Kashmir guide · Getting there
Flying into Srinagar is the fastest way in. The railway into the valley now changes the picture for anyone coming from the north. Here is how each route works today.
Airport
Srinagar (SXR)
Delhi flight
About 1.5 hours
Train
Jammu or Katra to Srinagar
By road
Jammu to Srinagar, 6–8 h
The short answer
Most visitors fly into Srinagar International Airport (SXR), with direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and other cities. By rail, there is still no single train from Delhi to Srinagar: you take a train to Jammu Tawi or Katra, then the Vande Bharat Express into the valley, about 3 hours from Katra. By road, Srinagar is roughly 250 km from Jammu on the national highway.
Written by Shahid Parvez Khan, founder of Falcon Trails and a Kashmir guide since 2010 · last checked
Srinagar International Airport (SXR) is about 14 km from Dal Lake, a 30 to 45 minute drive. Delhi has the most flights, about an hour and a half in the air, and is usually the cheapest route in. Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad have direct flights; other cities connect through Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru. Routes and frequencies change by season, so check current schedules when you book.
Two things catch first-time visitors. There is a security check at the airport entrance as well as inside, so arrive at least two and a half hours before departure. And winter snowfall sometimes delays or cancels flights, which is why we never put an important connection on the same day as a winter flight out.
We can book flights with your package and quote the live fare alongside the land arrangements. See Kashmir packages with flights.
The railway line through the mountains, including the Chenab and Anji Khad bridges, now runs trains into the Kashmir valley. The Vande Bharat Express runs between Jammu Tawi, Katra and Srinagar. From Katra it is about 3 hours to Srinagar; from Jammu Tawi a little over 4.
There is no through train from Delhi to Srinagar at the time of writing, so the trip is in two legs. Take any train from Delhi to Jammu Tawi or Katra (the Delhi–Katra Vande Bharat takes about 8 hours; overnight trains take longer), then change to the Srinagar train. Long-distance trains also reach Jammu Tawi and Katra from Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Kerala.
| Leg | Train | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi to Katra | Vande Bharat, or overnight trains | About 8 h (Vande Bharat) |
| Delhi to Jammu Tawi | Several daily and overnight trains | 8 to 12 h |
| Katra to Srinagar | Vande Bharat Express | About 3 h |
| Jammu Tawi to Srinagar | Vande Bharat Express | About 4.5 h |
The Jammu–Srinagar national highway is about 250 km and takes 6 to 8 hours, through the Chenani–Nashri and Navyug tunnels. Snow and landslides close it occasionally in winter and during heavy rain. From Delhi the whole drive is about 800 km; break it overnight in Jammu or Katra.
The Mughal Road, through Poonch and Shopian, is a scenic alternative open only in summer and autumn. From Ladakh, the road over Zojila pass comes in through Sonamarg, usually from about May to October.
Itineraries that fit
Each is reshaped around your dates, flights and group, and quoted in writing before you pay.
The classic first Kashmir trip, planned properly: a houseboat night on Dal Lake, Gulmarg and its gondola, and a night in the Lidder valley at Pahalgam.
Price
On request
quote on WhatsApp
Jammu to Katra, the climb to the Bhawan and Bhairon temple, and back, with a guide and your stay in Katra handled.
Price
On request
quote on WhatsApp
Srinagar to Leh overland over Zojila, a night in Kargil, a rest day in Leh, then Nubra and Pangong. The route that lets your body keep up with the altitude.
Price
On request
quote on WhatsApp
Questions
Not at the time of writing. Take a train from Delhi to Jammu Tawi or Katra, then the Vande Bharat Express to Srinagar.
About 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 35 minutes in the air.
About 14 km, 30 to 45 minutes by car depending on traffic.
Yes. It is about 800 km; most people break the drive overnight in Jammu or Katra.
Yes, on request. We quote the live fare with your package; fares change daily, so we do not publish a fixed price.
Plan your Kashmir trip
Tell us your city, dates and who is travelling. You get a day-by-day plan and an itemised quote, flights included if you want them, usually the same day.
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