Kashmir at an easier pace. After a day in the Gulmarg snow, drive to Pahalgam and stay the night by the Lidder river instead of rushing it in a day. Spend a slow morning there before a night on a Dal Lake houseboat, then take a last day out to Sonamarg. Good for families who want time to enjoy each place.
Why you'll love this trip
A night in Pahalgam by the Lidder river, with a slow snowy morning.
A day in the Gulmarg snow and a day in Sonamarg.
A night on a carved cedar houseboat on Dal Lake.
Saffron fields and the Avantipora ruins on the road south.
Is this trip right for you?
You change rooms three times: Srinagar, Pahalgam, the houseboat, then Srinagar again.
Days 2 and 5 are day trips with 2–3 hours' drive each way.
Trip facts
Duration
6 days, 5 nights
Starts
Srinagar airport or railway station
Ends
Srinagar airport or railway station
Trip type
Private tour
Group size
Your group only, from 2 people
Minimum age
All ages
Best time to go
1 November to 31 March. Snow is most likely from late December to February.
Meals
5 breakfasts, 5 dinners
Fitness
EasySightseeing with some 2–3 hour drives. Paths can be icy, so bring shoes with a good grip.
Where you stay
3N Srinagar (Hotel)
1N Pahalgam (Hotel)
1N Dal Lake (Houseboat)
Itinerary
6 days, day by day.
Your driver meets you at Srinagar airport or the railway station. After you've settled in, see the Mughal gardens of Nishat and Shalimar, laid out in terraces above Dal Lake in the 1600s: bare chinar trees in winter, and sometimes snow on the lawns. End the day with an hour on a shikara as the light goes over the Zabarwan hills.
Included
Pick-up at the airport or railway station
Nishat and Shalimar gardens
Sunset shikara ride on Dal Lake (1 hour)
You can add
Photo session in Kashmiri dress on a shikara
Old city craft walk: papier-mâché and pashmina
Overnight
Hotel, Srinagar
Meals
Dinner
Getting there
30–40 minutes (about 15 km)
Drive west through apple orchards to Tangmarg for a cup of kahwa, then up the winding road to Gulmarg, a bowl of snow at 2,650 m ringed by fir forest. Walk to St Mary's Church and the old Maharaja's palace, build a snowman, try a sledge, or ride the gondola towards Apharwat for views across the Pir Panjal range.
Included
Private car with a heater for the day
Kahwa stop in Tangmarg
You can add
Gulmarg gondola, Phase 1 (to Kongdoori)
Gulmarg gondola, Phase 2 (towards Apharwat)
Snow 4x4 from Tangmarg to Gulmarg (snow days)
Ski taster: 2 hours with an instructor
Sledge ride
Snowmobile ride
ATV ride in the snow
Pony ride in Gulmarg
Snow coat and boots on hire
Overnight
Hotel, Srinagar
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Getting there
About 2 hours each way (52 km)
After heavy snow only 4x4s may drive the last stretch from Tangmarg. We arrange one if needed.
Drive south past the saffron fields of Pampore and the temple ruins at Avantipora, then up the Lidder valley to Pahalgam. The afternoon is yours: walk along the frozen edges of the river, have coffee by the water, and watch the light go on the snowy hills.
Included
Private car with a heater
Saffron fields of Pampore and the Avantipora ruins
You can add
Sledge ride
Overnight
Hotel, Pahalgam
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Getting there
About 3 hours (95 km)
Chandanwari and Baisaran are closed by official order until at least 31 December 2026.
In the morning, take a local union taxi to Betaab Valley and Aru if the roads are clear, or simply walk the snowy paths around town. After lunch, drive back to Srinagar and check in to your houseboat for an evening on the lake.
Included
Private car back to Srinagar
Houseboat check-in with welcome kahwa
You can add
Union taxi to Aru and Betaab valleys
Sledge ride
Overnight
Houseboat, Dal Lake
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Getting there
About 3 hours (95 km)
Aru can be cut off for a day or two after heavy snow.
Follow the Sindh river north-east through Kangan and Gund to Sonamarg, the 'meadow of gold', reached in winter through the new Z-Morh tunnel. The valley fills with snow, with peaks on every side: walk out on the snowfields, go sledging, and warm up with kahwa before the drive back.
Included
Private car with a heater for the day
You can add
Sledging and snow walks in Sonamarg
Overnight
Hotel, Srinagar
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Getting there
2½–3 hours each way (80 km)
Heavy snow or avalanche warnings can close the Sonamarg road for a day. If that happens we swap the day trip.
On the way to the airport or station, stop in the old city: the wooden Jamia Masjid with its 378 cedar pillars, and the lanes around it where papier-mâché and copperware are still made by hand.
Included
Drop at the airport or railway station
Jamia Masjid and the old city on the way
Overnight
End of trip
Meals
Breakfast
Getting there
40 minutes to an hour (about 17 km)
We can arrange any of these if you'd like them. Tick them when you enquire, or ask us, and they'll be in your written quote.
What November to March is usually like in the places this trip visits, so you can pick your dates.
Srinagar and Dal Lake
Snow possible
Some Januaries bring city snow; heavy falls can ground flights.
Day about 7°C Night about -2°C
Cold spells can freeze parts of Dal Lake
Harissa and kahwa to beat the cold
Chillai Kalan, the coldest 40 days, runs 21 Dec–31 Jan
Short days: sunset about 5:30–6 pm
Gulmarg
Snow likely
Usually snowy as the ski season starts; dry spells happen.
Day about 1°C Night about -8°C
Ski season usually under way
Sledging and snow play on the meadows
Gondola views over snowy Apharwat
Gondola shut 2nd/4th Mondays; Phase 2 often stops in wind
After heavy snow, only chained 4x4s go from Tangmarg
Pahalgam
Snow likely
Usually snowy, deeper at Aru; some Januaries are dry.
Day about 5°C Night about -6°C
Snow play and sledging, usually at Aru
Snowy pine forests along the Lidder
Aru Valley can be cut off after heavy snow
Chandanwari, Baisaran closed until at least 31 Dec 2026 (check again in January)
Sonamarg
Snow likely
Usually snowy, deep after big storms; dry spells still happen.
Day about -1°C Night about -9°C
Snow play and sledging near town
Z-Morh tunnel keeps the town reachable most days
Thajiwas glacier trail officially closed December to February
Heavy snow or avalanche warnings can close the road
Snow is never guaranteed in any month, so if weather, roads or closures get in the way, we swap your plans to whatever is open.
Prices
Per person, based on two people sharing a room, including 5% GST.
OptionWhat you getStarting from, per person
BudgetHeated budget hotels and a standard houseboat₹18,399
3-star3-star hotels and a deluxe houseboat₹22,699
Luxury4-star hotels and a top-category houseboat₹51,699
Travelling as a group of 4
₹13,699 per person, Budget level, four sharing one car and two rooms
Christmas and New Year (20 Dec – 5 Jan)
₹20,499 per person, Budget level, two sharing
Starting prices for travel from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027. Your written quote gives the exact price for your dates, hotels and group.
Terms for this trip
Prices are per person, two sharing a room, and include 5% GST. Minimum 2 people.
Travel from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027. From 20 December 2026 to 5 January 2027 the Christmas–New Year price applies.
The group-of-4 price is for four people sharing one car and two rooms, at the Budget level.
Pay 50% to confirm and the rest 30 days before you travel. Booking within 30 days of travel: the full amount.
Hotels are the ones named in your quote, or similar in the same category. Every room is heated (a heater or an electric blanket in budget hotels).
On snow days only 4x4s may drive from Tangmarg up to Gulmarg. On a Gulmarg day trip the snow 4x4 is then an extra you can add.
Chandanwari, Baisaran, Sinthan Top and Baba Reshi are closed to visitors by official order until at least 31 December 2026. We only take you to places that are open.
The Thajiwas glacier trail at Sonamarg is closed from December to February. Sledging and snow walks near the town go on when it's safe.
Snow can't be guaranteed in any month. If snow, a road closure or an official order stops a day out, we swap it for a place that's open.
These are the main points. The full booking terms apply to every booking.
Things you can add to your trip
We arrange any of these if you'd like them. Tick them when you enquire and they'll be in your written quote.
Gulmarg gondola, Phase 1 (to Kongdoori)
Gulmarg gondola, Phase 2 (towards Apharwat)
Snow 4x4 from Tangmarg to Gulmarg (snow days)
Ski taster: 2 hours with an instructor
Sledge ride
Snowmobile ride
Pony ride in Gulmarg
Union taxi to Aru and Betaab valleys
Sledging and snow walks in Sonamarg
Snow coat and boots on hire
Sunrise shikara to the floating market
Photo session in Kashmiri dress on a shikara
Traditional Wazwan dinner
Old city craft walk: papier-mâché and pashmina
What's included
Included
3 nights in a hotel in Srinagar, 1 night in Pahalgam and 1 night on a Dal Lake houseboat
Breakfast and dinner every day (5 breakfasts, 5 dinners)
Heated rooms (a heater or an electric blanket in budget hotels)
Private car with a heater and driver for every transfer and day out in the itinerary
Pick-up and drop at Srinagar airport or railway station
Sunset shikara ride on Dal Lake (1 hour)
Fuel, tolls, parking and the driver's costs
5% GST
Not included
Flights and train tickets to and from Srinagar
Lunches
Entry tickets (Mughal gardens, Betaab Valley)
Gulmarg gondola tickets, unless listed above
Local union taxis, ponies and sledges in Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg
Activities you add to your trip
Travel insurance
Tips and personal expenses
Snow 4x4 from Tangmarg on snow days
Before you book
Good to know
In Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg some places can only be reached by local union taxis, ponies or snow 4x4s. We arrange them if you'd like and they go in your quote.
Prepaid SIM cards from outside Jammu & Kashmir don't work here. Postpaid connections do.
Carry a government photo ID. Hotels ask for it, and it can be checked on the road.
Winter in Kashmir
The coldest weeks (Chillai Kalan) run from 21 December to 31 January. Nights can drop well below freezing, so pack thermals, a warm jacket, gloves, a cap and waterproof shoes.
Days are short: the sun sets around 5:30 pm in December and January, so we start early on day trips.
Snow can close roads for a few hours or a day. We keep you informed and swap the plan to whatever is open.
Morning fog can delay flights in December and January. An afternoon flight home gives you a cushion.
Booking and cancellation
Pay 50% to confirm your booking and the rest 30 days before you travel. If you book within 30 days of travel, we ask for the full amount.
Prices are per person, unless a package says per couple or per skier, and include 5% GST. They're based on two people sharing a room.
Flights, gondola and helicopter tickets, and peak-date hotels we've paid for in advance, can't be refunded. If you cancel, we charge the cancellation charge or these costs, whichever is higher.
You can change your dates once for free up to 30 days before you travel; any difference in price applies. Later changes count as a cancellation.
If weather, landslides, road closures, curfews or government orders stop your trip before it starts, choose new dates, a full credit valid for 12 months, or a refund minus costs we can't recover.
Refunds go back to your original payment method within 10 working days.
If you cancel
If you cancel
Cancellation charge
45 days or more before you travel
10% of the trip price
30 to 44 days before
25%
15 to 29 days before
50%
7 to 14 days before
75%
Less than 7 days before, or a no-show
100%
These are the main points. The full booking terms apply to every booking.
Ready to plan this trip?
Leave your name and number and we'll call you back. Tell us your dates, who's travelling, the hotel level you like and anything you'd like to add, and we'll send a written quote. There's nothing to pay until you're happy with it.
