Spring is the time when Kashmir bursts into a riot of colors and millions of flowers carpet the landscape. A good idea would be to visit the "Tulip Garden" arguably the largest of its' kind in Asia. The Tulip Garden is located just opposite the main Boulevard Road on the shores of the Dal Lake. Although work on the garden started a couple of years back, nevertheless, with each season it is expanding rapidly and is fast becoming a major tourist attraction in Spring.
Angling in the many fresh water streams is an attraction in spring as well or if you missed out on Skiing in winter, you could go skiing in Gulmarg which offers excellent opportunities till late March.
Summer brings a lot of tourists to the valley, especially those from the Indian plains which experience unbearably hot temperatures during the summers.
Gulmarg being a perennial favourite can be visited. Gulmarg means 'the meadow of flowers' and is located 56 kilometers south-west of the city centre, Srinagar. The slopes of the Apharwat hills (of the Himalayas) at Gulmarg are one of the highest ski slopes in Asia. Due to its' unique geographical location, Gulmarg gets some of the heaviest snowfall in the Himalayan region. This hill resort is served by a cable car that goes all the way to the Apharwat peak – boasted as the highest gondola in the world (13,400 feet).
"Pahalgam" or the village of Shepherds is a very popular resort ninety kilometers south of Srinagar. It has some magnificient plains (like Baisaran) where horse-riding can be indulged in. Again, some fantastic angler opportunities as well and a lot of trekking routes (including the one that goes to Amarnath, a hindu pilgrimage shrine deep in the himalayas)
Located 84 kilometers from the state capital Srinagar and situated at an altitude of 9567 feet, Sonamarg lies in the valley carved by River Sindh, surrounded by towering snow-capped mountains. Sonamarg literally means "Meadow Of Gold".
The skiing season in Gulmarg, the world famous ski resort in Kashmir, lasts for about four months, but with the Thajiwas Glacier and the upper reaches of the Sonamarg valley covered with snow practically all through the year, skiers can thrill themselves for a longer period.
Sonamarg has a certain "raw" unspoiled beauty about it. The mountains look tall and haughty and the vista whichever way looked at consists of meadows, imposing mountains and streams.
Sonamarg is the gateway to Ladakh so if you're planning to go to Ladakh by road you'll be enthralled by its' charms.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Kashmir Valley
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Kashmir Valley - updated May 2024
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Kashmir Valley Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
