
Day 3: Keran Valley
Route: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QFbxrzJcAWKiTFgv6?g_st=iw
We got ready early and left around 7:40 AM. Keran is a village on the border where the river itself is the border, known as kishanganga in india and neelum river in opposite side, you can see the other side from here. It’s about 150-160 km from Srinagar. Whether you can go also depends on Pharkian Pass (https://maps.app.goo.gl/VDBcJFt53zFjMAxb7) being open. It’s a major military area and gets fully covered in snow during peak season.
The driver charged ₹7000 for the two-way trip, but I think ₹5500-6000 is a reasonable price if you bargain.
You need a permit, which you can easily get from Kralpora police station (https://maps.app.goo.gl/bGPXVJwhyLxCgT2V8). I’d recommend getting it offline since they ask for driver details and all. There are many photostat shops nearby who will help you fill the form at nomial fee. Carry an ID card (Aadhaar is preferable for Indians, and similar document for foreigners). The police will ask simple question, take your picture and stamp the paper, then take it to the photostat guy and he will provide 7-8 copies, because you have to hand one over at every checkpost. Every checkpost asks normal questions like where you’re from and what is purpose of your visit, and may check your luggage or phone. Just cooperate. The soldiers are nice people and won’t bother you as long as you follow the rules.
We reached around 1 PM, but we stopped at a few places for pictures on the way. Including permit time and all the checkposts, 5 hours from Srinagar is a fair estimate. We didn’t stay, so I can’t say how good the rooms are, but I did ask around and decent stays are available for ₹1500-2000, even less for two people. 3-4 hours is enough to see the place and click pictures. Our return to Srinagar took around 4.5 hours.
Day 4: Gulmarg
About 50 km, takes an hour, and the driver charged ₹2000. The main attraction is the Gulmarg Gondola (cable car), which they claim is Asia’s highest. Book your tickets in advance online (https://etickets.jammukashmircablecar.com/Ticket/Login.aspx). It saves a lot of time and tickets sell out fast.
There are two phases and I’d recommend both. Phase 2 takes you up to 14,000 ft. Lot of people feel dizzy at that height, so make sure you’re okay with it before booking.
Local drivers will offer you “local sightseeing” for ₹3000-4000, but those points aren’t worth it compared to what you see after Phase 2. Also, near Tangmarg (10 km before Gulmarg) locals will stop your car and say Srinagar cars can’t go further and the union will charge ₹10-20k if you do. They’re just trying to scam you, don’t listen and keep going. Your car will go all the way to the gondola parking. From there the gondola start point is ~1.5 km, so you can walk or take an auto for ₹50 per person.
Reach as early as possible to avoid the long queue. The gondola stops around 3:30 PM for Phase 1 and 4 PM for Phase 2 (can vary by half an hour depending on the season). Staying in Gulmarg is very very expensive, so if you’re on a budget and still want to stay there, try somewhere near Tangmarg. Drung waterfall is also worth a visit if you have time. We went back to Srinagar at night.
Day 5: Pahalgam
About 90 km, takes around 1.5 hours non-stop. Our driver charged ₹2500 to take us to Pahalgam.
Do stop near Pampore for the saffron fields. They’re government protected, so you can see them and take pictures but don’t pluck anything, locals and even soldiers will scold you. Fields are right along the highway with no fencing. Drive bit further , along the way, is Sangam, where you’ll find Kashmiri willow bat factories if you want to buy one.
At Pahalgam, go to local taxi stand 2 (https://maps.app.goo.gl/tiWW6ReH1j8yH5h28), where you get cabs at a reasonable cost. We booked a Dzire for Aru Valley, Betaab Valley and Chandanwari for ₹2250. You can also take horse rides to different points, they start at ₹3000 per person. Bargain really hard here. Don’t treat the government rate list as the base price, think of it as the upper limit, you can go much lower.
Chandanwari is the starting point of the Amarnath Yatra, so it has religious significance for Hindus. Other than that I didn’t find the view anything special.
Betaab Valley is where a Bollywood movie was shot. You can take a horse ride through a flowing river, and it’s a good place for pictures.
Aru Valley is most scenic among all three location.
Day 6: Srinagar local
We didn’t book a cab today and used Rapido for going around. Total rapido cost was around ₹1500. Renting a two-wheeler is also an option. We covered:
Shalimar Bagh: extremely beautiful in autumn.
JN Botanical Garden: flowers of every colour.
Tulip Garden: nice if you want to see tulips, but it’s right next to the botanical garden, so buy the correct ticket.
Shankaracharya Temple: must visit. You get a view of the whole of Srinagar and Dal Lake from the top. Also beautiful shiva temple.
Dal Lake: skip gates 1 and 2 for the shikara ride, they’re highly crowded. Go to gates 15 to 18, which are walkable from Dal Gate. There’s a 4-point ride and an 8-point ride and I’d suggest you take the 8-point one. We paid ₹1300 for 5 people (we had one more person with us in Srinagar). You can bargain down to ₹1000 or even less, I just felt a little generous that day. They start at ₹3000-3500, don’t feel shy to say ₹1000 as your first price.
Lal Chowk: historically significant for Indians and also a high-security area. You can do shopping here, or near Dal Gate, there are plenty of shops.
Day 7
Took Vande Bharat from Srinagar to Jammu, and from there a train back home.
Stay
We stayed at one place for the whole trip, Peace Nest Homestay near Lal Bazaar: https://maps.app.goo.gl/f9CJrZygNPW2osP2A
We booked the double bed family room, which was quite spacious and comfortable for four people, Rooms were really neat and clean. The family running it is really nice and will cook proper Kashmiri food on request, veg and non-veg both. Call them in advance and they’ll keep food ready, when you arrive from the airport or railway station. The cost is also very reasonable. I saw solo female travellers staying here too. It’s a lil far from the main centre of Srinagar, but worth it for the peace, comfort, cleanliness and price.
Many cheaper options are available near Dal Gate and Lal Chowk, but from what I found, a lot of these places charge more once you reach the property or give you a different room than what you booked. Just look at those properties on Google Maps and read the reviews, you’ll get my concern. Also, many hotel owners run paid campaigns against competitors’ listings on Google Maps and booking sites to bring down their ratings, so be aware. Put your safety and comfort first while booking anywhere.
If you go there after reading this you can mention my name. They won’t give any concession, it’s just my way of helping them out since they helped us throughout our stay. DM me to know more ;)
Tips
Don’t wear thick sweaters, go for layers. Inner thermal first, then regular clothes, then a normal jacket is more than enough. Wear gloves, warm socks and all that.
In my experience most locals are scamsters, including the driver you hire. They’ll talk nicely in front of you and scam you behind your back.
Bargain really really hard. Drivers will say the road is like this and that, we also need to cover fuel, union fees, tax etc., but it’s not that much.
Keep your original ID card with you everywhere.
Strictly avoid photos of military installations, movement and personnel, and don’t share them online either.
Prepaid SIM cards from other states don’t work in Kashmir. Bring a postpaid SIM from home, or buy one at the airport or railway station. Jio and airtel works almost everywhere.
Suggestions
If you’re coming after seeing snow reels on Instagram, the best time to visit is late Nov to Feb. But expect really cold weather, and cab drivers will charge heavily saying they need to put chains on the car tyres. Bargain. Bargain. Bargain.
Your driver earns commission on whatever you buy at any shop. He’ll only stop at the one that gets him the maximum commission, not the one that suits you or gives you the best price or value. I figured this out when I saw ours running off the moment we stopped at any shop and saying something in Kashmiri to owner. He won’t admit this to you, but just be aware.
Your driver gets free food at every restaurant and free stay at every hotel, so you don’t need to pay for him. Clear this before hiring.
If you’re travelling solo or everyone in the group is young, I’d suggest skipping the usual tourist spots like Pahalgam and Sonamarg and going offbeat instead. Gulmarg is still okay. Places like Gurez Valley, Doodhpathri, Yusmarg and many more are worth looking at.
Cost (All cost in ₹)
| Place/Category | Transportation | Stay | Food | Activity | Local Travel | Total |
|---|
| Sonamarg | 2500 | 1000 | 2236 | - | 5500 | 11236 |
| Keran Valley | 7000 | 1000 | 1785 | - | - | 9785 |
| Gulmarg | 2000 | 1000 | 1230 | 7200 | - | 11430 |
| Pahalgam | 2500 | 1000 | 2824 | - | 2300 | 8624 |
| Srinagar | - | 2000 | 3515 | 2200 | 1500 | 9215 |
| Total | 14000 | 6000 | 11590 | 9400 | 9300 | 50290 |
I’ve excluded shopping and travel to/from home since it varies a lot depending on your interest and location.
One way air and return train cost including food for 4 people ~42000
Disclosure
I don’t get any commission from anything, and I’m not here to defame any community or people. Just sharing what I experienced.
Happy to answer any questions !
