Shalimar Bagh is the largest Mughal garden in Kashmir, laid out in 1619 by Emperor Jahangir for his queen, Nur Jahan. Three broad terraces climb away from Dal Lake along a single channel called the Shah Nahar, with hundreds of fountains and a black marble pavilion at the top.
Duke Kashmir Travels is a Srinagar travel agency, registered with the J&K Department of Tourism as JKTA00003978 since 2011 and an IATO allied member since 2016. Our Srinagar sightseeing day takes in this garden, and 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
- Jahangir named it Farah Bakhsh, the delightful; Governor Zafar Khan later extended it as Faiz Bakhsh, the bountiful.
- Three terraces, rising away from the lake rather than dropping towards it.
- The Shah Nahar channel runs through all three, feeding roughly 410 fountains.
- A black marble pavilion stands over the water on the uppermost terrace.
- The first terrace was the public one, the Diwan-e-Aam; the highest was reserved for the court.
- Twenty minutes north of Nishat Bagh on the same shore road.
Why did Jahangir build Shalimar Bagh?
As a summer retreat for the imperial court and a gift to Nur Jahan, finished in 1619 at the head of Dal Lake.
The Mughals summered in Kashmir to escape the plains, and Shalimar was the grandest expression of that habit. Later rulers added to it: Zafar Khan, governor under Shah Jahan, extended the garden and gave it the second name Faiz Bakhsh.
What will you see on the three terraces?
A public first terrace, a wide middle terrace crowded with fountains, and a top terrace shaded by old chinars where the black marble pavilion sits in its pool.
Water is the spine of the design. The Shah Nahar carries it from terrace to terrace over carved chutes, and the pools on the way hold most of the garden's 410-odd fountains. Stone benches and chinar shade make it an easy hour.
When is Shalimar Bagh at its best?
May to October, with autumn the strongest month: the chinars turn and the crowds thin at the same time.
Fountains usually run through the main season. Spring is cooler and greener, summer busiest in the middle of the day, and winter strips the garden back to its stonework, which has its own appeal if you like architecture more than flowers.
How do you get there?
It is about 15 km from Lal Chowk on the north-eastern lake road, roughly 40 minutes from Srinagar airport.
The three lakeside gardens sit in a line, so one private vehicle covers Shalimar, Nishat and Chashme Shahi comfortably in an afternoon, with Pari Mahal added if you start early.
What else is worth adding nearby?
The Hazratbal shrine stands on the same northern arc of the lake, and Harwan Garden lies further up the valley behind the garden.
A shikara ride on Dal Lake finishes the day well from this side. The full Srinagar page lists everything else, and Kashmir tour ideas shows how many days you need for the valley.
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.