Warvan Valley lies at about 2,134 metres in Kishtwar district, behind the Margan Top pass and roughly 148 kilometres from Srinagar. It is the valley on the far side of the mountains: cut off from Kashmir for much of the year, drained by the Warvan river, and thinly settled. Access depends entirely on the passes being open.
Duke Kashmir Travels, holding J&K Department of Tourism registration JKTA00003978 since 2011, plans the long south Kashmir routes when the roads allow. Kashmir packages start near ₹6,350 per person, two sharing.
By Duke Kashmir Travels Team · Reviewed by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, Founder · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
- About 148 km from Srinagar, in Kishtwar district.
- Reached over Margan Top from Kokernag, or from the Sinthan side.
- Around 2,134 metres above sea level.
- The Warvan river forms where the Gumbar and Batkot streams meet.
- Ladakh lies beyond the ranges on one side.
- Medicinal herbs grow on the slopes; the valley is thinly populated.
What is the valley like?
A long river valley of meadow, forest and scattered villages, hemmed in by high ridges, with almost no tourism development.
Trekking routes cross from here towards Ladakh and the Zanskar side, which is what draws most of the outsiders who come. For everyone else the appeal is simply how remote it is.
How do you get in?
Over Margan Top from Kokernag, or from the Sinthan road on the Kishtwar side, and only when the passes are clear.
That usually means June to September. Outside those months the valley is effectively cut off from Kashmir. Roads are rough, so travel time is long even when everything is open.
What should you plan for?
Little or no formal accommodation, patchy mobile coverage, and weather that can close the pass behind you.
This is a route for travellers who want the far side of the map, not a comfortable day out. We plan it with spare days built in. See Kashmir tour ideas for the shorter south Kashmir alternatives.
Booking this with us
Behind the itineraries: Duke Kashmir Travels, a Srinagar agency carrying tourism registration JKTA00003978 from March 2011, IATO membership ALD150928 and a seat in the JK Tourism Council. Details on About Us.
Give us the dates and the number of travellers; the itinerary and the quote come back the same day. +91 9018 44 0000, info@dukekashmirtravels.com, or the contact page.
About the founder
Duke Kashmir Travels is owned and run by its founder, Rayies Ahmad Zargar, who set it up in Srinagar in 2011 and checks these destination pages himself. LinkedIn.