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Travel guide

Best Time to Visit Kashmir: A Month-by-Month Guide

April to June and September to October are the strongest months for Kashmir; January, February, December are the reliable snow months at Gulmarg. March is the cheapest month with…

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Srinagar
1585 m, 0m from Srinagar
Gulmarg
2650 m, 1h 45m from Srinagar
Pahalgam
2130 m, 2h 30m from Srinagar
Sonamarg
2730 m, 2h 45m from Srinagar

April to June and September to October are the strongest months for Kashmir; January, February, December are the reliable snow months at Gulmarg. March is the cheapest month with usable weather and June is the busiest. Sonamarg is usually closed by snow from December to early April.

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Month by month

January
The coldest month(crowds 3/5 · price 3/5)
February
Still firmly winter with reliable snow cover at Gulmarg, but days lengthen and the deep freeze eases through the month(crowds 3/5 · price 3/5)
March
Transition month(crowds 2/5 · price 1/5)
April
The tulip month and the start of peak season(crowds 4/5 · price 4/5)
May
Warm days, green meadows, and the point at which Sonamarg and the higher valleys usually reopen(crowds 4/5 · price 4/5)
June
Peak summer and peak crowding — Indian school holidays(crowds 5/5 · price 5/5)
July
Warmest month with occasional monsoon spillover(crowds 4/5 · price 4/5)
August
Similar to July with slightly more rain(crowds 3/5 · price 3/5)
September
Arguably the best-value month — summer warmth without summer crowds, and the first chinar colour towards month end(crowds 3/5 · price 3/5)
October
Chinar season(crowds 3/5 · price 2/5)
November
Late autumn turning to early winter(crowds 1/5 · price 1/5)
December
Winter proper(crowds 4/5 · price 4/5)

Kashmir month by month

Kashmir in pictures

  • Shikara boats and a lantern-lit houseboat on Dal Lake at sunset, snow peaks behind
    Dal Lake, Srinagar — evening shikara ride
  • Red Gulmarg Gondola cabin climbing above snow-covered pines towards the Pir Panjal range
    Gulmarg Gondola — Phase 1 towards Kongdoori
  • A fast river running over boulders through a green pine valley below snow-capped peaks
    The Lidder valley at Pahalgam
  • Visitors sledging and building a snowman on the snowfield at Sonamarg, glacier peaks behind
    Sonamarg under snow — open May to September
  • Rows of red, yellow and pink tulips below snow-capped mountains at the Srinagar tulip garden
    Tulip garden, Srinagar — a short window each April
  • Terraced fountains and flower beds of a Mughal garden running down towards Dal Lake
    Mughal gardens above Dal Lake, Srinagar
  • A boatman rowing a canopied shikara past a carved wooden houseboat at sunset
    Houseboat and shikara, Dal Lake
  • Group tour travellers photographed together at Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg
    Group departures across the three main valleys

Watch before you plan

Two walkthroughs from our own channel — what a family trip and a honeymoon itinerary actually look like on the ground.

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Our current packages

Printed rates for our standard Kashmir itineraries. Tap any sheet to read it at full size, or send us your dates for a quote against them.

Prices shown are package totals on the terms printed on each sheet. Airfare, gondola tickets and local union taxi charges are excluded — ask us for a quote against your dates.

Frequently asked questions

How do you choose a Kashmir tour operator?

Ask three things. What is excluded — a straight operator will tell you the gondola, pony rides and the local union taxis at Pahalgam and Sonamarg are extra, because they are. Who you speak to on the ground if a road closes. And whether the itinerary matches the season: any winter package including Sonamarg is wrong, because it is snowbound. An operator who answers all three plainly is worth more than one quoting the lowest number.

What is included in a full package tour?

On ours: accommodation on the stated meal plan, all transfers and sightseeing by private vehicle, driver allowance, tolls, parking and taxes, plus a one-hour Dal Lake shikara ride. Not included: airfare, the Gulmarg gondola, pony rides, local union taxi charges beyond Pahalgam and at Sonamarg, entry fees to monuments, and personal expenses. Every one of those exclusions is printed on our sheets.

Which Kashmir package should you choose?

Match it to your group size first, because that is what moves the price. Four nights covers the main circuit; five lets you sleep in Pahalgam and on a houseboat instead of returning to Srinagar each night. Then pick the vehicle — a sedan for up to four, an Innova for four in comfort, a Tempo Traveller from eight upward, where the per-head cost falls sharply.

Do Indian nationals need a permit for Kashmir?

No permit is required for Indian nationals visiting Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam or Sonamarg. High-altitude treks such as Tarsar–Marsar do require registration and a licensed guide, arranged locally.

Why do I need a separate local taxi at Pahalgam?

Vehicles from Srinagar are not permitted beyond Pahalgam town. Travel to Betaab Valley, Aru Valley and Chandanwari must use local union taxis, which are charged locally and are not part of any package transfer.

How reliable is snow at Gulmarg?

Reliable from roughly late December through February. November and early December are a gamble. If snow is the entire reason for the trip, January and February are the safest months.

Turn this into an actual itinerary

Tell us your dates and we will map this guide onto a costed plan.

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