Kashmir Tourism

Tourist information on Kashmir

Kashmir is known as the crown state of India that offers both rich culture and diversity. Known for Islamic culture, it is an excellent place to visit for the tourists. With plenty of tourist destinations to explore from Kashmir, it is worthy of visiting.

By knowing the right time, you can experience to the beauty of the place in real sense. Also, you can enjoy it if you can visit the place during any of its festivals. The place is famous for its scenic beauty, snow-covered mountains, wildlife, exquisite gardens and many others.

Location

Kashmir is considered the northernmost region on the Indian subcontinent, and it is almost 1730 meters above the sea level.

Best time to visit Kashmir

The time from March to August is suitable to visit Kashmir as you can experience the beauty of the place during the cool weather of the summers in its true sense.

How to reach Kashmir?

• By road –Kashmir is well connected with roads via which you can reach different towns and nearby cities. With 1 – A national highway, it becomes easy to choose roadways when traveling to any other cities from Kashmir. Also, the journey becomes comfortable for the state transport system.
• By railways –To reach Kashmir, the Jammu Tawi railway station is located at a distance of 330 kilometers from the main city.
• By air –The Srinagar airport is 15 kilometers away from the city and it is well connected with other large cities. Therefore, one can avail of airways to reach Kashmir.

Places to visit in Kashmir

1. Srinagar –It is among the beautiful places suitable for boating, water skiing, trekking, bird watching, and many more. The main highlight of Srinagar is the famous Dal Lake, which is a prominence of the state’s culture. This is the first place that none of the travelers should miss out on.
2. Gulmarg –For the snow lovers, this is the perfect place which is called the ‘meadow of flowers.’ It is a complete treat to the eyes to witness the snowcapped mountains from close. This is rightly called as adventurers’ paradise as one can enjoy the mesmerizing view of the place.
3. Sonamarg –The name of the place suggests this as the ‘Meadow of Gold.’To witness an endless stream of beautiful and colorful flowers, this place is the perfect to visit. For snow, October, December and January is the suitable time to visit. The place would top the list of every visitor for its excellent collection of variegated flowers.
4. Pulwama –The place is famously called as the ‘Rice Bowl Of Kashmir.’ This small village in Kashmir shall let the victors know about the actual beauty of the place. Located at 40 kilometers from Kashmir, the weather coupled with the saffron fields are worthy of visiting the place.
5. Pahalgam –To witness heaven on earth, Pahalgam is the place which is 95 kilometers from Srinagar. It is at an altitude of 2740 meters surrounded by forests, lakes, and flowers. The nature lovers are sure to fall in love with the serenity of the place. Though it is a small tiny, you should include visiting this place while you are traveling to Kashmir.

Things to do in Kashmir

1. Shikara Ride in Dal Lake –Never misses out the scope of riding on the traditional wooden boats called Shikara on the Dal Lake in Srinagar. For the best Shikara ride, Dal Lake and Nagin Lake is the suitable one. When floating amidst the blue water, you are sure to enjoy the view of the snowcapped mountains nearby.
2. Gondola Rides at Gulmarg –To enjoy the beauty of snow-covered mountains and the beautiful lakes from above the clouds, the gondola ride at Gulmarg is a must-try one. It is the best eye-pleasing experience to try. Also, one can get bird’s view of the place in the ride.
3. Trek Chadar Lake –To witness the frozen fantasies at its best, trekking in the Chadar Lake is a suitable option. It can be among the toughest trek and an enjoyable one for the adventure lovers. The trek is on the Zanskar River that turns frozen during winters. The elevation at such a height in chilling weather will surely make a lifetime experience.
4. Stay in a House Boat –To get a taste of the raw beauty of nature at Kashmir, try to choose to stay at houseboat on the Dal Lake over the luxurious hotels. This is perfect option for the honeymoon couples. Even if you love to experience off-beat activities, you should not miss out on this one. You can have the view of the water body that lights up due to the stars.
5. A Trip to Shalimar Bagh –This is among the best Mughal Garden in Kashmir that has been built by the Mughal emperor during 1916 AD. It is connected with Dal Lake and one can witness the grandeur of the Himalayan ranges at the back of the garden.

Things not to do in Kashmir

• Never eat at fancy eateries

There is no point in eating in the fancy restaurants in Kashmir as it is better to try Jan bakery. In Srinagar, one should not miss out on trying the fresh bakeries. Some popular bread includes baqer khani, sheermal, lavas and kulcha.

• Do not drink alcohol, instead try Kahwa

Other than drinking alcohol, you can try Kahwa at Ahdoor in Srinagar. This is a type of tea that helps you stay warm for a long time when traveling to Srinagar during cold days.

• Do not walk around in Gulmarg

Instead of walking around in Gulmarg, it is better to opt for horse riding. This will help you make the experience of your lifetime and enjoy the best view of the surrounding place.

Famous Festival celebrated in Kashmir

1. HemisFestival – This festival is celebrated in Hemis Gompa which is known as the largest monastery in Kashmir. The purpose of the celebration is the birth anniversary of Padmasambhava. He is known as the founder of Buddhism in Tibet. This is celebrated in the fourth lunar month of the year.
2. Baisakhi –This festival is celebrated every year in Kashmir on 13^th This date marks the new year of the Sikhs when there is great celebration in the city. It also embarks the start of the harvesting season in India.
3. Tulip Festival –There are plenty of tulip gardens in Kashmir. As Srinagar has the largest tulip garden, it plays as the host of the tulip festival. It offers an excellent view of the garden during the festival time. During the festival, one can get a lot of handicrafts, taste different cuisines and become part of cultural programs.
4. Lohri Festival –This festival is celebrated on the 13^th of January to mark the end of winter and the crop harvest. It starts with the harvest of sugarcane when people dance in bonfire, sing, and eat different delicacies made from corn, jiggery, peanuts and the like.
5. Shikara Festival –The festival takes place on the Dal Lake that started in 2016. The main focus is to promote tourism. Before the festival, the shikaras are beautifully painted. Even different races like Dragon race, canoe polo and the like are conducted on the lake during this time.

Food culture in Kashmir

Visiting Kashmir is not just treating your eyes with an excellent view of the place it is also about indulging in the best Kashmiri cuisine in the city. This includes the aromatic Roghan Josh, famous Kashmiri Dam Aloo, Kashmiri Muji Gaad, including other delicious dishes of the city.