Srinagar
Best time: March to October
Altitude: 1,730 m
Srinagar is where most Kashmir trips begin and end, and it earns that role. The city sits around Dal Lake and the smaller Nigeen Lake, with houseboats moored along the water and shikaras (the flat-bottomed wooden boats used here for everything from ferrying tourists to selling vegetables) crossing between them through the morning mist.
Beyond the lake, Srinagar's Mughal gardens — Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh and Chashme Shahi — are terraced lawns built in the 17th century with mountain views at every level. The old city around Jama Masjid and the Khanqah-e-Moula shrine has narrow lanes, wood-and-brick architecture, and a slower pace worth setting aside half a day for.
Travel tips
- A night or two on a houseboat is worth doing once; most travellers prefer a hotel for the rest of the stay since houseboats can feel cut off from the city.
- Shikara rides are usually priced per boat, not per person — agree on the rate and duration before you start.
- Srinagar airport has security formalities that take longer than most domestic airports; arrive with extra time.
- Winters (December–February) are cold with occasional snowfall in the city itself; carry heavy woollens if travelling then.
