Kashmir places closed to tourists: the full list

You may have seen a list saying “48 places closed” or “everything reopens by May”. Both are out of date. The 48 figure comes from April 2025, when authorities shut 48 to 50 of the valley’s 87 tourist destinations, according to the Kashmir Observer. In February 2026 the Chief Minister said, “I want to tell you all these destinations will reopen till May”, the Kashmir Observer reported. That did not happen in full: the July list below is the latest we found, and in late September 2026 The Wire reported that “several high-altitude lakes and trekking routes remain closed”.

The full list, by district

This is the official list “as on 07-07-2026”, published with the Anantnag district notice, whose end date is 31 December 2026. Names are given as the list spells them. No reason is published for each site.

Source: the official list of closed tourist destinations as on 07-07-2026 (PDF, 30 entries), linked from the Anantnag notice (end date 31/12/2026), read on 23 October 2026. Kulgam’s list (updated 8 July 2026) and The Wire’s report of 15 July 2026 match it.

The Kashmir Great Lakes trek in 2026

The Kashmir Great Lakes circuit, including Vishansar, Gadsar and Gangabal, was among the trek routes that stayed closed as of June 2026. On 31 August 2026 the Lieutenant Governor ordered the Naranag–Gangabal trek reopened, according to the Kashmir Observer. But on 28 September The Wire reported that when its reporter sought permission for the Gangbal Lake trek from the Army, police and civil administration, “permission was denied by the concerned offices”; the Deputy Commissioner of Ganderbal accepted the application and said he would update the applicant after consulting the relevant agencies. Treat Gangbal as unconfirmed until you hold written permission, and check the 2027 position before you plan a trek.

Around Pahalgam

• Baisaran, the meadow where the attack of 22 April 2025 took place, is on the Anantnag list of closed places as on 7 July 2026.
• Chandanwari and Tulian Lake are on the same list.
• Betaab Valley reopened on 17 June 2025, and Aru Valley reopened on 29 September 2025; see the Pahalgam guide.

What has reopened

Closures have eased in stages. The reopening dates we could trace:

1. 17 Jun 2025
   Betaab Valley, the parks near Pahalgam market, the Verinag, Kokernag and Achabal gardens and three Srinagar parks reopened, PTI reported.
2. 29 Sep 2025
   Twelve more were ordered reopened from this date, including Aru Valley, Rafting Point Yanner, Akkad Park, Padshahi Park and Kaman Post, according to The Tribune. That day the administration “threw open” seven of them, including Aru Valley, PTI reported.
3. Feb 2026
   The Lieutenant Governor ordered more spots reopened, including Yousmarg, Doodhpathri, Dandipora Park (Kokernag), Peer Ki Gali, Dubjan, Padpawan, Astanpora, the Tulip Garden, Thajwas Glacier near Sonamarg, Hung Park, and Wullar and Watlab, Outlook Traveller reported.
4. 7 Jul 2026
   The official list of closed destinations was updated again, with an end date of 31 December 2026.

What happens on 31 December 2026

The list’s end date is 31 December 2026. The closures could be lifted sooner, or renewed when it lapses. We will re-check every row between 2 and 9 January 2027 and update this page and its date. Until then, treat any row as unconfirmed after 31 December. The Go Kashmir app flags each closed place on its place card, with the date it was checked.

Closure questions