Planning
Kashmir itinerary: 3, 5 and 7 days, day by day
Day-by-day Kashmir itineraries for 3, 5 and 7 days: where to sleep, road times for every leg, Gondola hours and what’s closed on each route.
The simplest Kashmir itinerary keeps Srinagar as home. Three days covers the city’s lakes and Mughal gardens, with day outs to Gulmarg and Sonamarg. Five days adds a loop south: out past the Martand Sun Temple, two nights in Pahalgam, and back through Achabal’s garden. Seven days, for a first visit, uses two bases, four nights in Srinagar and two in Pahalgam, with a spare day for weather or a Gondola closure. Each plan below gives the road time for every leg and where you sleep, and starts with the closed places on its route, such as Baisaran near Pahalgam.
In this guide8 sections
At a glance
- 3 days
- One base, Srinagar; Gulmarg and Sonamarg as day outs
- 5 days
- A loop: Srinagar, Martand, two nights in Pahalgam, back via Achabal
- 7 days
- Two bases: 4 nights in Srinagar, 2 in Pahalgam
- Longest leg
- Srinagar to Pahalgam, 2½–3½ h app estimate
- Gulmarg Gondola
- Boarding from 8:30 am; shut 2nd and 4th Mondays JKCCC
- Closed near the routes
- Baisaran, Chandanwari, Tulian Lake, Babareshi to 31 Dec 2026
Not sure how long to stay? How many days you need in Kashmir weighs 3 to 10 days. This page gives the day-by-day plans. They are our suggestions, built on the road times below and the closures above; every plan starts and ends in Srinagar. Getting there: Srinagar airport and Jammu to Srinagar.
The road times these plans use
| Leg | Estimated drive |
|---|---|
| Srinagar to Dal Lake | 20–25 min |
| Srinagar to Nishat Bagh | 25–35 min |
| Srinagar to Shalimar Bagh | 30–40 min |
| Srinagar to Gulmarg | 1½–2¼ h |
| Srinagar to Doodhpathri | 1½–2 h |
| Srinagar to Sonamarg | 2–3 h |
| Srinagar to Martand Sun Temple | 1¾–2½ h |
| Martand Sun Temple to Pahalgam | 1–1½ h |
| Srinagar to Pahalgam | 2½–3½ h |
| Pahalgam to Betaab Valley | 15–20 min |
| Pahalgam to Achabal Garden | 1¼–1¾ h |
| Achabal Garden to Srinagar | 1½–2¼ h |
Estimated road times by the Go Kashmir app as of 24 October 2026. They are estimates, not measured drives; traffic, snow and roadworks can add time. “Srinagar” is the city centre.
3-day Kashmir itinerary from a Srinagar base
You sleep in Srinagar all three nights and go out and back each day. On this route: four sites the closed list names with Tangmarg, including Babareshi, are closed to tourists under orders that run to 31 December 2026, and Thajwas Glacier at Sonamarg is ordered reopened but not confirmed open. Arrive the evening before day 1, or fly out the morning after day 3.
Day 1 · Dal Lake and the Mughal gardens
- Morning: a shikara on Dal Lake, 20–25 min from the city centre. The Tourism Department fixed the rate at ₹700 an hour for three kilometres, with ₹400 for every extra hour, in June 2023, Greater Kashmir reported. More in Dal Lake shikara prices.
- Late morning to afternoon: the gardens along the lake. Nishat Bagh (25–35 min from the centre) and Shalimar Bagh (30–40 min) are listed by Incredible India as open 9 am to 7 pm; and Pari Mahal (25–35 min) 9:30 am to 7:30 pm (undated pages, read 24 October 2026). Chashme Shahi, “the royal spring” in the district’s words, is 20–30 min from the centre; we found no official hours for it.
- More on each garden: places to visit in Srinagar.
Day 2 · Gulmarg and the Gondola
- Go early: Gulmarg is 1½–2¼ h each way. The hour-by-hour plan is below.
- Book ahead: in October 2026 the J&K Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) said online booking is open up to 120 days in advance. Fares are in Gulmarg Gondola tickets.
- Check the date: the Gondola is closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month, so don’t put this day on one of them.
Day 3 · Sonamarg
- Drive: 2–3 h each way, so about 4–6 hours on the road. Leaving at 7 am puts you there between about 9 and 10.
- There: Sonamarg means “meadow of gold”, says the Ganderbal district administration, which also says ponies can be hired for the trip up to the Thajiwas glacier. The glacier is ordered reopened but not confirmed open (see the closures box), so ask in Sonamarg before you hire a pony. See the Sonamarg guide.
- If the Sonamarg road is shut by snow: go to Doodhpathri instead, 1½–2 h each way. It reopened on 21 August 2026 after a weather closure, the Kashmir Observer reported; see Doodhpathri.
The Gulmarg day, hour by hour
- 6:15 amLeave Srinagar. At 1½–2¼ hours, you reach Gulmarg between about 7:45 and 8:30.
- 8:30 amPhase 1 boarding starts, and Phase 2 at 9:15, under a JKCCC advisory shown from 21 October 2026. It advises forenoon-slot ticket holders to board between 8:30 and 10:30 am, “when waiting time is minimal”. Keep to the slot on your ticket.
- 3:30 pmBoarding entry “shall strictly close”, says a JKCCC notice shown since 13 July 2026.
- 5:00 pmThe last return from the Gondola. Driving back takes 1½–2¼ hours, so you reach Srinagar between about 6:30 and 7:15 pm.
The two JKCCC notices differ on the start: the July notice says boarding entry begins at 8 am, the October advisory 8:30 am. Both were on the corporation’s notices page on 24 October 2026.
5-day Kashmir itinerary: a loop south to Pahalgam
Two nights in Srinagar, two in Pahalgam, and a different road out and back. On this route: Baisaran, Chandanwari and Tulian Lake near Pahalgam are closed to tourists under orders that run to 31 December 2026, and so are Daksum and Sinthan Top, 1–1½ and 2–2¾ hours by road from Kokernag. Day 2 is the Gulmarg day from the 3-day plan.
Day 1 · Arrive, and Srinagar’s old city
- Afternoon: the old city, which Incredible India calls “a labyrinth of narrow lanes, ancient mosques, and bustling bazaars”. The Jamia Masjid is 10–15 min from the centre, the Shah Hamdan shrine (Khanqah-e-Moula) 5–10 min and Hari Parbat, which the district site places “on the west of Dal Lake”, 10–15 min.
- Evening: an hour on Dal Lake by shikara (rates on day 1 of the 3-day plan).
- Sleep: Srinagar.
Day 2 · Gulmarg
- The Gulmarg day from the 3-day plan, leaving at 6:15 am. Sleep in Srinagar.
Day 3 · To Pahalgam by the Martand Sun Temple
- Srinagar to the Martand Sun Temple: 1¾–2½ h. Incredible India describes an 8th-century temple “dedicated to Surya”, “conceived and funded by Lalitaditya Muktapida”, and “currently abandoned due to deterioration”.
- Martand to Pahalgam: 1–1½ h, so about 2¾–4 hours of driving in all.
- Sleep: Pahalgam. See the Pahalgam guide.
Day 4 · Pahalgam: Betaab and Aru
- Betaab Valley, 15–20 min from town, reopened on 17 June 2025 with the parks near Pahalgam market, PTI reported.
- Aru Valley, 35–45 min from town, was among seven spots the administration “threw open” on 29 September 2025, PTI reported in The Tribune. Both are compared in Betaab vs Aru.
- Taxis: in 2024 the High Court ordered that no taxi may run from Pahalgam to Aru, Betaab, Chandanwari and other spots without a valid permit for that route, Kashmir Life reported. Your Srinagar taxi may not be allowed to take you, so ask before you book.
- Sleep: Pahalgam.
Day 5 · Back to Srinagar by Achabal
- Pahalgam to Achabal Garden: 1¼–1¾ h. The garden reopened on 17 June 2025 (PTI). See Achabal Garden.
- Achabal to Srinagar: 1½–2¼ h, so about 2¾–4 hours of driving in all.
- Adding Kokernag turns the last leg into 3–4¼ hours (45 min–1 h to Kokernag, then 2¼–3¼ h to Srinagar). See the Kokernag guide.
- Sleep: Srinagar, or fly out if your flight allows.
7-day Kashmir itinerary for a first visit, with two bases
Four nights in Srinagar, then two in Pahalgam. On this route: the closures of both plans above apply, and Yousmarg, in Budgam district like Doodhpathri, is shut (see the box at the top). Days 1 to 3 are the 3-day plan; day 4 is your spare day.
Days 1 to 3 · Srinagar, Gulmarg and Sonamarg
- Day 1 Dal Lake and the gardens, day 2 Gulmarg, day 3 Sonamarg, as in the 3-day plan. Sleep in Srinagar.
- If day 2 falls on the 2nd or 4th Monday of the month, when the Gondola is shut, swap days 2 and 3.
Day 4 · The spare day
- If the Gondola or the Sonamarg road was shut, move that day out here.
- If not, choose one: the old city as on day 1 of the 5-day plan, with Hazratbal, 20–30 min from the centre, a shrine “housing a relic believed to be the hair of the prophet Muhammad” in Incredible India’s words (see Hazratbal Shrine); or Doodhpathri, 1½–2 h each way, if Sonamarg was your day 3.
- Sleep: Srinagar.
Day 5 · Straight to Pahalgam
- Srinagar to Pahalgam: 2½–3½ h. Leaving at 9 am gets you there between about 11:30 am and 12:30 pm.
- Afternoon: the town and the parks near Pahalgam market, which reopened on 17 June 2025 (PTI).
- Sleep: Pahalgam.
Day 6 · Betaab Valley and the Martand Sun Temple
- Morning: Betaab Valley, 15–20 min each way, with a Pahalgam taxi (see day 4 of the 5-day plan).
- Afternoon: the Martand Sun Temple, 1–1½ h each way from Pahalgam.
- Sleep: Pahalgam.
Day 7 · Back to Srinagar
- Pahalgam to Srinagar: 2½–3½ h. Allow for that before an afternoon flight.
Where you sleep on each plan
| Plan | Nights | Bases |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | 3 | Srinagar every night |
| 5 days | 4 | Srinagar 2, Pahalgam 2; back to Srinagar on day 5 |
| 7 days | 6 | Srinagar 4, Pahalgam 2; back to Srinagar on day 7 |
In Srinagar you can stay in a hotel or on a houseboat: rates are in Srinagar houseboat prices. No plan sleeps in Gulmarg or Sonamarg, because both work as day outs from Srinagar at 1½–2¼ and 2–3 hours each way. Pahalgam, at 2½–3½ hours, would mean 5–7 hours of driving in a day, which is why the longer plans stay there. Which of the three to favour is in Gulmarg vs Pahalgam vs Sonamarg.
How the plans change with the season
Winter
December–February
- Snow shuts roads. On 27 January 2026, amid fresh snow, a traffic department official said “Mughal Road, SSG Road and Sinthan Road are already closed”, IANS reported. The SSG road is the Srinagar–Sonamarg–Gumri road, which “connects Kashmir with Kargil in Ladakh”. The same day, Greater Kashmir reported from Ganderbal that heavy snow had closed it and that slippery conditions forced police to halt Sonamarg-bound vehicles at Chinnar Wussan.
- Sonamarg: the Sonamarg tunnel, opened in January 2025, gives “all-weather connectivity between Sonamarg and Gagangeer”, News On Air reported. Check the day’s road status before the Sonamarg day.
- Not on these plans: the Mughal Road “remains closed during the winter months”, News On Air reported in February 2026. More in Kashmir in winter.
Spring
March–May
- Tulip Garden: add it to the Srinagar day. In 2026 it opened on 16 March, News On Air reported; the 2027 date was not announced as of 24 October 2026. It is 20–30 min from the centre. See Srinagar Tulip Garden.
- Badamwari, 15–20 min from the centre, is known for “the early bloom of flowers on Almond trees”, says the district site; it reopened on 17 June 2025 (PTI).
Summer
June–August
- Amarnath Yatra: in 2026 it ran from 3 July to 28 August, News On Air reported. The 2027 dates were not announced as of 24 October 2026; see Amarnath Yatra.
- Yatra traffic rules, 2026: no tourist vehicle could leave Pahalgam towards Srinagar after 3:30 pm, Sonamarg towards Srinagar after 4 pm, or Gulmarg towards Srinagar after 5 pm, and tourists were advised to travel in the Valley only between 7 am and 6 pm, Kashmir Life reported from the Traffic Police advisory for 2 July to 28 August 2026. If similar rules apply in 2027, plan to leave Sonamarg and Pahalgam before these cut-offs.
Autumn
September–November
- Gondola: JKCCC’s notice of 17 September 2026 said both phases would resume “from tomorrow” after the Annual Inspection 2026. The 8:30 am boarding advisory dates from 21 October 2026.
- Early snow on high roads: snow shut the Gurez road on 15 October 2026, and later that day it reopened one way, Bandipora to Gurez, Kashmir News Service reported. Gurez is not on these plans; see the Gurez guide.
Build your own version
These three plans are fixed. To fit one to your dates, open “Plan a trip” in the Go Kashmir app: choose 3, 5, 7 or 12 days, the month you travel and “First visit” or “Been before”, and it builds the days with bases and day trips, leaving out places that are closed.
Itinerary questions
What is the best itinerary for a first trip to Kashmir?
With a week, the 7-day plan: four nights in Srinagar with Gulmarg and Sonamarg as day outs, then two nights in Pahalgam. With less time, the 3-day plan from Srinagar.
Can I do Pahalgam as a day trip from Srinagar?
You can, but at 2½–3½ hours each way it means 5–7 hours of driving. The 5- and 7-day plans spend two nights there instead.
Can I visit Baisaran?
No. Baisaran is on the official list of places closed to tourists, under orders that run to 31 December 2026. Betaab Valley and Aru are the valleys near Pahalgam that the plans use.
Which day should I go to Gulmarg?
Any day except the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, when JKCCC closes the Gondola for maintenance. Book your slot online first.
Should I stay in one place or move hotels?
For three days, stay in Srinagar: Gulmarg and Sonamarg are day outs. From five days, add Pahalgam nights, because the round trip from Srinagar is 5–7 hours.
Is there a 4-day version?
Use the 3-day plan and add the spare day from the 7-day plan. How many days you need compares 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 days.
Sources
- Go Kashmir app, estimated road times for each leg, 24 Oct 2026. The day plans are our suggestions built on these times.
- Anantnag district administration, Details of closed Tourist Destinations as on 07-07-2026 (notice, start 7 Jul 2026, end 31 Dec 2026) and the district-wise list (PDF). Read 24 Oct 2026.
- J&K Cable Car Corporation, notices: maintenance notice (shown from 13 Jul 2026), boarding notice (from 13 Jul 2026), resumption notice (17 Sep 2026), booking update (10–20 Oct 2026) and boarding time advisory (from 21 Oct 2026). Read 24 Oct 2026.
- National Herald (PTI), parks at tourist destinations reopened, 17 Jun 2025. Read 24 Oct 2026.
- The Tribune (PTI), 7 tourist spots closed after Pahalgam attack reopened in Kashmir, 29 Sep 2025. Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Outlook Traveller, Jammu and Kashmir reopens 14 tourist spots, 19 Feb 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Kashmir Observer, Doodhpathri reopens after a temporary closure, 21 Aug 2026, and Budgam forests search; tourist movement restricted, 4 Sep 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism), Srinagar, Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, Pari Mahal and Martand Sun Temple, undated. Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Srinagar district administration, tourist places, and Ganderbal district administration, Sonamarg, undated as read. Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Greater Kashmir, rates notified for shikara rides in Dal and Nigeen lakes, 2 Jun 2023, and Remote areas cut off, key roads shut, 28 Jan 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Kashmir Life, HC slams admin for ignoring tourist taxi overcharging, 16 Jun 2024, and Traffic Police issue Amarnath Yatra traffic advisory, announce cut-off timings, 30 Jun 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026.
- News On Air, Sonamarg tunnel, 13 Jan 2025; Mughal Road stretch ordered reopened, 26 Feb 2026; Tulip Garden opens, 16 Mar 2026; and Amarnath Yatra registration begins, 15 Apr 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Siasat (IANS), fresh snowfall shuts highways in Kashmir, 27 Jan 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Kashmir News Service, Mughal Road reopens, Bandipora–Gurez road partially restored, 15 Oct 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026.
Road times are the app’s estimates, not measured drives. We write from published sources and do not claim personal visits. How we check facts.
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