Kashmiri food served in copper bowls around a shared platter

Kashmir, more closely

Experiences

A sunrise kayak on Nigeen, a day hike to Lidderwat, a wazwan with a waza, the floating market at dawn. Book an experience on its own or add it to any journey.

Thoughtfully arranged

The collection

Adventure

5 experiences

The Gulmarg gondola rising over green slopes

Gulmarg · Half day · All year (closed 2nd & 4th Monday)

Gulmarg Gondola

Up through the pines to Kongdoori and, when conditions allow, towards Apharwat.

Snow-covered slopes in Gulmarg with skiers and walkers

Gulmarg · Full day · Dec–Mar

Learn to ski in Gulmarg

Lessons on the lower slopes for beginners, with equipment arranged.

Trout ponds at Kokernag

Pahalgam · Half day · Apr–Oct

Trout fishing

Fly or spin fishing on the Lidder or at Kokernag's trout waters.

Rafts on a fast mountain river near Pahalgam

Pahalgam · 1–2 hr · May–Sep (water levels vary)

Rafting on the Lidder

Short and long runs down the Lidder below Pahalgam with an experienced rafting crew.

A paraglider laid out and ready for launch on a hillside

Srinagar · Half day · Apr–Oct (weather permitting)

Tandem paragliding at Astanmarg

A tandem flight with a trained pilot from the hills near Harwan, on the edge of Srinagar.

Lakes

6 experiences

A vegetable seller in his boat at the floating market on Dal Lake

Srinagar · 2.5 hr · All year (best Apr–Oct)

Dawn at the floating market

A shikara before sunrise to the vegetable market held on the water, as growers trade from boat to boat.

A shikara crossing the lake at sunset

Srinagar · 1.5 hr · All year

Sunset shikara on Nigeen

A slow shikara across the quieter Nigeen lake as the light goes.

Carved wooden houseboats on Dal Lake with a shikara alongside

Srinagar · Overnight · All year

A night on a heritage houseboat

Carved cedar interiors, dinner on board and the lake at dawn from your own deck.

Painted rowing boats moored on Dal Lake

Srinagar · 2 hr · Apr–Oct

Kayaking on Nigeen at first light

Paddle across Nigeen at sunrise, past the houseboats and floating gardens, with a guide in the next kayak.

Manasbal Lake below green hills

Srinagar · Half day · Apr–Oct (lotus in high summer)

An afternoon on Manasbal Lake

A quieter lake an hour from Srinagar. A shikara to yourselves, lotus beds in July and August, and almost no traffic on the water.

Wular Lake seen from a grassy shore with a small pavilion

Gurez Valley · 1–2 hr stop · May–Oct

Wular Lake on the road to Gurez

One of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, seen from the Bandipora road on the way north to Gurez.

Heritage

3 experiences

The Jamia Masjid courtyard seen through an arched gateway

Srinagar · 3 hr · All year

Old city heritage walk

Through the lanes of downtown Srinagar — the Jamia Masjid, the Khanqah of Shah-e-Hamdan on the Jhelum, old bridges, bazaars and wooden houses.

Water cascading down the terraces of a Mughal garden in Srinagar

Srinagar · 3 hr · All year (best Apr–Oct)

The Mughal gardens, properly

Nishat, Shalimar, Chashme Shahi and Pari Mahal with a guide who knows their history — early, before the crowds.

A bridge over the Jhelum in Srinagar with boats below

Srinagar · 3 hr · All year

Photography walk

A walk with a professional photographer through the lanes, the lake edge or the gardens — timed for the light.

Food

3 experiences

A waza tending copper pots of wazwan over a wood fire

Srinagar · 3 hr · All year

A wazwan with a waza

Kashmir's ceremonial feast, cooked by a traditional waza — watch the preparation, learn the order of the courses and share the meal.

A bowl of Kashmiri aab gosht, mutton cooked in milk

Srinagar · 3 hr · All year

Cook with a Kashmiri family

An afternoon in a family kitchen learning everyday Kashmiri dishes — haakh, nadru, dum aloo — then eating together.

Traditional Kashmiri breads laid out at a bakery

Srinagar · 2 hr · All year

Bakeries and kahwa of the old city

An early walk through the neighbourhood bakeries of Srinagar, with girda, lavasa and kulcha straight from the oven and kahwa to finish.

Craft

4 experiences

A long Kashmir shawl woven with figures and animals

Srinagar · 2 hr · All year

Inside a pashmina workshop

Meet the spinners and weavers behind Kashmir's most famous textile, and see how a shawl moves from raw fibre to finished piece.

Hand-painted Kashmiri papier-mâché boxes

Srinagar · 2 hr · All year

Papier-mâché with a master

Sit with a papier-mâché artist as layers are built, painted and lacquered — and try a brush yourself.

A Srinagar artisan holding a carved wooden piece

Srinagar · 2 hr · All year

Walnut-wood carving

Watch carvers work Kashmir's walnut wood in the old city workshops where the craft has been handed down for generations.

A hand-knotted Kashmir wool carpet with a dense floral pattern

Srinagar · 1.5 hr · All year

Carpet knotting

See hand-knotted carpets being made on the loom, knot by knot, and learn to read the talim the weavers follow.

Seasonal

5 experiences

Rows of red and yellow tulips at the Srinagar tulip garden

Srinagar · Half day · Late Mar–mid Apr

Tulip season

Asia's largest tulip garden on the Zabarwan foothills, in the few weeks each spring it is open.

Almond blossom at Badamwari in spring

Srinagar · 2 hr · March

Almond blossom at Badamwari

The first blossom of the year, in the old almond garden below Hari Parbat.

Picking apples in a Kashmiri orchard

Half day · Late Aug–Oct

Apple harvest in the orchards

Spend a morning in a family orchard at picking time, with fruit straight from the tree.

Saffron crocus in flower in a field at Pampore

Half day · Late Oct–Nov

Saffron harvest at Pampore

The saffron fields of Pampore turn purple for a few weeks each autumn. Walk the fields with a grower and see the crocus picked by hand.

Chinar trees in autumn colour reflected in still water

Srinagar · Half day · Late Oct–Nov

Chinar autumn

When the chinars turn red and gold — Naseem Bagh, the Mughal gardens and the Jhelum banks at their best.

Walks & hikes

5 experiences

Alpather Lake half frozen below snowy ridges

Gulmarg · Full day · Jul–Sep (snow permitting)

Alpather Lake from the gondola

From the top of the Gulmarg gondola, a short, steep climb over rock to a high lake below Apharwat that stays frozen into early summer.

The open meadow at Khilanmarg with a horse grazing

Gulmarg · Half day · May–Oct

Khilanmarg meadow walk

A walk up through the pines from Gulmarg to a higher meadow. On a clear day the view runs across the valley to the far peaks.

The Lidder river running through a valley below snowy peaks

Aru Valley · Full day · Jun–Sep

Aru to Lidderwat

Follow the Lidder upstream from Aru through meadows and shepherd camps to Lidderwat, the first camp on the way to Kolahoi. Back in Aru by evening.

Walkers on the approach to Thajiwas glacier

Sonamarg · Half day · May–Oct

To the foot of Thajiwas Glacier

A gentle walk, or a pony ride, from Sonamarg up the side valley to the snow at the foot of the Thajiwas glacier.

Nilnag Lake ringed by pine forest

Yusmarg · Half day · May–Oct

Nilnag Lake from Yusmarg

A forest walk from the Yusmarg meadows to Nilnag, a small lake ringed by pine.

Treks

4 experiences

The Vishansar and Kishansar lakes on the Great Lakes trek

Coming soon · Sonamarg · 7–8 days · Jul–Sep

Kashmir Great Lakes

Seven high lakes between Sonamarg and Naranag, crossing the Nichnai and Gadsar passes.

Tarsar Lake below green ridges

Coming soon · Aru Valley · 6–7 days · Jul–Sep

Tarsar Marsar

From Aru over meadows and passes to the twin lakes of Tarsar and Marsar.

A walker at Gangbal Lake below the Harmukh massif

Coming soon · Sonamarg · 4–5 days · Jul–Sep

Gangbal and Nundkol

From the temple ruins at Naranag up to the lakes of Gangbal and Nundkol below Harmukh.

Kolahoi peak above its snowfield

Coming soon · Aru Valley · 3–4 days · Jun–Sep

Kolahoi Glacier

Up the Lidder from Aru, past Lidderwat, to the snout of the Kolahoi glacier.

Your way into the valley

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