Introduction:
If heaven exists anywhere it is here, here, and here – this is what Kashmir is described in the Kashmiri and other Persian Literature. If you have not experienced this heaven, then it is the time to plan for the Kashmir Tour and pack your bags to witness the heaven.
When to go!?
Though you can visit Kashmir any time in a year. But there are two distinct seasons that have two distinct colors. That is during winters you will witness the full snow sheet covered all across the place and in the summer you can see the lush green meadows that are just experiencing the melting of snow. If you are a person who likes skiing and wants to experience adventure, then you can visit during winter months. In summer you can witness the famous Tulip Garden, which is Asia’s largest Tulip Garden. So you must decide in which season you want to go.
How to reach Kashmir?
You can reach Jammu Airport or Srinagar Airport from Delhi Airport. And these airports are well connected with all over the country. You can choose to travel via road from Manali, but this can become a tiresome experience because of its sheer distance that you must travel, while also gaining altitude. If you want to travel via Railways, then you will need to travel till Udhampur. And then you must take the road route to reach Kashmir.
Where to Stay?
Kashmir is an all encompassing place as it offers different options for different required people. You can get every budget option to stay in Kashmir. However, you hardly find any hostel vacant as there are very few hostels in the place. But if you prefer hotels, then you can find them in most of the budget options from normal to luxury both in Jammu and Kashmir. The prices in Pahalgam, Sonmarg etc are relatively higher than Jammu, Katra, Srinagar. As a result, you have the option of choosing where you want to stay.
How to Tour in Kashmir and Jammu?
If you want to travel to both Jammu and Kashmir, then you atheist need 10 to 12 days to complete the whole journey. If you choose to visit any of them, then you can complete the journey in almost 6 to 7 days.
on day 1
you can arrive in Jammu via flight. After reaching Jammu, you can check into a hotel and try exploring the local area and then stay in that hotel for that night.
Then on day 2
wake up early in the morning and start your journey to Katra for Vaishno devi temple, which is 46 kilometers away from Jammu. And end that day with the local exploration in Katra with a night stay.
On day 3
you can travel to Pahalgam. Now, there are two options to reach Srinagar. Either you can take the help of local government buses or you can negotiate with the local taxi and hire that for that day. The whole journey to Pahalgam via Patnitop can take about 8 hours. So you will have to be ready for a very long journey to Pahalgam. You can check into a hotel in Pahalgam and rest for that day as you may be tired because of the long journey. On the next day, you can choose to do Pahalgam sightseeing. On this day you will see the beautiful sites of Aru Valley, Chandanwari, Betaab valley. You can experience the true Pahalgam in these places. Then on the next day, you can take up a small itinerary on a Pony tour to Mini Switzerland, Pahalgam Valley, Basavanna etc. This is an adventurous option on the second day of Pahalgam.
Then on the next day, you will travel to Gulmarg from Pahalgam, which can take about 4 hours. While you are traveling to Gulmarg, you can taste the Kahwa, traditional saffron, and dry fruits shopping of Kashmir. If you reach the place early, then you can have local sightseeing or else you can choose to stay in hotel. On the next day you can try Gondola ride in Gulmarg, which is of 2 phases. If you are going in winters, then you will get to do many snow activities in Gulmarg like skiing, etc. On day 7 you can travel to Srinagar and explore the beauty of Srinagar with the Dal Lake, and Shikara ride. You can also explore the famous houseboats of Srinagar that will leave with awe and excitement. Then on the last day, you can return to the home from Srinagar Airport with lot of memories.
