Travel India Info

Visiting Srinagar - Kashmir

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Where to stay

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What to see

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Where to shop

Srinagar is the summer capital of the Indian province of Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and dry fruits. There was a time when Srinagar was known as India's version of Switzerland. Nagin-lakeSrinagar’s magical beauty, breathtaking landscapes, crystal clear waters make visitors fall in love with this wonderful city. With some of the best lakes and gardens, Srinagar is on the top of the list for tourists visiting India from all over the world.

Safety issues for Foreign tourists visiting

Kashmir

Political tensions and some reported kidnappings of foreigners by terrorist groups have slowed down the tourism in Srinagar Kashmir. Foreigners planning to visit Kashmir should check out the travel advisory of their home countries before making final plans on visiting Kashmir. My wife and I visited Srinagar, Kashmir in November 2013. While staying in Srinagar, we did do day trips to Pahalgam and to Betaab Valley. We did not see any disturbance of any sort during our visit. However, we made it a point not to venture out to other tourist points, one because November is not the time to visit Kashmir and also because this was our first trip to Kashmir region and we some how did not feel bold enough to travel freely. More on safety issues and tips from our visit are on a separate page on Travel India Smart.

Best time to visit:

The best time to visit Srinagar is March to October. Srinagar has a domestic airport connecting it to other parts of India. The nearest railway station is Jammu, from Jammu taxi's and buses are available to go to Srinagar. Places to see in Srinagar - Kashmir. Dal Lake: Dal Lake lies at the foot of the Shridhara mountain. It is a very popular lake with houseboats and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Srinagar. Instead of staying in a regular hotel room, rent a houseboat on the Dal Lake for a unique experience and holiday in India. Nagin Lake: This is also a popular location where houseboats can be rented. Nishat Bagh: A picturesque Mughal garden is situated on the banks of the Dal Lake. Tulip Garden: Located on the foothills of Zabarwan mountain, the tulip garden is also known as 'Siraj Bagh' by the local people. Here you will find a number of different varieties of tulips blooming in different colors laid out as a carpet! take your camera here and capture some marvelous photographs of these tulip field with a mountain background. Shalimar Bagh: This is the largest Mughal garden in Kashmir laid out by Emperor Jahangir in 1619. This garden is very popular with tourists. Chasma -i-Shahi: Close to Dal Lake, a garden laid out by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 ( builder of Taj Mahal). It is smaller than the Shalimar Bagh but worth a visit. Shankaracharya Temple: Is built on top of the Takht-i- Sulaiman hill, also known as Shankaracharya Hill. This temple dates back to the 11th century and is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Renting a houseboat in Kashmir

Everyone has heard of two, three and five star hotels when renting accommodation, when it comes to boats while there seems to be no official standard for classification for renting houseboats, operators of such rental services have adopted the same star system. So you will hear about two, three and five star houseboat rental categories when trying to rent a houseboat in Kashmir. Houseboats can have up to four rooms. They have bedrooms with attached bathrooms, living room, kitchen etc along with the serene scenery. There are many tour packages offered that not only include houseboat rental, but also the use of a chauffeured car that picks you up at the airport and takes you to the houseboat. Most houseboats come with a meal plan that is included in the rental price. Some may even have sightseeing included to nearby areas. For a party of two for a good houseboat rental with meals and airport pickup, expect to pay from Rupees 4000 to Rupees 5000 for a three night package depending on your negotiating skills and you deal with the owner. There are facilities at the Srinagar airport where you can also arrange your rental, however there is no room for negotiation here. When renting houseboats you may wish to rent houseboats that have been registered with the tourism department. There are approximately 1,200 houseboats are registered with the Jammu and Kashmir tourism department, however there are a large number of unregistered boats also. Please note: Usually, houseboats are owned by individual families who have these houseboat's as their only asset. Many houseboat owners are very poor and even though they may own a three room houseboat, they live in small quarters as the boat rental is their livelihood. When you rent a houseboat from agencies, who act as brokers for houseboat owners, they take a large cut of the rental. Renting directly benefits the poor boat owners.