Srinagar Travel Guide – Dal Lake, Houseboats & Mughal GardensDuke Kashmir Travels
Srinagar is a lake city in the Kashmir valley and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It stands at 1,585 m (5,200 ft) on the river Jhelum, and it is the base for almost every Kashmir holiday.
Srinagar is the base for almost every Kashmir holiday. Two full days cover the lake, the gardens and the old town, and Gulmarg (50 km), Pahalgam (90 km) and Sonmarg (80 km) are each a half-day drive on from the city.
This guide is published by Duke Kashmir Travels, a travel agency registered with the Department of Tourism, Government of Jammu and Kashmir (JKTA00003978) since 2011. It answers when to come, how long to stay, what to see, where to sleep and what a tour package costs, written from the itineraries we operate every season.
By Duke Kashmir Travels Team · Reviewed by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, Founder · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
- Where it sits: in the Kashmir valley, between the Himalayas and the Pir Panjal ranges.
- Best time: late March to April for tulips and blossom; May to June for the gardens in full flow; October for chinar colour; December to February for snow.
- Days needed: two, at a comfortable pace. A third buys you Dachigam, or an unhurried start.
- Where to stay: a houseboat on Dal or Nigeen for a night or two, a hotel for the rest.
- Getting around: a car with a driver for the day, and a shikara on the lake. Sightseeing inside Srinagar is unaffected by the local-union taxi rules that apply in the hill stations.
- Don't miss: Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh, an evening shikara ride, Jamia Masjid and the lanes around it, and Kahwa with a Wazwan lunch.
This guide answers the questions we are asked most about Srinagar before a booking.
What is Srinagar like as a destination?
Srinagar is a lake city with a working old town at its heart. The tourist half of the city runs along the Boulevard beside Dal Lake, where the houseboats, the Mughal Gardens and most hotels are. The older half sits along the Jhelum: Shahr-i-Khaas, the historic quarter, holds the Jamia Masjid, the shrines, the bridges and the papier-mâché and carpet workshops.
Dal Lake covers about 18 square kilometres and has floating gardens, a lake market and whole neighbourhoods reached only by boat. Nigeen Lake, joined to Dal by a channel, is the quieter option for a houseboat night. Anchar Lake and the Jhelum complete the water that shapes the city.
When is the best time to visit Srinagar?
May and June are the peak months; late March to April brings the tulips, October the chinar colour and December to February the snow. Every season is a different city. Rates follow the seasons closely.
| Season | Months | Weather | What is on | Package rates |
|---|
| Spring | March – April | 10–20 °C, showers | Almond blossom at Badamwari; the Tulip Garden, Asia's largest with about 1.5 million bulbs, opens for 3–4 weeks from late March | Mid |
| Summer | May – June | 20–32 °C, dry | Peak season; the Mughal Gardens at their best, long evenings on the lake | Highest |
| Autumn | October – November | 8–22 °C, clear | Chinar leaves turn gold and red; apple and saffron harvests | 20–40% below summer |
| Winter | December – February | −5 to 8 °C, snow | Snow in the city, frozen mornings on Dal, skiing at Gulmarg 50 km up the road | Lowest, except Christmas–New Year |
What are the top places to visit in Srinagar?
The essentials are Dal Lake, the three Mughal Gardens, Shankaracharya Temple, Hazratbal and the old town around Jamia Masjid. Each is described below, with the tourist points we take guests to.
Dal Lake, houseboats and the shikara
Dal Lake covers about 18 square kilometres and is the reason most people come. A houseboat is a carved cedar house moored on the water, and a shikara ride at sunset is the standard first evening — it is complimentary on every tour booked with us. Char Chinar island, the floating vegetable market at dawn and the lake villages are all seen from the boat.
The Mughal Gardens
Shalimar Bagh (1619), Nishat Bagh (1633) and Chashme Shahi (1632) are the three, and one afternoon covers them all. They sit on the eastern shore of Dal, within a few kilometres of each other, and one afternoon covers all three with a car.
The Mughal Gardens of Srinagar, in the order most visitors see them.
| Garden | Built | Known for |
|---|
| Shalimar Bagh | 1619, by Emperor Jahangir | The largest of the three; chinar avenues and terraced water channels |
| Nishat Bagh | 1633, by Asaf Khan | Twelve terraces facing Dal Lake and the Zabarwan hills |
| Chashme Shahi | 1632 | The smallest, built around a natural spring |
Above them, Pari Mahal looks down over the lake from the Zabarwan ridge, and the Botanical Garden and Harwan Garden are quiet stops on the same road.
The old city
Shahr-i-Khaas, the historic quarter along the Jhelum, is a slow morning on foot. Jamia Masjid, founded in 1394, stands on 378 deodar pillars at Nowhatta. Pathar Masjid, Khanqah-e-Moula on the Jhelum bank, Dastgeer Sahib and Makhdoom Sahib below Hari Parbat are all within the same few lanes, and this is where the craft workshops are.
Shrines, temples and viewpoints
Hazratbal sits on the western shore of Dal, white marble against the water. Shankaracharya Temple crowns the hill above the Boulevard and gives the widest view of the city and lake. Sharika Devi Temple on Hari Parbat, Chatti Padshahi Gurudwara and the Holy Family Catholic Church are part of the same city.
Beyond the centre
Dachigam National Park, 22 km out, is the last home of the hangul, the Kashmir stag, and needs a permit and half a day. Burzahom is a neolithic site north-east of the city. In town, Lal Chowk is the commercial centre and SPS Museum holds the state collection.
How many days do you need in Srinagar?
Two days is enough. Three if Dachigam or an unhurried start matters to you.
- One day: the Mughal Gardens in the afternoon and a shikara ride at sunset.
- Two days: add the old town, Hazratbal and Shankaracharya, with a night on a houseboat.
- Three days: add Dachigam or Pari Mahal, the craft workshops and an unhurried morning on the lake.
Most itineraries give Srinagar two nights at the start and one at the end, with the hill stations in between.
How do you reach Srinagar?
Fly to Srinagar (SXR), take the train to Jammu or Katra and continue by road or the Banihal line, or drive the 270 km Jammu–Srinagar highway (NH44).
- By air: Srinagar International Airport (SXR) is about 12 km from the city. Delhi is a 1.5-hour flight; Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Jammu and Leh also have direct services. Every package includes airport pick-up.
- By rail: Srinagar is connected to Jammu and Katra through the Banihal line; Jammu Tawi remains the main railhead for connections from across India.
- By road: the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH44) is about 270 km and takes 7 to 9 hours, open all year. The Mughal Road from Poonch and the Srinagar–Leh highway via Sonmarg open in summer.
What is around Srinagar?
Gulmarg is 50 km away, Sonmarg 80 km and Pahalgam 90 km — each 1.5 to 2.5 hours by road.
Driving times from Srinagar. Add time in the snow months.
| From Srinagar to | Distance | Driving time | Altitude | Best for |
|---|
| Gulmarg | 50 km | 1.5 hours | 2,650 m (8,700 ft) | Snow, skiing, the Gondola |
| Pahalgam | 90 km | 2.5 hours | 2,740 m (9,000 ft) | Valleys, river walks |
| Sonmarg | 80 km | 2.5 hours | 2,730 m (8,950 ft) | Glacier, Ladakh road |
| Doodh Pathri | 42 km | 1.5 hours | 2,730 m (8,950 ft) | Quiet meadows, day trip |
| Yousmarg | 50 km | 2 hours | 2,400 m (7,900 ft) | Quiet meadows, day trip |
One point worth knowing before you travel: sightseeing inside Srinagar runs on your own vehicle for the whole day, but inside Pahalgam, Sonmarg and Gulmarg the local taxi unions hold the right to run the sightseeing circuits. Your Srinagar vehicle waits at the stand. The Kashmir guide explains how that works and what it costs.
What do you eat and buy in Srinagar?
Eat Wazwan and drink Kahwa; buy Pashmina, papier-mâché and Pampore saffron. Wazwan is the multi-course Kashmiri feast to plan a day around, and Harissa is the winter breakfast to try. Kahwa, the saffron green tea, and Noon Chai, the salted pink tea, come with every welcome. The markets around Lal Chowk and Nowhatta sell Pashmina shawls, Tilla and Aari embroidery, papier-mâché, walnut-wood carving and hand-knotted carpets — our guide to the handicrafts of Kashmir covers what to look for. Apples, walnuts, almonds and Pampore saffron are the things to carry home; more in our note on the orchards of Kashmir.
Why book Srinagar with Duke Kashmir Travels?
We are a J&K Tourism–registered agency (JKTA00003978) that has operated its own vehicles, drivers and houseboat contracts in Srinagar since 2011.
- Registered travel agency, Department of Tourism, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, since March 2011 (JKTA00003978).
- Allied Member of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) since 2016; Active Member of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK); co-founder of the JK Tourism Council.
- A staffed office in the old town, with people on call throughout your trip.
- Houseboats and hotels we have inspected ourselves, our own vehicles and drivers, and airport transfers included.
- Payments only to the official company bank account, never to a personal account.
Ready-made itineraries are on the Kashmir tour ideas page, or send us your dates and we will build one. Contact us and we will put dates and a quote together.
Insider tip from our local team
Do the Mughal Gardens in the order Chashme Shahi → Nishat → Shalimar and finish on the Boulevard for sunset — the light falls the right way and you avoid meeting the coach groups head-on at Nishat. If you want the floating vegetable market on Dal, it trades at first light and is over by about 7 am, so it needs its own early start rather than being tacked onto a shikara ride later in the day.