When to visit Kashmir: seasons, roads and snow

Kashmir's four seasons in short

The Kashmir valley floor sits near 1,600 m and is ringed by mountains, so it has four clear seasons rather than a monsoon. Kashmiris name them sonth for spring, grishm for summer, harud for autumn and wandh for winter. Each changes what you can do, which roads are open and what you pay.

Spring, from March to May, brings almond blossom, then tulips, then fresh green on the meadows, with some rain. Summer, June to August, is warm in Srinagar and pleasant in the hills, with afternoon showers and the Amarnath pilgrimage. Autumn, September to November, is dry and clear, with chinars turning red and saffron in flower. Winter, December to February, is cold, with snow in Gulmarg and on the hills and the lakes freezing at the edges in the coldest weeks.

Month by month at a glance

The table uses typical Srinagar temperatures. Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg are 6–10 °C cooler, and Gurez is cooler still at night. Weather varies year to year.

Ratings in our planning follow the same pattern: September, October, April, May and June are our top months for a first trip; January and February are top months only if snow is the point of the journey. March, July, August, November and December all work well with the right plan and a little flexibility.

city · 1,585 mSrinagarhill station · 2,650 mGulmarg

Spring: blossom, tulips and green meadows

Spring starts with almond blossom in the old Badamwari garden below Hari Parbat in March, weather permitting. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden on the Zabarwan slopes usually opens in late March or early April for three to four weeks; the Floriculture Department announces dates each year, and bloom depends on temperature. Weekdays at opening time are far quieter than weekend afternoons.

By May the meadows of Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Doodhpathri and Yusmarg are green and the peaks still carry snow. This is the most popular time with Indian families, and also the most expensive. Book rooms, flights and gondola slots weeks ahead, and plan meadow day trips for weekdays, because Srinagar families fill Doodhpathri and Yusmarg on Sundays.

Spring weather is changeable. A warm week can be followed by two days of rain and fresh snow on the hills, and Gondola Phase 2 at Apharwat often stays closed or snowbound into April. Pack a rain shell and a warm layer even in May, and keep one flexible day for the meadows. The Kheer Bhawani mela at Tulmulla, on Jyeshtha Ashtami in May or June, draws Kashmiri Pandit families from across India and is worth timing a trip around.

Summer and the Amarnath Yatra

June to August is the season for high ground. The road over the Razdan Pass to Gurez is usually open from about late May, and treks such as the Kashmir Great Lakes route from Sonamarg run from about July to September. Srinagar can reach the low 30s °C in the afternoon, so plan city sights for mornings and evenings.

The Amarnath Yatra runs in July and August, in the Hindu month of Shravan, from base camps at Pahalgam and Baltal near Sonamarg. Hundreds of thousands of registered pilgrims travel, and security is heavy. For other travellers it means convoy timings on the Pahalgam and Sonamarg roads, full hotels in those towns and, at times, restricted access to Chandanwari and nearby meadows. Srinagar, Gulmarg and Gurez are much less affected. Check current status before you travel.

Summer rain comes as short afternoon showers rather than a monsoon, but heavy spells do cause landslides on the Jammu highway and on mountain roads. July and August are also the months when Srinagar is busiest with traffic, so plan Mughal garden visits at opening time and keep the boulevard for the evening.

Autumn: the clearest season

September and October are the steadiest months in the valley. Rain is rare, the air is clear, and every road is normally open, including Gurez and Zoji La. It is our first choice for most travellers, and prices sit at shoulder-season levels.

From late October the chinars turn red and copper in the Mughal gardens and along the Jhelum, and the saffron crocus flowers on the karewas around Pampore, usually for about three weeks from the last week of October. Nights get cold quickly: by November, Srinagar mornings are near freezing and the first snow often dusts the high peaks. Some guesthouses in Aru, Sonamarg and Gurez close by mid-November, and the Gurez road shuts with the first heavy snow.

Autumn is also harvest time. Paddy is cut and stacked in the fields in September and October, apples are picked and packed in the orchards of the south and north of the valley, and families dry vegetables on their roofs for winter. Roads past the orchards around Sopore and Shopian are lined with fruit trucks heading for the plains.

Winter: snow, Gulmarg and Chillai Kalan

Winter is for snow. Gulmarg usually has skiable snow from late December or early January to March, and its gondola and slopes draw skiers from India and abroad. Sonamarg and Pahalgam take snow too, and day trips are possible when roads are cleared. The Sonamarg tunnel at Z-Morh, opened in early 2025, keeps that road open beyond its old winter limit, subject to snow clearance.

The coldest stretch is Chillai Kalan, the 40 days from about 21 December to late January. People wear the long woollen pheran and carry a kangri, a wicker-wrapped clay pot of embers, beneath it. Harissa, slow-cooked mutton and rice, is sold in old-city shops at dawn. Snow and fog can close the Jammu–Srinagar highway and delay flights for a day or more, so keep buffer days.

Winter has quiet rewards beyond Gulmarg. Srinagar has few visitors, hotels and houseboats are cheap, and the Mughal gardens and Dal Lake under snow are rarely crowded. Power cuts are more frequent, so choose rooms with backup heating and ask about it before booking.

Roads, passes and altitude

Most of Kashmir's tourist places sit between 1,585 m and 2,750 m, where altitude is rarely a problem for healthy travellers. The exceptions are Gondola Phase 2 at Apharwat, near 3,950 m, the Razdan Pass on the way to Gurez at about 3,300 m, and Zoji La at about 3,528 m. You only pass through these, but walk slowly at the top, drink water and come down if you feel unwell. If you have heart or lung conditions, talk to your doctor before travelling.

Opening windows below are typical, not guaranteed. Snow, landslides and security can change them at short notice; check current status before you travel.