We have always been impressed by Kashmir from the pictures we have been seeing of it to the cameos Kashmir has in our movies. It is called heaven on earth for good reason. We would wonder when is the best time to visit Kashmir. After our trip, we can safely tell you the best time to visit Kashmir is always now!
Day 1: Srinagar
After arriving in Srinagar, we checked in to our hotel and after a brief rest we headed to the Mughal Gardens, also known as Shalimar Bagh. What a beautiful sight it was! The perfectly manicured gardens located by the Dal Lake overlooking the hills, it is aptly called the crown of Srinagar. We had a lovely walk through it taking in all that we could see.
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We headed next to the Shankaracharya temple. Seated atop a hill, close to thousand feet above the rest of the city, it is the ideal spot for a holy site – and what a holy site it is! To think that this place has major contributions to such an essential aspect of the Hindu religion was an enriching experience. The panoramic views of Srinagar from the hill added to ambience of the place.
Day 2: Gulmarg day trip
The next day we headed for Gulmarg. Gulmarg literally translates to a meadow of flowers and we were definitely in for a treat. The beautiful scenery started on our way there. And Gulmarg itself was breathtaking, no wonder it is called one of the best hill stations in the world. We also enjoyed the cable car ride there and we strongly recommend it.
Day 3: Srinagar to Pahalgam
We checked out of our hotel and headed to Pahalgam. We had heard so much about the place and so did not want to miss out on the Pahalgam tour packages. It was another beautiful drive – the roads were lined with apple trees and for some sections pine trees. We also saw lots of sheep and horses grazing in the meadows. Our hotel was right by the river and the sound of the river flowing and us nestled in the arms of Kashmir was an absolutely amazing.
Unfortunately, we could not go on the pony ride which takes us on the excursion to lush meadows and thick pine forests dubbed as mini Kashmir.
Day4: Our stay in Houseboat in Kashmir’s Dal lake
We headed back to Srinagar, Dal Lake to be precise. We thoroughly enjoyed our Shikara ride. What a pretty sight it was! There were tons of shops on other shikaras selling everything from flowers to ice cream, from kababs to handicrafts.
We stayed that night in a Houseboat in Kashmir’s Dal lake, complete with beautiful traditional Kashmiri carvings. We went with low expectations about the luxury houseboats in Kashmir but the rooms were nice and spacious and it was a very comfortable stay.
Day 5: The best time to visit Kashmir is now
What a wonderful five days it was! The beauty of one of the best places in India if not the world.
I’d like to thank iTraveller for all the lovely arrangements in what is an otherwise unknown land for us. The hotels were nice and comfortable and taxis were always on time with very courteous drivers.
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