Where to go in the valley, how long to stay, and which Kashmir holiday packages cover each place.
2–3 nights · All year
The summer capital sits on the shores of Dal and Nigeen lakes. Stay a night on a houseboat, take a shikara at sunset and visit the floating market at dawn.
1–2 nights · 2 hrs from Srinagar
Gulmarg is a cup-shaped meadow at 2,650 m. In winter it becomes India's best ski resort; in summer it is carpeted with wildflowers.
1–3 nights · 3 hrs from Srinagar
The Valley of Shepherds sits where the Lidder River leaves the mountains. Pine forest, river meadows and quiet evenings make it a favourite for couples and families.
Day trip or 1 night · 3 hrs from Srinagar
The Meadow of Gold lies along the Sindh River beneath glaciers. It is the last town before Zojila Pass and the road to Ladakh.
For your second visit
Log-house villages on the Kishanganga River below Habba Khatoon peak. Open roughly May to October.
The Valley of Milk, with streams running white over stones through open grassland. A day trip from Srinagar.
Pine-ringed meadows with views of the Pir Panjal, quiet even in peak season.
Spring-fed Mughal gardens in south Kashmir, close to Anantnag and Bijbehara.
Calm lotus-filled Manasbal and Wular, one of Asia's largest freshwater lakes.
A high mountain pass with snow walls into early summer, on the road to Kishtwar.