Kashmir Almanac
All guides
50 guides to destinations, weather, getting there, fares, planning and what’s closed. Each one is sourced and shows when it was last checked.
Destinations
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Destination guidePlaces to visit in Kashmir: where to go, how far, and what’s openTwelve destinations with road times from Srinagar and their October 2026 status.
Destination guidePlaces to visit in Srinagar: lakes, gardens and the old cityDal and Nigeen lakes, the Mughal gardens, the old city and what’s closed.
Destination guideGulmarg: what to do, when to go and how to get thereThe Gondola, meadows and ski slopes, 1½–2¼ hours from Srinagar.
Destination guidePahalgam: what’s open, what to see and how to get thereBetaab, Aru and the Lidder, and which spots are still closed.
Destination guideSonamarg: Thajiwas, the Zoji La road and what’s openThajiwas glacier, Baltal and the road to the Zoji La.
Destination guideGurez Valley: road status, permits and how to get thereIs the road over Razdan Pass open, and what ID and permits you need.
Destination guideDoodhpathri and Yusmarg: open or closed, how to get there and when to goReopened on 21 August 2026, why Yusmarg was shut in September, the drive from Srinagar and the rules after snow.
Destination guideBetaab or Aru: which valley to visit from PahalgamTwo valleys near Pahalgam compared: distance, reopening dates and treks.
Destination guideKokernag: the spring, the gardens and the trout farmA spring at the foot of pine hills, a botanical garden and a trout farm, 2¼–3¼ h from Srinagar.
Destination guideVerinag: the Mughal spring at the head of the valleyJahangir’s octagonal spring tank of 1620, at the southern entrance to the Kashmir Valley.
Destination guideAchabal Garden: the Mughal spring garden near AnantnagA Mughal garden fed by a spring, its water running in three channels, 1½–2¼ h from Srinagar.
Destination guideWular Lake: Kashmir’s great freshwater lakeA Ramsar wetland whose size swings with the seasons, the lotus back after three decades, 1¼–2 h from Srinagar.
Destination guideDachigam National Park: closed to tourists in 2026, and what to knowHome of the hangul, 22 km from Srinagar, and closed to tourists under orders that run to 31 December 2026.Weather & seasons
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Weather & seasonsKashmir weather, month by month30-year averages for Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam, month by month.
Weather & seasonsThe best time to visit Kashmir, by what you want to seeBy goal: snow, tulips, high valleys, dry weather or quieter search months.
Weather & seasonsSnowfall in Kashmir: when and where it snows, month by monthFirst snow on the peaks from late August; in Srinagar any time from November to February.Weather & seasonsSrinagar weather: what each month is likeThirty years of station records: 7.1°C January days, 30.0°C in July, and when it snows.
Weather & seasonsGulmarg weather: snow, cold and the ski season, month by monthJanuary nights of −7.7°C, twice Srinagar’s rain and snow, and ski courses from 20 December.
Weather & seasonsPahalgam weather: temperatures, snow and when to go, month by monthJanuary nights of −6.1°C, snow from October in 2025–26, and nights that can be colder than Gulmarg’s.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in winter: snow, cold, roads and what stays openBelow-freezing nights, snow on no fixed date, and the roads and flights that stop.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in January: snow, cold, roads and what’s openThe coldest month: Chillai Kalan, Gulmarg’s ski season, snow on no fixed date and the roads that shut.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in February: snow, skiing, roads and what’s openWinter’s last month and its wettest: ski courses all month, Chillai Khurd, and snow that has ranged from heavy to almost none.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in March: weather, late snow, blossom and roadsThe wettest month: almond blossom, the Tulip Garden opening and snow still on the passes.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in April: weather, tulips and late snowSpring weather, the tulip peak, late snow on the passes and crowds.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in May: weather, roads and what to expectWarm days, fewer wet ones, and the high roads starting to open.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in June: weather, roads, crowds and pilgrimagesWarm, mostly dry days in Srinagar, thunder in the hills, Kheer Bhawani and the run-up to the Amarnath Yatra.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in July: weather, monsoon rain and Yatra roadsThe warmest month: Yatra convoy rules on the Pahalgam and Sonamarg roads, and monsoon spells that can shut the highway.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in October: weather, autumn colour, snow and roadsThe driest month: clear days, cold nights, saffron and chinars, and the first snow shutting the high roads.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in November: weather, snow, roads and what’s openDry days, freezing nights in the hills, the last chinar colours, early snow on no fixed date and roads that start to shut.
Weather & seasonsKashmir in December: weather, snow, roads and what’s openCold nights, a chance of snow, Chillai Kalan and which roads close.
Weather & seasonsSrinagar Tulip Garden 2027: dates, tickets and the best time to goWhen it may open, peak bloom, tickets and timings, based on 2026.Getting there
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Getting thereDelhi to Kashmir: train, flight or road?No direct train: change at Jammu Tawi or Katra (about 12–14½ h), fly in about 1½ h, or drive about 800 km.
Getting thereJammu to Srinagar: train, road, bus or flight?Train in about 4 h 50 min, flights in 45 min, or 270–290 km of highway that closes after landslides and snow.
Getting thereVande Bharat to Srinagar: timings, fares and how to bookTwo trains a day from Jammu Tawi via Katra (one on Tuesdays and Wednesdays), about 4 h 50 min, from ₹855 as reported.
Getting thereSrinagar airport: getting to the city, security and winter delays14 km from the city, pre-paid taxis outside arrivals, and the snow days that ground flights.
Getting thereSrinagar to Leh by road: the Zoji La, distances, permits and when it’s open434 km over the Zoji La and Fotu La: when the pass closes, permits and the tunnel due in 2028.Fares & tickets
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Fares & ticketsSrinagar taxi fares to Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg2026 operator fares to Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and the airport.
Fares & ticketsDal Lake shikara ride price: the official ratesThe official rate card for Dal and Nigeen, and what operators charge.
Fares & ticketsSrinagar houseboat prices: categories, published rates and booking safelyThe owners’ association rate card by category, what it includes, and how to book safely.
Fares & ticketsGulmarg Gondola: ticket prices, phases and bookingBoth phases, 2026 fares as reported, official and Tatkal booking.Planning
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PlanningHow many days do you need in Kashmir?What fits in 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 days, worked out from road times.
PlanningKashmir itinerary: 3, 5 and 7 days, day by day3, 5 and 7-day plans with bases, road times and the closures on each route.
PlanningGulmarg, Pahalgam or Sonamarg: which should you visit?Road time, fares, weather and closures, side by side.
PlanningAmarnath Yatra 2027: dates, registration and rules2027 dates aren’t out yet. How registration, the health certificate and routes worked in 2026.Safety & access
See all 2Safety & accessIs Kashmir safe to visit now? What the official advice saysGovernment advice word for word, the closures, and tourist numbers since 2025.
Safety & accessKashmir places closed to tourists: the full listAll 30 places on the official July 2026 closed list, district by district, and what reopened.Culture & food
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Culture & foodKashmiri food: what people eat every day, and what to tryBakery breads and pink noon chai, vegetarian and Pandit dishes, winter harissa and the saffron of Pampore.
Culture & foodWazwan: Kashmir’s feast, its dishes and how it is servedThe seven core dishes, the copper trami shared by four, table customs, prices and where to try it.
Culture & foodHazratbal Shrine: visiting Srinagar’s shrine of the holy relicThe Waqf Board shrine on Dal Lake: relic display days, visiting rules, hours and how to get there.
Culture & foodKheer Bhawani: the Ragnya Devi temple at TulmullaThe Ragnya Devi temple in its spring at Tulmulla, 40–55 min from Srinagar. Mela dates, offerings and visiting.