Places to visit in Srinagar: lakes, gardens and the old city

At a glance

Shikara, first hour

₹700 Tourism Department rate, 2023

Airport to the city

About ₹940 by taxi one operator’s 2026–27 list

Pari Mahal

A garden of seven terraces

Tulip Garden 2026

Opened 16 March

Closed near the city

Dachigam Area, Burzhama, Harwan monastery

Closure orders run to

31 December 2026

The lakes

1. Dal Lake

   Srinagar’s centrepiece, “famous for its houseboats and Shikara rides”, says Incredible India. The district site notes that “Dal” itself means lake in Kashmiri. Official shikara rates start at ₹700 for the first hour: see Dal Lake shikara prices.

   

2. Nigeen Lake

   A quieter lake in the city, also spelt Nageen. The official shikara rates for Dal apply on Nigeen too. Houseboat rates for both lakes are in Srinagar houseboat prices.

The gardens

1. Nishat Bagh

   Known for “its steep terracing and panoramic view of the lake”, in Incredible India’s words.

   

2. Shalimar Bagh

   “Built for Nur Jahan by her husband Jehangir”, and described by Incredible India as “the most famous garden”.

   

3. Chashme Shahi

   “The royal spring”, one of the Mughal gardens, according to the district site.

4. Pari Mahal

   “The Angels’ Abode”, a garden of seven terraces at the top of the Zabarwan range, looking over the city.

   

5. Tulip Garden

   The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden opens in spring; in 2026 it opened on 16 March, according to News On Air. See Srinagar Tulip Garden 2027.

   

6. Botanical Garden

   Set up in 1969 at the foot of a hill overlooking Dal Lake, says the district site.

7. Badamwari

   A historic garden in the old city, known for early almond blossom. It reopened on 17 June 2025, PTI reported.

History and places of worship

1. Hari Parbat

   Also known as Kooh-e-Maran, on the west side of Dal Lake.

2. The old city

   “A labyrinth of narrow lanes, ancient mosques, and bustling bazaars”, as Incredible India puts it. For Kashmir’s formal feast, see wazwan.

3. Hazratbal

   A shrine “housing a relic believed to be the hair of the prophet Muhammad”, in Incredible India’s description. Display days, visiting rules and hours are in our Hazratbal Shrine guide.

4. Jamia Masjid

   Named by Incredible India among Srinagar’s main sights.

5. Shankaracharya Temple

   “A small Shiva temple constructed from weathered blocks of ancient grey stone”, according to Incredible India.

What’s closed around Srinagar

These were checked against the official list on 24 October 2026.

• Closedthe “Archeological site at Burzhama”, the “Dachigam Area” and the “Buddhist Monastery Harwan”. All are in the Srinagar group of the official list of closed tourist destinations as on 7 July 2026, closed to tourists under orders that run to 31 December 2026, The Wire reported on 15 July 2026. More on the park in our Dachigam guide.
• Closedthe “Theed - Dara - Faqir Gujri Axis”, the “Khambir - Astanmarg -Chatterhama Axis” and the “Mameth & Mahadev Hills (via Faqir Gujri)”, on the same Srinagar list.
• OpenBadamwari, Duck Park near Nigeen and Taqdeer Park near Hazratbal, reopened on 17 June 2025. The Tulip Garden was on the February 2026 reopening list, according to Outlook Traveller.

Harwan Garden and the closed Harwan monastery are different places: the district lists Harwan Garden as a tourist spot 19 km from Srinagar, while the closure order names the monastery. Every closure in the valley is in Kashmir places closed to tourists.

Getting around

• On the lakes: by shikara, at the official rates in Dal Lake shikara prices.
• Airport to the city: about ₹940 one way by taxi on one operator’s 2026–27 list. More routes are in Srinagar taxi fares, and arrival tips in the Srinagar airport guide.
• Day trips: Gulmarg is an estimated 1½–2¼ hours by road, Sonamarg 2–3 hours and Pahalgam 2½–3½ hours, according to the Go Kashmir app as of 22 October 2026. How many days you need puts them together, and places to visit in Kashmir covers the rest of the valley, from Wular Lake to the spring gardens of the south.

Srinagar questions

Sources

1. Ministry of Tourism, Incredible India: Srinagar. Read 22 Oct 2026.
2. Srinagar district administration, tourist places (page updated 17 Nov 2018). Read 22 Oct 2026.
3. The Wire, tourist destinations shut under the July 2026 orders, 15 Jul 2026; and the official list of closed tourist destinations as on 07-07-2026 (PDF), read 24 Oct 2026.
4. National Herald (PTI), parks at tourist destinations reopened, 17 Jun 2025.
5. Outlook Traveller, 14 tourist spots reopened, 19 Feb 2026.
6. Greater Kashmir, shikara rates notified for Dal and Nigeen, 2 Jun 2023.
7. Vargis Khan, Srinagar taxi rate list 2026–27. Read 22 Oct 2026.
8. Go Kashmir app, estimated road times from Srinagar, 22 Oct 2026.
9. News On Air, Tulip Garden opens for visitors, 16 Mar 2026. Read 23 Oct 2026.

We write from published sources and do not claim personal visits. How we check facts.