The shape of this journey
Six days across the four names everyone comes for, Dal Lake and the Mughal gardens, the meadows of Gulmarg, the Lidder valley at Pahalgam and the Thajiwas glacier at Sonamarg, with slow mornings and no dawn-to-dusk driving.
What makes it worth it
- Sunrise shikara ride on Dal Lake through the floating vegetable market
- Gulmarg Gondola Phase 1 & 2 to Apharwat at 3,979 m
- Lidder valley walk and pony ride at Baisaran, Pahalgam
- Thajiwas Glacier by pony or on foot from Sonamarg
- Mughal gardens, Nishat, Shalimar and the Chashme Shahi
- A night aboard an inspected Dal Lake houseboat
Day by day
Day 1 · Arrive Srinagar · Dal Lake and a slow evening
You are met at Srinagar airport and driven to your houseboat or hotel. Afternoon shikara ride on Dal Lake past the floating gardens, then a walk through the Mughal garden of Nishat Bagh with the Zabarwan hills behind it.
Stay: Deluxe houseboat, Dal Lake · Meals: Dinner · Travel: Airport transfer · 30 min · Altitude: 1,585 m
Day 2 · Srinagar old city · gardens, crafts and Jama Masjid
A slow morning on the lake, then the old city: Shalimar Bagh and Chashme Shahi, the walnut-carving workshops and papier-mâché studios of Zaina Kadal, and the ninth-century Jama Masjid with its 378 deodar pillars.
Stay: Deluxe houseboat, Dal Lake · Meals: Breakfast, dinner · Travel: Local · 20 min · Altitude: 1,585 m
Day 3 · Gulmarg · gondola to Apharwat and the world's highest golf course
An early start to beat the tour buses. Gondola Phase 1 to Kongdoori and Phase 2 to Apharwat ridge at 3,979 m if the weather holds, then the meadow, the golf course and a pony ride back down the mountain.
Stay: Hotel, Gulmarg · Meals: Breakfast, dinner · Travel: Srinagar → Gulmarg · 2 hrs · Altitude: 2,730 m · Apharwat 3,979 m
Day 4 · Pahalgam · Lidder valley, Betaab and Baisaran
Down through the saffron fields of Pampore and along the Lidder to Pahalgam. Betaab valley, Aru, and the pony track up to Baisaran for the view back over the town, with a trout lunch by the river.
Stay: Riverside hotel, Pahalgam · Meals: Breakfast, dinner · Travel: Gulmarg → Pahalgam · 3.5 hrs · Altitude: 2,130 m
Day 5 · Sonamarg · Thajiwas glacier and the road to the high pass
Across to Sonamarg for the Thajiwas glacier — a 90-minute walk or a short pony ride from the road — with the Sindh river running beside you the whole way and Zoji La visible in the distance.
Stay: Houseboat, Dal Lake · Meals: Breakfast, dinner · Travel: Pahalgam → Sonamarg · 3 hrs · Altitude: 2,740 m
Day 6 · Departure · saffron, Kheer Bhawani or one last shikara
A final morning for saffron and pashmina, an optional stop at the spring-fed Kheer Bhawani temple, and the airport drop.
Meals: Breakfast · Travel: Airport transfer · 30 min · Altitude: 1,585 m
What is included
- 5 nights accommodation, 1 night deluxe houseboat, 4 nights hotel
- Daily breakfast and dinner at your hotel
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for the full programme
- All sightseeing, tolls, parking, driver allowance and fuel
- Shikara ride on Dal Lake (one hour)
- Gulmarg Gondola Phase 1 tickets
- Airport pick-up and drop at Srinagar
- 24×7 on-ground trip manager on WhatsApp
- Not included: Airfare or train fare to and from Srinagar
- Not included: Lunch, and any meals not listed above
- Not included: Gondola Phase 2, pony rides, sledging, ATV and other optional activities
- Not included: Union taxi charges at Gulmarg and Pahalgam for local point transfers
- Not included: Entry tickets to gardens, monuments and the Tulip Garden
- Not included: Personal expenses, tips, insurance and anything caused by weather or road closures
No hidden charges on the road: driver allowance, tolls, parking and fuel are inside your quotation.
We do not publish rates.
Hotel and transport costs move with the season, the week and availability. Send your dates and we come back with an itemised written quote within a few working hours.