Places to visit in Kashmir, and which are worth it.

In and around Srinagar

• Dal Lake: a shikara ride at sunset and one night on a houseboat. The image of Kashmir, and worth it.
• Mughal gardens: Nishat, Shalimar and Chashme Shahi, terraced gardens on the lake’s eastern shore. Pari Mahal above them has the best view of the lake.
• The old city: Jamia Masjid, Khanqah-e-Moula on the Jhelum and the craft lanes around them. Best with a local guide.
• Hazratbal: the white marble shrine on the north shore of Dal Lake. Dress modestly; women should carry a scarf.
• Tulip Garden: about three to four weeks from late March into April only.
• Manasbal and Wular lakes: quiet lakes 30 to 55 km north, good for a half day.

The hill stations

Offbeat Kashmir

• Gurez valley: the Kishanganga river, wooden villages and Habba Khatoon peak, about 125 km north over Razdan pass. Open roughly May to October; foreign nationals face restrictions near the Line of Control.
• Kokernag, Verinag and Achabal: spring-fed gardens in South Kashmir. Verinag is the source of the Jhelum.
• Daksum and Aharbal: forest valleys and Kashmir’s best-known waterfall, south of Srinagar.
• Martand Sun Temple and the Awantipora ruins: 8th and 9th-century stone temples, easy stops on the way to Pahalgam.
• Pampore: the saffron fields, in flower for a few weeks from late October.
• Kheer Bhawani at Tulmulla: a spring temple about 25 km from Srinagar.

Before you go: what is open

After the attack at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam in April 2025, the government closed a large number of tourist sites for a security review. Most have reopened in phases since early 2026, but individual meadows, trails and parks can still be closed or open only at set hours. We check the current status of every place on your itinerary before you travel and plan around anything that is shut.