Kashmir in Spring: The Complete 7-Day Itinerary

Saanvi RaoApril 5, 20259 min read22.5k views

9 min read

Tulip gardens, shikaras, and a food scene that will haunt you for years. April in Kashmir is a sensory overload — in the best possible way. Here is a complete 7-day itinerary that balances the famous sights with places most visitors never find.

Days 1–2: Srinagar — Dal Lake and the old city

Stay on a houseboat on Dal Lake. Wander Khanqah-i-Moula, the 14th-century Sufi shrine on the Jhelum riverfront. Eat wazwan — the 36-course Kashmiri feast — at Mughal Darbar on Residency Road. On Day 2, visit the Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden (mid-March to mid-April only) when roughly 1.5 million tulips are in bloom across 12 terraces overlooking Dal Lake.

Days 3–4: Gulmarg — meadows and the gondola

The 2.5-hour drive from Srinagar to Gulmarg is spectacular in April — snow still crowns the peaks while the meadow itself turns green. Take the Gondola to Phase 2 (4,200m) for views deep into Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the Nanga Parbat massif. In the evenings, stay at the Khyber Resort or the simpler Hotel Highlands for proper Kashmiri kahwa before bed.

Days 5–7: Pahalgam and the Lidder Valley

Pahalgam sits at the confluence of two rivers — the Lidder and the Sheshnag stream — and in April the valley floor is carpeted in wildflowers. The Betaab Valley (named after the 1983 Bollywood film shot here) is 15km away and even less crowded than Pahalgam town. Arrange a horse trek to Baisaran meadow (2,438m) on Day 6 — the views north toward Kolahoi glacier are unlike anything else in the valley.

April in Kashmir is a sensory overload — in the best possible way. 1.5 million tulips in bloom, fresh trout from mountain streams, and shikaras gliding at dawn.

— Saanvi Rao