The city of lakes and gardens
Srinagar is where every Kashmir journey begins — a city built around water. Shikaras drift past floating gardens on Dal Lake, the Jhelum curls through a medieval old town of wooden mosques and copper bazaars, and the Mughal gardens of Nishat and Shalimar step down the Zabarwan hills exactly as emperors laid them out four centuries ago.
Plan my Srinagar tripStay aboard a carved cedar houseboat and catch the dawn floating vegetable market.
Nishat, Shalimar and Chashme Shahi — terraced gardens with chinar avenues and mountain springs.
Jamia Masjid's 378 deodar pillars, Khanqah-e-Moula and the craft lanes of Zaina Kadal.
Asia's largest tulip garden blooms below Zabarwan every April for a few precious weeks.
March–May for blossoms and tulips, September–November for golden chinars; winter brings snow-dusted houseboat mornings.
Srinagar → Gulmarg → Pahalgam (day trips)
Srinagar → Sonamarg → Gulmarg → Pahalgam (day trips)
Srinagar → Sonamarg → Gulmarg → Pahalgam → Srinagar