Srinagar

Understand

Name

The name "Srinagar" (Kashmiri: sih-REE-nuh-guhr) is a compound of two Kashmiri words. The word nagar (نَگَر) means "city"; and the word sirī (سِری) comes from either Sanskrit Śrī (श्री), an epithet for Hindu goddess Lakshmi, or from Sanskrit sūrya (सूर्य), meaning "sun". So, the name "Srinagar" means either the "city of Lakshmi" or the "city of the Sun".

Climate

Most people visit the city in the summer months. The temperature at this time is cool to pleasant. Light sweaters may be needed for occasional cool nights in the summertime. In winter, you will need full winter gear and expect snow and few places to have hot water.

Getting there

Due to the delays in completing the Kashmir Railway (Jammu–Baramulla), many people still take a train to Jammu followed by a taxi or bus ride to Srinagar. The journey from Jammu to Srinagar is costlier in the summers because the capital is being shifted from Jammu to Srinagar, both in buses and taxis. Buses are safer but take more time and are a bit uncomfortable. Foreigners are required to register upon arrival at the airport or at their hotel or houseboat.

By plane

1 Srinagar International Airport (SXR IATA). Although there has been a proposal to rename it as "Sheikh ul-Alam Airport", the current name of the airport is "Srinagar International Airport". International, domestic and seasonal Hajj pilgrimage charters to Jeddah are operated from here. Flights are operated from Delhi and Mumbai to Srinagar, with or without a stopover at Jammu. The frequency is once or twice a day by each airline. The cost is approx ₹2,500 from Jammu, ₹ 2,500-5,000 from Delhi one way and higher from Mumbai, depending on the different season. (updated Jul 2026) The airport is heavily patrolled and you may see many soldiers or other armed security detachments. Winter flights can easily be cancelled due to weather conditions. Tickets are easy to purchase in the city. The airport requires a ticket for entrance. A taxi into Srinagar town should be ₹720 (as in August 2017) and direct to Gulmarg is ₹1,500-2,000. There is a minibus from airport to TRC (Tourist Reception Centre). It costs ₹70. TRC is 1 km to the Dal Lake. The minibus is dirty and fly-infested. When departing Srinagar by plane, make sure you have a printed copy of your ticket at hand, otherwise you will not be able to enter the airport. Additionally, allow approximately one hour to get from Srinagar to the airport. Security checks can cause traffic to bank up if there are a few flights leaving at around the same time.

By taxi Hiring a TATA Sumo SUV (fits up to 9 people, or 5 comfortably plus luggage) from Jammu costs approximately ₹1,900-2,700 depending on time of year or even time of day. To reduce costs many people choose not to take an exclusive taxi, and share the Sumo taxi with others. This costs about ₹300-400 per person. For a comfortable trip, try for a seat in the middle row - the front bucket seat is (sometimes uncomfortably) shared by 2 people, and the far back could be quite bumpy as the highway is full of mountainous roads. The journey takes around 8 hour.

By bus

Jammu & Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) operates fairly comfortable buses from Jammu costing around ₹350 and do the

Getting around

Auto-rickshaws can be found everywhere. Taxis and buses area also available. Motorcycles can also be rented for enthusiasts. Negotiate a price with a rickshaw driver before getting in; they are notorious for overcharging and generally being dishonest. Their usual ploy is: "no problem" or "up to you". As soon as you reach your destination they will have a volte-face! Drivers usually don't speak English but there will always be a passer-by to help translate for you. A rickshaw from Nigeen Lake to Boulevard is approximately​ ₹70 depending on negotiation skills (August 2009). Usually private service buses run throughout the city and are well networked with major tourist spots.

See

Dal Lake

1 Dal Lake. Dal Lake is one of the prime attractions of Srinagar. At the very centre of the city, the lake covers an area of 21 km², which includes 3 km² of wetland. The lake has a circumference of 15.5 km. The lake is best explored on a shikara, a beautifully decorated boat that features in the logo of Jammu & Kashmir Tourism. Apart from open waters the lake also consists of floating markets, locally called rad. They basically constitute of matted vegetation and earth, but are floating. These are detached from the bottom of the lake and drawn to a suitable place and anchored. With nutrients from both land and water, these floating islands are used for cultivating tomatoes, cucumbers and melons. The area is a complex maze of floating cultivation patches separated by narrow water channels. The shikara negotiates through this complex maze with the skipper making his way through the complex maze of land and water. Floating market is another interesting area of the market. The market operates on floating shops approachable only by boat. They sell anything from artifacts including Kashmiri carpets. The shops doubles up as the artifacts workshop and provide the tourist with an insight into carpet making. The lake also accounts for floating hawkers opearting from boats selling anything from Kashmiri shawl to wood work and from saffron to the magical stone of Silajit. The Dal Lake actually consists of four lakes namely Gagribal (southern part), Lokut Dal (northern part), Bod Dal (central part) and Nagin. Nagin, the smallest and the most beautiful of the four, is often considered as a distinct lake on its own. (updated Jul 2026) 2 Nagin Lake (Nigeen Lake). Unlike the other three parts of Dal Lake the Nagin Lake is a separate lake connected to the Dal Lake by a narrow water channel. It is located on the western side of the Dal Lake and at the foot of Hari Parbat. It also has its share of floating vegetable gardens and house boats. (updated Jul 2026) There are two islands in the Dal Lake: Rupa Lank and Sona Lank. Both the islands are square, with the four corners marked with chinar trees. For these reasons, the islands are popularly known as Char Chinar.

3 Rupa Lank. Rupa Lank, literally meaning silver island, is in the Dod Dal (central area of Dal Lake). The man-made island was constructed by Murad Baksh, brother of the last Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb. The island consists of four giant chinar trees in the four corners and the entire island consists of manicured lawns and paved pathways. There is a small house boat restaurant next to the island. (update

Do

Shikara ride in Dal Lake: Go for a shikara ride in the Dal lake which costs around ₹150 (off season) - ₹500 (peak season) for the whole shikara. For better views and a more peaceful ride in an area devoid of other tourists, walk up a fair bit of distance till you can see the fountain and ask the shikara rider to take you for a ride to the fountain. It costs ₹300 (off season) to ₹600 (peak season). Make sure you bargain a little, especially in off season. If you are staying longer, you could go on shikara rides more than once, each time to a different part of the lake. A must see is the "village" in the lake. Ask for a ride to the side where locals live and see the floating vegetable market. The market is usually operational only at sunrise and is easiest organised through an agent or your hotel/houseboat. 1 Musical Fountain, Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Center (SKICC). The musical fountain along with laser show was inaugurated in April 2019. It runs three times a day after 7 pm and consists of a 15-minute show. Apart from the musical fountain the show also depicts the history of Kashmir through a laser show.

Parks 2 Dachigam National Park. Home to the critically endangered Kashmir stag (hangul). Grasslands, alpine meadows, waterfalls and craggy cliffs provide a home for various species of mammals such as the Himalayan black and brown bears, jackal and leopard and birds such as the woodpecker, pygmy owl and cinnamon sparrow. (updated Jul 2026) 3 Hokersar. A Ramsar site and a bird sanctuary. (updated Jul 2026)

Buy

If you hire an auto rickshaw to go shopping, please mention that you want to go to Lal Chowk Ghantaghar only for shopping, as most of the auto rickshaw drivers will insist that there is nothing in Lal Chowk, and you should go to the wholesale market instead. This is because the prices at the so-called wholesale market are very much inflated, as they pay at least 20% commission to those auto rickshaw drivers. Also, there are very few shops there. Do not fall into the trap of these cheating auto rickshaw pullers.

Chainstitch rugs There are rugs in two styles; English design or Kilim design. It will be evident what is meant when you see them. Carpets. Cashmere (Pashmina) shawls Have been manufactured in Kashmir for thousands of years. Pashmina Shawls are very popular items for sale in the Valley, but make sure to test the quality before purchasing. The test for a 100% pashmina has been warmth, feel and the passing of the shawl through a wedding ring. Costs on a true pashmina can vary wildly, but usually start around ₹8,000. Secondly, the weave pattern on a good Pashmina is fainter than on a "silk Pashmina" or other wool Pashmina. There is also lower grades of pashmina known as Semi-Pashmina (10-50% pashmina wool) and Half-Pashmina (50% pashmina wool) which are still of an exceptional quality but much lower price (₹1,000-3,000). Also check if they are machine woven or hand woven (look for irregularities in the wool to spot a hand woven), hand woven are stronger due to the density of the weave and cost more. Government Emporia You can also buy embroidered felt mats called Namdahs but the colours of the wool may be a bit too bright in most shops. The Government Emporia supplies might be better than some of the private shops. Kashmir Shawl Museum (A labour cooperative in association with the J&K government), 1st floor of the Auquaf Building at Dalgate at the end of The Boulevard in the centre of town (Near Dhar Medicate look for a tiny staircase heading up and a big 1st floor sign), ☏ +91 194 242 4891. They will take you through in detail the types of pashminas you can buy (and how to test them) and are fantastic in that they don't negotiate but offer a set price. Paper Machie products: Unique to Kashmir with colourful motifs and design on them. They are seen everywhere and resemble pottery in shape and design. You can also buy leather products or special jewellery of Srinagar. Cricket Bats: Kashmir is famous for willow trees and cricket bats made out of these willow wood are in great demand.

Eat

There are numerous bakeries in the city. Kashmiris are very fond of bakery products, especially pastries and cakes, and you can find these bakeries very crowded, especially around the times of major festivals. The more famous bakeries include:

Jee Enn Sons, Nallahmar Rd. Famous for its pastries, bread, bakery products, patties and themed cakes. Mughal Darbar. Notable for sweets, cakes and pastries. Shawl Bakery. Famous for its wedding cakes and boasts about its sweets and chocolates. There are a number of restaurants and cafes in Srinagar. Most of the good ones are located in Lal chowk or on Boulevard along the banks of the Dal Lake. Most of the restaurants will serve Kashmiri, Indian, Mughlai and 'Indianized' Chinese dishes. Some pure veg restaurants are also located along Boulevard. Among the veg restaurants 'Krishna Dhaba' is the most popular for its Rajma-and-kheer. Make sure you try dishes like Rogan-gosht (meat cooked in red sauce), Gushtaba (soft meat balls cooked in natural yoghurt),Rishta (soft meat balls in delicious sauce), Tabakmaaz (deep fried ribs of a lamb) and Kanti (small chunks of meat cooked with a lot of onions). All these meat items are usually eaten with rice. Another popular local delicacy called Seekh-tuji consists of marinated meat pieces which are freshly barbecued and eaten with chutney. Most of these vendors are located in the Khayaam region of the city. This place is usually teeming with teenagers, especially in the evenings. Enjoy the grilled mutton available in Srinagar. This is referred to as a "tilli" or "tekh" and mostly eaten by locals.

Drink & nightlife

Kahwah is a traditional green tea recipe from Kashmir. The tea is made from green tea leaves with saffron strands, cinnamon bark and cardamom pods. Some varieties are made as a herbal infusion only, without the green tea leaves. Generally, it is served with sugar or honey, and crushed nuts, usually almonds or walnuts. There is another form of tea that is quite famous amongst the locals, it's called 'namkeen chai' or 'nun chai'. It is pink in colour and is also called pink tea. It is made from black tea, cardamom, various spices, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Also people like nune toath and dum toath which are very famous among Sufis. Nunetoath is nunechai without milk and dumtoath is a strong form of kahwa. If searching for a beer or other drink there is a small bottle shop on the Boulevard. It's at the base of a hotel about halfway up the street and looks like a mini-Fort Knox. Ask people on the street and they'll point you in the right direction.

There, Alpine Ridge Hotel (In Gulmarg), ☏ +91 195 4254527. Inside the Alpine Ridge hotel. Western-style food and alcohol in a relaxed environment, with indie music and a fusion of local Kashmiri craft and Scandinavian woodwork in the decor. Après-ski option on the mountain. Open from 10:00 for the ski season, Dec-March.

Sleep

Due to the conflict in Kashmir, hundreds of hotels and houseboats lie empty, check in person if the hotel/houseboat still looks as nice as when they put pictures online- and that advertised services are still available as many have stopped paying for example for Wi-Fi. The upside is that the prices of accommodation have plummeted, owners will optimistically demand full rates but can be talked right down; the phrase "how many guests do you have now" saves a lot of time here. Srinagar is popular for its houseboats, which do not float free around the lake, but are anchored off-shore. It is a great and unique way to enjoy your stay in the city. Houseboats are accessible either by road, or by a short "Shikara" boat ride. Each houseboat usually has 2-5 bedrooms plus bath, dining room, living room, upper deck (good for sunbathing). Land access have the advantage of allowing you to leave if you feel uncomfortable, or just like going for a walk, although they tend to be noisier. There are houseboats on Dal and Nagin lakes. These can cost anything from ₹300-5,000 (October 2018) depending upon the time of the year. Houseboats on Nagin lake are upscale and more expensive but are much more beautiful, and the Nagin lake location is serene. Expect to pay up to ₹3,000 for a couple on the deluxe boats. Boats on the Jhelum river are cheaper yet, but still comfortable, and close to the bus station, good if you are just transiting Srinagar to or from Ladakh. Be sure to take a 1-hour boat tour of the lake inlets to get a nice glimpse of life and wildlife along the lake. Prices are about ₹300-500 per trip. A few areas are geared up for attracting tourists, but most much of the area is still reasonably untouched. There are a wide range of hotels around Dal Lake. Prices vary from ₹500-5,000.

Budget The Shelter Group Houseboats Srinagar ph.no 0194 231093, starting prices ₹600-3000, is actually​ a 3-star deluxe property, but the rates are quite reasonable and can be an interesting choice for those planning to visit Kashmir, located near to main town away from the boulevard noise, and close to the Lal Chowk area. This property has good security and safety as compare to the other houseboats. The Prince Group of Houseboats Srinagar Mobile no.09796336405 email:[email protected] Starting price ₹800 to 2800. The boat is neat and clean, and food is prepared by family members. And free information about Kashmir by the owner. Noor Guesthouse is a good budget option at the Old Market on Dal Gate, on the bottom of Dal Lake. Centrally located, rooms are either ₹250 a night (shared bat

Go next

Gulmarg is a spectacular hill station at an altitude of 2,730 m, which used to be known as Gaurimarg. Gulmarg boasts of beautiful landscapes, green backdrop and flowering gardens. Jammu Jeeps leave daily as well as buses, be aware that J&K bus company quite often go on strike. Jeep costs ₹350-450 and takes approx 8 hr. One can take package tours advertised in the Tourist Information Centre. Leh More than 400 km away from Srinagar, Leh is one of the emerging tourist destinations in India. Jeeps leave daily except Sunday, taking two days with an overnight stop in Kargil. Pahalgam Pahalgam valley is situated at confluence of Seshnag Lake's streams and Lidder River. The lush green valley is popular for those seeking relaxation. Sonamarg The authentic beauty of the region helped it to earn the name Sonamarg. Situated around 87 km from Srinagar, it is famous for hiking trails and trekking.