Kashmir guide · Safety
We live and work in Srinagar, so we will not pretend there is no risk, and we will not exaggerate it either. Here is how we judge it before every trip.
Based in
Srinagar
Checked
Before every trip
Most common disruption
Weather and roads
Carry
Photo ID, always
The short answer
Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg receive very large numbers of visitors and are heavily policed. Serious incidents involving tourists are rare, but they have happened: in April 2025, 26 people, most of them tourists, were killed in an attack at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam. Many sites closed after it and have since reopened in phases. Nobody can honestly promise you a risk-free trip; what we can do is check the current position before you travel and keep you away from anywhere that is closed or uncertain.
Written by Shahid Parvez Khan, founder of Falcon Trails and a Kashmir guide since 2010 · last checked
After the Baisaran attack, the Jammu & Kashmir government closed close to fifty tourist sites for a security review. Reopening started in stages: a first group in 2025, fourteen more in February 2026 including Yusmarg, Doodhpathri and Wular, with the government saying it aimed to reopen the remaining sites by mid-2026. Some individual spots, including Baisaran itself for long periods, stayed closed.
For travellers this mostly means one thing: the place in a brochure may not be open on the day you arrive. That is why we check.
If something on your plan is closed or doubtful, we tell you before you travel and swap it, rather than finding out at a barrier.
For most visitors the real disruptions are ordinary ones: snow delaying a flight, a landslide closing a road for a day, a pony operator or unofficial guide overcharging, or altitude sickness on the road to Ladakh. These are manageable with a sensible plan, registered transport and someone local to call.
Several governments, including the UK and US, have long advised against travel to parts or all of Jammu & Kashmir, with exceptions that change over time. Read your own government’s current advice before booking, because it can affect your travel insurance. Areas near the Line of Control, including parts of Gurez, are restricted for foreign nationals.
Itineraries that fit
Each is reshaped around your dates, flights and group, and quoted in writing before you pay.
An unhurried week for children and grandparents: short drives, two nights in each base, a houseboat, Gulmarg, the Lidder valley and an easy day in the Doodhpathri meadows.
Price
On request
quote on WhatsApp
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
Questions
Families travel to Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg in very large numbers every season. We plan family trips with shorter drives, central hotels and a coordinator on WhatsApp throughout.
Women travel here regularly, alone and in groups. Dress modestly, use registered transport, and keep your coordinator informed of your plans.
Pahalgam town and its main valleys have reopened, but individual meadows and trails have had separate orders. We check each one before your trip.
We re-plan the day with you on the spot: a different valley, a different order, or a free day in Srinagar. That is the advantage of a team based here.
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.
Or message us on WhatsApp