Gurez Valley Travel Guide
How to visit Gurez: the Razdan Pass drive, permits, Habba Khatoon, Tulail Valley, local Shina culture, where to stay and when to go.
Gulmarg and Pahalgam are beautiful, but they are not the whole of Kashmir. These eight places are quieter, less visited and just as memorable.
1. Gurez Valley
Beyond Razdan Pass, the Kishanganga River runs through a narrow valley of wooden villages beneath the pyramid-shaped Habba Khatoon peak. Stay in a guesthouse in Dawar and explore the Tulail valley. Best: late May to October.
2. Doodhpathri
The Valley of Milk is named for its streams, which run white over stones through open grassland. An easy day trip from Srinagar, under two hours away. Best: April to November.
3. Yusmarg
A meadow ringed by pine forest below the Pir Panjal, with a short walk to Nilnag Lake. Peaceful even in peak season. Best: April to November.
4. Sinthan Top
A high pass on the road towards Kishtwar, where snow walls line the road into early summer. Combine it with Kokernag on a south Kashmir day. Best: May to October.
5. Kokernag, Verinag and Achabal
The spring gardens of south Kashmir. Kokernag has a botanical garden fed by springs, Verinag is the source of the Jhelum in an octagonal Mughal tank, and Achabal is a terraced Mughal garden. All are near Anantnag and Bijbehara. Best: April to November.
6. Wular and Manasbal lakes
Wular is one of Asia’s largest freshwater lakes, and Manasbal is calm and lotus-filled, with beautiful sunsets. Both are on the road north of Srinagar. Best: April to October.
7. Bangus Valley
A remote, high meadow in Kupwara district, surrounded by forested hills. It sees very few visitors and has only basic facilities. Best: June to September.
8. Aru Valley overnight
Most people visit Aru for an hour. Stay the night in a simple guesthouse and you get the meadow to yourself at dawn, with treks to Tarsar Lake and Kolahoi Glacier starting here. Best: May to October.
Tips for offbeat travel
- Some roads open only seasonally. Check with a local before you go.
- Stays are simple guesthouses or camps. Pack a torch, warm layers and a power bank.
- Indian visitors need ID for Gurez; foreign nationals need permits for some border areas.