Travel style · Kashmir
Photography in Kashmir
Light, height and the right hour
Trips built around light: first sun on Khangchendzonga from Pelling, star skies over Chandratal and Hanle, prayer halls at dawn, apricot blossom in April. With notes on where photography is not allowed.
Photo: KennyOMG · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsMountain light changes fast. The best of it is the first and last hour, which means early starts and evenings without a long drive.
Kashmir is a 135 km long valley at about 1,600 m, ringed by the Pir Panjal and the Great Himalaya. Come April to June for tulips and meadows, September to November for chinar and saffron, January to March for snow in Gulmarg. Six to eight nights covers Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg.
Trips
Photography trips in Kashmir
Photo: Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Comfort
Kashmir in autumn: saffron, chinars and Aru
Private car with driver
Photo: Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Comfort
Classic Kashmir: Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam
Private car with driver
Photo: Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Saver
Gurez Valley on a budget by shared Sumo
JKSRTC or private bus to Bandipora, shared Sumos, one shared car day
Photo: Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Saver
Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam on a budget
Shared Sumos, the valley train and a shared union taxi in Pahalgam
Photo: Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Signature
Signature Kashmir: palace, meadow and river
Private car with driver and a private guide
6 places
Where to go
Photo: KennyOMG · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Aru Valley
Trailhead village for Lidderwat, Kolahoi and Tarsar
Photo: Nadeem Hassan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Dachigam National Park
Home of the hangul, 22 km from Srinagar
Photo: Ankur P from Pune, India · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Doodhpathri
The valley of milk, 42 km from Srinagar
Photo: Aniketchoudhary87 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Gurez Valley
Log villages on the Kishanganga below Habba Khatoon peak
Photo: Umarsami · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Pampore
Saffron town on the karewas, 15 km from Srinagar
Photo: Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Srinagar
Houseboats, Mughal gardens and an old city of craftsmen
Experiences
Days that fit the style
Photo: Mike Prince from Bangalore, India · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Aru to Lidderwat along the stream
A long but steady walk of about 10 km each way leads from Aru village through fir forest and meadow to Lidderwat, where…
Photo: Irfanaru · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Tarsar and Marsar lakes trek from Aru
From Aru, this trek climbs via Lidderwat and Shekwas to Tarsar, a deep blue lake below steep peaks at about 3,800 m, th…
Photo: Oliver139 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Meet the herders' camps above Aru
From June to September, Gujjar and Bakarwal families camp in the meadows above Aru with goats, sheep and horses. A slow…
Photo: Jyoti Chaurasia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Morning wildlife walk in lower Dachigam
Lower Dachigam is a broad, gentle valley floor of forest, orchards and meadow along the Dagwan. A guided morning walk o…
Photo: Tahirshawl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Listening for the hangul rut in autumn
In autumn, hangul stags bugle across the forested slopes of Dachigam during the rut. Hearing their calls at dawn, and w…
Photo: Jyoti Chaurasia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Birding along the Dagwan river
The Dagwan river and the mixed forest of lower Dachigam are good for birds, especially in spring when summer visitors a…
Photo: Ankur P from Pune, India · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Riverbank and meadow walk on the Shaliganga
Walk along the Shaliganga from the main meadow, cross on log bridges, and climb gently to open grassland with views of …
Photo: Ankur P from Pune, India · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons
Pony ride from Doodhpathri to Mujpathri
Mujpathri is a small hamlet on the bank of the Shaliganga beyond the main Doodhpathri meadow. A pony ride there and bac…
Where to sleep
Stays in these places
Photo: McKay Savage · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Budget
Zostel Srinagar
A backpacker hostel in the Nishat area, a short walk from the eastern shore of Dal Lake, with dorm beds, private r…
Photo: Aniketchoudhary87 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Budget
JKTDC Tourist Bungalow and Huts, Dawar
JKTDC's accommodation at Dawar, the main township of Gurez, includes a tourist bungalow with rooms and log huts ne…
Photo: GharWapsi · CC0 · Commons
Mid
Ahdoos Hotel
A long-established city hotel on Residency Road in central Srinagar, best known for its restaurant, one of the val…
Photo: Vinayaraj · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Luxury
The LaLiT Grand Palace Srinagar
The former Gulab Bhavan, a summer palace completed in 1910 for Maharaja Pratap Singh, set in large lawns with chin…