Kashmir Almanac · checked 31 Oct 2026
Plan Kashmir with facts that are checked and dated
What’s open, what it costs, how long the roads take and what the weather does, for Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Gurez. Every fact has a source and a date.
Dal Lake, Srinagar. Photo: Suhail Skindar Sofi, CC BY-SA 4.0
Latest checks
Closures · 24 Oct 2026Tosamaidan, Bungus and Daksum are among the sites closed to tourists under district orders valid to 31 Dec 2026. Roads · 23 Oct 2026Snow shut the Gurez road on 15 Oct 2026. Later that day it reopened one way, Bandipora to Gurez. We found no later report by 23 Oct. Tickets · 24 Oct 2026The Gulmarg Gondola is reported to close for maintenance on the second and fourth Monday of each month.Destinations
Where to go in Kashmir
Five places most trips are built around, each with its own guide: what to do, when to go, how to get there and what’s closed. See all destinations.
Road times are estimates from the Go Kashmir app, as of 31 Oct 2026. Snow and traffic can add a lot.
This month in Kashmir
October
October is the driest month at Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
Kashmir in OctoberAverages for 1991–2020 from the WMO climate normals for the IMD stations. A typical month, not a forecast.
When to go
Kashmir by season
Temperatures are 1991–2020 averages from the WMO climate normals for Srinagar and Gulmarg. See every month.
December to FebruaryWinterSrinagar averages 7.1°C by day in January and −1.9°C at night. Gulmarg is the snow and ski base.
March to MaySpringTulip season in Srinagar: the 2026 garden opened on 16 March. March is Srinagar’s wettest month.
June to AugustSummerSrinagar’s July average high is 30.0°C; Gulmarg’s is 21.1°C. The 2026 Amarnath Yatra ran 3 July to 28 August.
September to NovemberAutumnOctober is Srinagar’s driest month: 21.8 mm of rain on about 2 wet days, on 1991–2020 averages.Plan the trip
Getting there, fares, days and closures
Weather & seasons
- Weather month by month30-year averages for Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam, month by month.
- Best time to visitBy goal: snow, tulips, high valleys, dry weather or quieter search months.
- Snowfall in KashmirFirst snow on the peaks from late August; in Srinagar any time from November to February.
- Srinagar weatherThirty years of station records: 7.1°C January days, 30.0°C in July, and when it snows.
Getting there
- Delhi to KashmirNo direct train: change at Jammu Tawi or Katra (about 12–14½ h), fly in about 1½ h, or drive about 800 km.
- Jammu to SrinagarTrain in about 4 h 50 min, flights in 45 min, or 270–290 km of highway that closes after landslides and snow.
- Vande Bharat to SrinagarTwo trains a day from Jammu Tawi via Katra (one on Tuesdays and Wednesdays), about 4 h 50 min, from ₹855 as reported.
- Srinagar airport14 km from the city, pre-paid taxis outside arrivals, and the snow days that ground flights.
Fares & tickets
- Srinagar taxi fares2026 operator fares to Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and the airport.
- Shikara ride pricesThe official rate card for Dal and Nigeen, and what operators charge.
- Houseboat pricesThe owners’ association rate card by category, what it includes, and how to book safely.
- Gulmarg Gondola ticketsBoth phases, 2026 fares as reported, official and Tatkal booking.
Planning
- How many days you needWhat fits in 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 days, worked out from road times.
- Kashmir itinerary, day by day3, 5 and 7-day plans with bases, road times and the closures on each route.
- Gulmarg, Pahalgam or Sonamarg?Road time, fares, weather and closures, side by side.
- Amarnath Yatra 20272027 dates aren’t out yet. How registration, the health certificate and routes worked in 2026.
Culture & food
- Kashmiri foodBakery breads and pink noon chai, vegetarian and Pandit dishes, winter harissa and the saffron of Pampore.
- WazwanThe seven core dishes, the copper trami shared by four, table customs, prices and where to try it.
- Hazratbal ShrineThe Waqf Board shrine on Dal Lake: relic display days, visiting rules, hours and how to get there.
- Kheer BhawaniThe Ragnya Devi temple in its spring at Tulmulla, 40–55 min from Srinagar. Mela dates, offerings and visiting.
The app
Take these facts with you in Go Kashmir
A free trip planner for Kashmir from the same maker. It shows what’s open, how long each drive takes and when every detail was last checked.
- 133 places, each with its season, road time from Srinagar, entry and permit notes
- Closed places flagged with the order behind the closure and its date
- Trip plans for 3, 5, 7 or 12 days, or a day out that gets you back before dark
- A 4-day forecast for every place
On iPhone: add it to your Home Screen
- Open Go Kashmir in Safari.
- Tap the Page Menu button, then Share. If your tabs are at the top or bottom of the screen, tap Share.
- Scroll down, tap Add to Home Screen, then tap Add.
Steps from Apple’s iPhone User Guide, checked 23 Oct 2026.
Android app on Google Play. On iPhone and computers it runs in the browser. No sign-up.
How we work
Every fact, sourced and dated
Sourced
Facts come from named sources: district orders, the Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India, WMO climate normals, official fare notices and dated news reports. Each guide links them.
Dated
Every guide shows the day it was last checked, and time-sensitive facts carry their own date, because closures, fares and roads change.
Independent
No paid placements or sponsored picks. Where sources disagree, as they do on some fares, the guide shows both.
