DETAILED ITINERARY FOR KASHMIR VALLEY  TRIP  

DAY 1: Srinagar Local Sightseeing

The much-awaited Kashmir Valley trip begins when you reach the Srinagar Airport in the morning. Meet our HikerWolf team members and your fellow travelers at 01:30 pm. Check-in to the infamous Boathouse stay of Srinagar and take a deep breath of the surrounding views. Have a delicious breakfast at our accommodation and then set along to visit the Mughal Gardens, better known as the "crown of Srinagar". Walkthrough the Nishant Bagh and the Shalimar Bagh which was built by Jahangir for his beloved wife Nur Jahan.

In the afternoon, indulge yourselves in the next tourist attraction in Srinagar by visiting Dal Lake, which is also known as "Srinagar's Jewel." Experience the renowned Shikara rides and discover the three small islands on Dal Lake. Are you feeling like Christopher Columbus yet? Because this is only the beginning of your explorations. After extensive shopping at the floating market, head back to our accommodation, have a mouthwatering dinner, and rest up for another eventful day.

DAY 2: Srinagar - Sonmarg - Srinagar

Brace yourselves for we start early today. Have a nice breakfast and set along a 2½ hours road trip to Sonmarg, also known as the "meadow of gold." While on the road, fill up your camera reels with some of the best nature snaps because the road is said to be one of the most beautiful ones across India. Enjoy the snow-capped mountains (in winters) while putting your favorite music on!

We head to the Thajiwas Glacier as soon as we reach Sonmarg. You can trek through the meadows and have a blissful experience while reaching up the sprawling Glacier which is surrounded by frozen lakes and conifer trees. The best time to visit here is in the winters when the glacier snow is glistening thickly. From there, we head to Thajiwas Park and breathe in the nature and the greenery of Kashmir. After we are done exploring, we head to the famous Sonmarg Market where you can shop for traditional handicrafts like Pashmina shawls and woolens. Thereafter, we head back to Srinagar after an eventful day and have a delicious dinner with an overnight stay at our accommodation.

DAY 3: Srinagar to Pahalgam | via Pampore

After having a filling breakfast, we start early and head to Pahalgam. On our way, we visit the Pampore Village which is also known as the Saffron Town of Kashmir. It is one of the very few places where there are acres of land planted with the most expensive spice called Saffron. Walk through the saffron fields and experience the plucking of the flowers. If time permits, we can visit the saffron factories to see how saffron is processed.

The next stop on our way to Pahalgam is the Avanti Swami Temple ruins in the Awantipora town of the Pulwama district of Kashmir. These two temples, one of Shiva and the other of Vishnu, were built in the 9th century by Kashmir king Avantivarman. The backdrop is painted with blue skies, green valleys, and huge snow-capped mountains. After you are satisfied with capturing all these pretty landscapes in your brain and camera, we continue on our way to Pahalgam and reach there by evening. A delicious dinner awaits with an overnight stay at Pahalgam.

DAY 4: Pahalgam to Srinagar | via Betaab Valley & Lidder River

After a heartfelt breakfast, we set our course to the Betaab Valley. We are indeed "betaab" to visit these vast meadows surrounded by astounding snow-capped mountains and frozen lakes like the Baisaran and Tulian Lake. Although private vehicles are not permitted beyond Pahalgam, we can assist you to book local taxis to reach your destination. This valley is mostly famous for camping and trekking and of course, cliche Bollywood movies! Films like Kashmir ki Kali, Silsila, and one of the recent, Rockstar were all shot here. If time permits we can trek up to the nearby frozen Baisaran and Tulian Lakes.

While we explore the Betaab Valley, don't miss out on the gushing stream of the Lidder River. The river is 73 km long with such crystal clear water that one can drink it. It is known to originate from the Kolahoi glacier. If available, you can go for a rafting experience too. If time permits, we head to Chandanwadi, which is also the base camp for the very famous Amarnath yatra. Here you can roam around and experience the local life of Kashmir. The whole place will seem like heaven to you, especially during the winters. After these events of the day, head back to Srinagar by evening and give your legs a rest. Have a good dinner while staying overnight at Srinagar.

DAY 5: Srinagar - Gulmarg - Srinagar

The last day of our Kashmir Valley trip is here. Even so, we will try to bring the best out of it to you. After breakfast, we set our sails to Gulmarg, aka "meadow of flowers." Upon reaching, we go straight for a Gondola ride which is the key activity here. The Gulmarg Gondolas are the world's second-largest cable car line. Experience a panoramic view of Kashmir from high up in the sky. You can also take part in activities like skiing and sledding.

If time permits, we trek up to the Alpather Lake. Another one of the frozen lakes, you can click aesthetic photos here to post on your Instagram profile. Thereafter, we head back to Srinagar in the evening and call it a day! Have a delicious breakfast and overnight stay at Srinagar.

Day 6: Goodbye, Kashmir!

It's 09:00 am and Alas! The goodbye is here. But it's not the end, right? Kyon ki phir milenge, chalte chalte! The trip might have lasted just 6 days but the memories that we have together are going to stay forever! Head back to the Srinagar airport according to your flight's timings. Or you can spend another day here and visit some more local destinations like Pari Mahal and Srinagar Market. We can assist you accordingly.