Harwan Garden lies 19 km from central Srinagar at the end of the Mughal garden road, laid out along a canal beneath the Harmukh and Mahadev ranges. It is a picnic garden rather than a monument, and it doubles as the approach road to Dachigam National Park. Late afternoon is when locals come.
Duke Kashmir Travels is a Srinagar travel agency, registered with the J&K Department of Tourism as JKTA00003978 since 2011. Harwan goes on the itinerary when guests want an unhurried end to the sightseeing day; 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
- Nineteen kilometres from the city centre, at the far end of the garden road.
- A single long canal lined with chinars runs from the entrance through the flower beds.
- The Harmukh and Mahadev ranges stand behind it.
- It is the gateway to Dachigam National Park.
- Trekkers use it as a starting point for the Harmukh and Mahadev routes.
- Evenings are the local hour; the garden is calm and the light is long.
What is Harwan Garden like?
A wide canal running the length of the garden, chinars down both banks, flower beds either side, and mountains closing the view at the far end.
Water is piped from a pond above the garden, which keeps the canal full through the season. There are no Mughal terraces or pavilions here; the appeal is the setting and the quiet, which is why it works as a picnic ground rather than a monument stop.
Why do people go to Harwan?
Three reasons: a calm evening walk, the trailhead for Harmukh and Mahadev, and the entrance to Dachigam National Park.
Dachigam is the last refuge of the hangul, the Kashmir stag, and its permits and gate are reached through Harwan. Trekkers heading for the high lakes above the valley also start from here.
When should you visit?
May to October, and late in the day. The garden is at its best in the last two hours of light.
Snow closes the upper approaches in winter and the canal runs low, so the garden is usually dropped from itineraries between December and March.
How do you reach Harwan?
About 30 km and an hour from Srinagar airport, or 19 km from the city centre along the road past Shalimar. From Jammu it is roughly 271 km and eight hours.
The road is straightforward and taxis run it all season. Our packages cover it by private vehicle, usually after the Mughal gardens on the same road.
What else is on this road?
Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh are passed on the way out, and Dachigam begins where the garden ends.
For the wider list see Srinagar, and Kashmir tour ideas for itineraries that include the national park.
Booking this with us
The agency behind this guide, Duke Kashmir Travels, was registered with the J&K Department of Tourism in March 2011 (JKTA00003978) and joined IATO in 2016. More on the paperwork is on our About Us page.
Tell us when you are travelling and how many of you there are, and a costed itinerary follows. Reach us on +91 9018 44 0000, at info@dukekashmirtravels.com, or through the contact page.
About the founder
The agency was started in Srinagar in 2011 by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, who owns it to this day, helped found the JK Tourism Council, and reads every destination guide before it goes up. His LinkedIn profile is here.