Visiting Kashmir in end of September

Hi All
This is my first post in IndiaMike. I am very thankful to all the fellow mikers because of the valuable information which I have received from different threads about Kashmir.
I am going with my wife to visit Kashmir in the end of September

My Itinerary in kashmir is as follows:

Sep 23rd: Delhi to Jammu by Uttar S Kranti
Sep 24th: Jammu to Srinagar by shared cab
Sep 25th: Going around Srinagar:visiting Mughal Gardens,Shikara ride,Shankarcharya temple
Sep 26th: Srinagar-Gulmarg-Srinagar
Sep 27th: Srinagar-Sonmarg-Srinagar
Sep 28th: Srinagar- Pahalgam night stay at Pahalgam
Sep 29th: Going around Pahalgam
Sep 30th: Pahalgam to Katra and going to Mata Vaishno Devi
Oct 1: Jammu to Delhi by Uttar S Kranti and reaching Delhi on Oct2

Is the Itinerary realistic pls suggest.

There are some information I need.

1. Are they any JKTDC buses from Srinagar to Sonmarg and back. What is the time taken and how comfortable are they?

2. Buses from Srinagar to Pahalgam and Pahalgam to Katra?

3. Good family Hotels at Srinagar(by the side of Dal Lake) and Phalgam(by the side of Lidder River) @1000; Is there any hurry to book them in advance or we can go and simply find them

4. Good eateries/restaurants(Non Veg) at Srinagar and Pahalgam.

5.What are the Shikara rates per hour or taking a trip around the floating markets and to the mughal gardens?

6. Places to visit in Pahalgam in 2days and the pony charges?

7. Places to visit in Sonmarg in one day?


Thanks in Advance
Waiting for your replies

Welcome to Indiamike.

You can also consider going up to Udhampur on the Sampark Kranti Express, as the early morning train ride is very scenic and you can enjoy some wonderful views. You can start your road journey from there.

Check this blog by one of our IM'er Arun http://destinytravel.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the replies... Yah considered Udhampur but i have already got a reservation till Jammu. I have to negotiate with the TTE. What is the time taken from Udhampur to go to Srinagar...and if there are any shared cabs from Udhampur-Srinagar(what are the rates)

I am first considering to go to Pahalgam. Can I get a shared cab from jammu to Pahalgam? From where I can get it, what is the rate and what time it takes to go to Pahalgam?
Can I get share cabs from Udhampur also?
Thanks in advance

4.pahalgam- i had stayed at mantoo cottages but that exceeds your budget(around 1700). Still there are several small places where you won't need to book.
Srinagar- I had stayed with a family, their place was about 5mins from dal gate, about 20min from the best views of the dal. So do ask me if you don't mind this location.
5. At srinagar you cango to mughal darbar for wazwan and there are plenty of places offering wazwan in the pahalgam market.
6.In pahalgam you can go to baisaran on a pony, just go beyond the tea stalls and tourists and you will be in a different world.
Another place which i just love is the betaab valley- ask you ponywallah to take inside the valley through apple orchards. Pony charges could be around 400-600 per person, bargain hard.

7. Sonamarg is the best place so one day is just not enough and plus it's slightly far off!! I would say drop gulmarg and stay at sonamarg.

My trip account
Go through it.

Thanks ashwin for the useful inputs. There is a little bit of change in my itinerary I will go to Pahalgam on Sep 26 and stay there for 3days. In between the 3 days I will go to Sonmarg from Pahalgam.Are there shared cabs available from Pahalgam to Sonmarg? How much time it takes(I think it takes less time than Srinagar-Pahalgam). I have heard lot of Himalaya House, Hotel Lidder Palace and Alpine Inn in Pahalgam, the first two suits my pocket but the rates of Alpine Inn are around INR3000 in their sites but i think it will be offseason there and I will get a heavy discount. In srinagar I am thinking of Hotel Ishfan. Mikers your thoughts please!!

Sonamarg to pahalgam takes 6-7hrs and you pass through srinagar. So drop that idea.

Hi Ashwin,
To go to Sonmarg from Pahlgam is it through Srinagar? Actually in google maps I have seen another route, may be some confusion!!
Thanks buddy for the info.

As far as i know no such road exists, check with some taxi union, maybe it's a newly built one.

Hi All
Is there any shared cab service available fro Pahlgam to Katra or Pahlgam to Jammu? If yes what is the time taken for the journey? Thanks in advance

Hi All,
Is there any shared cab service available from Udhampur to Srinagar?(If yes from where Railway Station or Bus Stand)
Thanks in Advance

Dear Prasaraj, Here are my inputs to some of your queries.

I have been to Kashmir in the first week of May. Go first to Srinagar. JKTDC Buses are strictly no for such a long journey. If you are worried about the transportation from Jammu to Srinagar, I just tell you the best option. There are Luxery Sleeper Buses available from Jammu to Srinagar which departs from Jammu Bus stand at around 8 PM. They do the night journey till Jawahar Tunnel and rest there till morning 8 when the same is open for onward journey. The beautiful Kashmir vally is after Tunnel only and you can enjoy the scenic beuty in your early morning journey up to Srinagar.

Drop the idea of roaming in Kashmir vally in the State Transport bus. They are there but for the local people only. You will be tired and the speed will kill your precious time.

Since I am vegitarian so no help in the food section.


You can get shared Cab from Pahalgam to Katra or Jammu, enquire at Local Bus depot.

Ashwin is right, as far as know there is only one way to reach Sonamarg; i.e. through Srinagar Leh highway. There is one trekking route from Pahalgam to Sonamarg which is altogether a different option.

Stay option at Pahalgam - Walk 1-2 km on the road above the Pahalgam towards Chandanbari and there are good staying options at Village Laripora. Offcourse the best one " Mantoo Cottege" is also there but the rate depends upon the tourist rush. I stayed there in my trip at Rs. 600/- per day (Don't tell Mr. Mantoo that I have shared this on forum) due to off peak season.

Apart from the popular Gulmarg/ Sonamarg day trips, you can also plan day trip to Yusmarg via Charar-e-sharif. It will give you the true glimplse of Kashmir. Hire a Sumo Taxi from Taxi Union Stand near Dal Gate at Srinagar for the same at around 1200/- for the same.

One more option is to have Circle trip of famous Wuler Lake. This was the best day of my 11 day Kashmir Trip. There are many attractions on this route. (Baba Shakuruddind Dargah on the top of Lake, Watlab on the banks of Lake, picturisque Manasbal lake and famous shrine Mata Khirbhawani Temple).

There is some good news about the night travel from Jammu to Srinagar. The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has decided to keep the highway 24 hours open so now the bus which leaves Jammu at 9pm would probably arrive in Srinagar at 7am morning.Of course the catch is you would probably miss all the Kashmir beauty in the pre morning darkness

As per this news the tunnel is now open 24X7
http://www.igovernment.in/site/Jawah...now-open-24x7/

But I got confused by the following blog, it was posted on April 21 '09. I am not sure the date of journey:
http://travel.sulekha.com/india/jamm...nel/f-4307.htm