Nilnag Lake is a small blue lake of about 32 kanals in pine forest 4 to 5 kilometres above the Yousmarg meadows in Budgam district. Its name comes from the colour of the water. The track up from Yousmarg is rough and runs through thick forest, so most visitors take a pony rather than drive.
Duke Kashmir Travels has run Yousmarg days from Srinagar since 2011, under Department of Tourism registration JKTA00003978. Kashmir packages start near ₹6,350 per person, two to a room.
By Duke Kashmir Travels Team · Reviewed by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, Founder · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
- Four to five kilometres above Yousmarg, in Budgam district.
- About 32 kanals of water, clear and blue, ringed by pine.
- Reached on foot or by pony; the track is rough.
- JKTDC huts near the meadow allow an overnight stay.
- Snow peaks stand behind the forest on every side.
- One of the quieter lakes in Kashmir, with almost no development.
How do you reach Nilnag?
From the Yousmarg meadow, on foot or by pony, four to five kilometres through dense pine forest on a rough track.
Ponies are hired at Yousmarg at locally set rates paid on the day. Allow a couple of hours up and back at a walking pace, more if you sit at the lake, which most people do.
What is there at the lake?
Clear blue water in a forest bowl, meadow at the edges, and no facilities beyond what you carry.
It suits a picnic and a slow afternoon. The JKTDC huts down at Yousmarg are the practical option for an overnight, and they make it possible to walk up early before anyone else is about.
When should you go?
May to October. Snow closes the forest track in winter and the meadow itself is deep under it.
Pair the walk with Charar-i-Sharief on the drive out from Srinagar, roughly 47 km. See Kashmir tour ideas for how Yousmarg fits a week in 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.