Top places to visit in Srinagar

• Dal Lake

  Nature · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h

  Srinagar's shimmering centrepiece, famed for its houseboats, floating gardens and vegetable markets, best experienced on a gentle shikara ride at dawn or dusk.

• Nishat Bagh

  Nature · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h · entry INR 24

  The "Garden of Joy", a grand terraced Mughal garden of 1633 on the eastern shore of Dal Lake, with fountains, chinar trees and Zabarwan mountain backdrops.

• Shalimar Bagh

  Nature · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h · entry INR 24

  The largest and most famous Mughal garden, built by Jahangir for Nur Jahan in 1619, with four rising terraces, pavilions and chinar-lined water channels.

• Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden

  Nature · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h · entry INR 200

  Asia's largest tulip garden on the Zabarwan foothills, bursting with over a million blooms across terraces for a few spectacular weeks each spring (late March-April).

• Hazratbal Shrine

  Mosque · 4.6 rating · about 0.8 h

  Kashmir's holiest Muslim shrine on the western shore of Dal Lake, a gleaming white-marble mosque enshrining a relic believed to be a hair of the Prophet Muhammad.

• Chashme Shahi

  Nature · 4.4 rating · about 0.8 h · entry INR 24

  The smallest but prettiest Mughal garden, built around a natural spring in 1632, with terraced lawns and sweeping views over Dal Lake.

• Shankaracharya Temple

  Temple · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h

  An ancient hilltop Shiva temple on Shankaracharya Hill, reached by a long stair climb, offering 360-degree panoramas over Srinagar and Dal Lake.

• Lal Chowk & Old City Bazaars

  Market · 4.2 rating · about 1.5 h

  Srinagar's commercial heart and the old-city bazaars, the place to shop for Pashmina shawls, walnut-wood carving, saffron, dried fruit and Kashmiri handicrafts.

• Jamia Masjid Srinagar

  Mosque · 4.5 rating · about 0.8 h

  A vast and serene 14th-century mosque in the old city, notable for its Indo-Saracenic architecture and 378 deodar-wood pillars around a peaceful courtyard.

• Nigeen Lake

  Nature · 4.5 rating · about 1 h

  A quieter, cleaner offshoot of Dal Lake ringed by willows and houseboats — a peaceful alternative for shikara rides and tranquil stays.

• Pari Mahal

  Heritage · 4.4 rating · about 0.8 h · entry INR 24

  A terraced 17th-century garden and former Sufi school built by Dara Shikoh on a spur above Chashme Shahi, with arched ruins and stellar Dal Lake views.

• Hari Parbat Fort

  Fort · 4.3 rating · about 1.3 h

  An 18th-century Afghan fort crowning Hari Parbat hill, ringed by a Mughal wall and revered Hindu, Muslim and Sikh shrines, with commanding city views.

Things to do

• Dal Lake Shikara Ride Leisure · 1.5 h · from INR 800 per person
• Gulmarg Gondola Day Trip Adventure · 10 h · from INR 4,000 per person
• Pahalgam Day Trip Day Trip · 10 h · from INR 4,500 per person
• Kashmiri Wazwan Cooking Experience Cooking Class · 3.5 h · from INR 2,000 per person
• Sonamarg Day Trip Day Trip · 10 h · from INR 4,500 per person
• Mughal Gardens Tour Sightseeing Tour · 4 h · from INR 1,200 per person
• Nigeen Lake Kayaking Water Sports · 1.5 h · from INR 800 per person
• Old City & Shrines Heritage Walk Walking Tour · 3 h · from INR 800 per person

Day trips and tours

• Gulmarg Gondola Day Trip 10 h · from INR 4,000
• Pahalgam Valley Day Trip 10 h · from INR 4,500
• Srinagar City & Mughal Gardens Day 8 h · from INR 2,200

Where to stay in Srinagar

• Dal Lake about INR 5,000 per night

  Houseboats and lakeside accommodations with scenic views

• Downtown about INR 3,000 per night

  Main shopping and commercial area with mid-range hotels

Hotels

• Sukoon Houseboat 4-star · INR 9,000 to INR 20,000 per night
• Butt's Clermont Houseboats 4-star · INR 6,000 to INR 12,000 per night
• The Lalit Grand Palace Srinagar 5-star · INR 14,000 to INR 28,000 per night
• Vivanta Dal View 5-star · INR 10,000 to INR 20,000 per night
• WelcomHeritage Gurkha Houseboats 4-star · INR 7,000 to INR 15,000 per night
• Pasadona Super Deluxe Houseboat 3-star · INR 2,300 to INR 3,200 per night

Where to eat

• Ahdoos Kashmiri, Mughlai, North Indian · about INR 800 per person
• Mughal Darbar Kashmiri, Mughlai, North Indian · about INR 850 per person
• Krishna Vaishno Dhaba North Indian, Vegetarian, Punjabi · about INR 350 per person
• Cafe Liberte Cafe, Continental, Bakery · about INR 550 per person
• Lhasa Restaurant Tibetan, Chinese, Kashmiri · about INR 600 per person
• Shamyana Restaurant Kashmiri, Mughlai, Chinese · about INR 700 per person
• Winterfell Cafe Continental, Cafe, Fast Food · about INR 500 per person
• Kong Posh Restaurant Kashmiri, North Indian · about INR 650 per person

Getting around

• Shared Taxi main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Taxi main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Walking

  Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.

Safety and scams to avoid

• Pre-paid taxi "broken meter"

  Airports, train stations, popular squares

  Driver insists meter is broken, quotes ~3x the fair price; or detours via "shopping" stops earning commission.

  How to avoid it: Use pre-paid taxi counter at airport, or Uber/Ola/Rapido apps. Insist on meter or agree price upfront.

More in India

• New Delhi
• Agra
• Jaipur
• Panaji
• Mumbai
• Varanasi