Kashmir Splendors

On your arrival at the Srinagar International Airport, you will be welcomed by our representative who will assist and escort you to your waiting vehicle. From the airport it is a 35 minutes drive through the heart of New Srinagar city. The drive takes you past the Abdullah bridge which connects the banks of the Jehlum river, snaking its way towards the North-Western frontier of Kashmir. Today we will do some half a day of local sightseeing that includes a visit to the famous Mughal gardens of Nishat and Shalimar. Built in between a period of 14 years the two gardens are a heritage left behind by the erstwhile Mughals, whose taste for laying exquisite gardens was fascinating. With a backdrop of the sprawling Zabarwan mountains, the gardens boast of green turfs, blooming flowers and cascading water fountains. We will explore the gardens and later drive for a 02 hrs shikara ride in the lake. This boat ride glides you past some wonderful vegetable gardens and aquatic life. Dinner and overnight in hotel / houseboats.

After breakfast in the morning, we will begin our country tour towards Gulmarg. The drive past colorful villages and rice fields, gives you an insight of the rich cultural past of Kashmir. We arrive at a small picturesque market town of Tangmarg and drive ahead on a scenic drive of 14 kilometers to Gulmarg. We arrive in Gulmarg early in the afternoon and check in at the hotel. Later we will begin a short tour around the meadow familiarizing ourselves with the beauty. In Gulmarg we will board the Gondola cable car system, and ascend towards the Afarwatt Mountain range. The 08 minutes of rope way will take you past colorful shepherd hutments to the lower ridge of the Afarwatt peak. From here you can click lots of photos of the nearby mountain ranges that stand tall like sentinels guarding the rich natural beauty of Kashmir valley. We descend back to Gulmarg base after an hour or so and later do some horse-riding to the strawberry valley. We will stay at the hotel for overnight.

Our luggage will be hauled up on the vehicle as we finish our breakfast and prepare for the drive to Pahalgam. We will descend back to the valley floor of Tangmarg and continue our jeep ride to the outskirts of Srinagar where we will cicum-navigate the bypass and drive onwards on the National Highway 1A. This road connects the Valley to the rest of the country. We drive past the saffron fields of Pampore, the marvellous ruins of Avantipura and the village of Bijbehara which remains famous as the bread basket of Kashmir. You can even sample a few exotic breads sold by vendors near the road. We switch the the national highway at Khanabal and drive through the second largest city of Anantnag. From here the road turns scenic as we drive parallel on the Lidder river flowing from the opposite direction. In Pahalgam we check in at the hotel and later do some nature walks to unwind ourselves. Overnight in hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, you can opt to spend your half a day of sightseeing by driving to the picturesque Chandanwari and Betaab valley or ride by horseback across the wildlife sanctuary towards Baisaran meadows. After your return from the beautiful meadows, you will be driven back to Srinagar. In Srinagar you will check in at the hotel / houseboats for your overnight stay. In the evening you can go for shopping around the local flea markets and also do window shopping or enjoy yet another short ride of the famous shikara. Overnight in houseboats / hotel.

After a late morning breakfast, we will drive to the airport for your flight home. On your way to the airport you can make a brief stopover for some last minute shopping in the city center. At the airport the driver will assist you with your luggage screening and drop you at outside the terminal gate.