Gardens and parks in Srinagar
- 01
Chashme Shahi
The smallest of Srinagar's three Mughal gardens, built in 1632 around a natural spring believed to have healing properties, with three compact terraces above Dal Lake.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Any time of day; mornings are quieter and cooler
- Tickets
- An entry ticket is charged at the gate, lower for children; check the current rate on arrival.
- 02
Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden
A large terraced garden on the Zabarwan foothills, planted with over a million tulip bulbs each spring, generally considered Asia's largest tulip garden and open only during the short flowering season.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Late March to mid-April, in the first two weeks of flowering; opening dates shift each year with the weather
- Tickets
- An entry ticket is charged during the open season; the garden is closed the rest of the year, so confirm current opening and closing dates with Jammu and Kashmir Tourism before travelling.
- 03
Nishat Bagh
A twelve-terrace Mughal garden on Dal Lake, built in 1633 by Nur Jahan's brother Asif Khan, with the longest continuous view over the lake and mountains of any garden in Srinagar.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Walking
- Moderate
- Best time
- Early morning or late afternoon for cooler air and clearer views of the lake
- Tickets
- An entry ticket is charged at the gate; a lower rate applies for children. Confirm the current fee locally, as it is revised from time to time.
- 04
Pari Mahal
A seven-terrace stone garden on the Zabarwan hills above Chashme Shahi, built by Prince Dara Shikoh in the mid-1600s as a school of Sufism and astronomy, now a floodlit ruin with the widest view over Dal Lake.
- Time needed
- 45–60 minutes
- Walking
- Moderate
- Best time
- Late afternoon for the view, or evening when the terraces are floodlit
- Tickets
- An entry ticket is charged at the gate; confirm current hours, as the site sometimes closes earlier than the lakeside gardens and is a popular evening viewpoint when floodlit.
- 05
Shalimar Bagh
The grandest of Srinagar's Mughal gardens, built for Emperor Jahangir in 1619 on the shore of Dal Lake, with a central water channel running through three rising terraces of chinar trees and fountains.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Early morning for quiet paths and soft light; October for chinar-leaf colour
- Tickets
- An entry ticket is charged at the gate, with a separate, lower rate for children; check the current fee on arrival or with the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department, as rates are revised periodically.
Landmarks in Srinagar
- 06
Dal Lake
Srinagar's central lake, roughly 18 sq km of open water, floating gardens and houseboat rows, framed by the Zabarwan hills. Almost everything else in the city is arranged around it.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours for a shikara ride; a full morning if combined with the floating gardens
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Just after sunrise, when the water is still and the light is soft; April to May and September to October for comfortable weather
- Tickets
- There is no entry ticket to the lake itself. Shikara rides are negotiated per boat, not per person; agree the route, duration and price before you set off, ideally through your hotel or houseboat to avoid haggling on the ghat.
- 07
Hazratbal Shrine
A white marble mosque on the shore of Dal Lake, said to hold a relic believed to be a hair of the Prophet Muhammad, displayed to the public only on specific religious occasions.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Early morning or late afternoon, when the light on the white marble and the lake is best
- Tickets
- No entry ticket. Dress modestly, remove footwear where indicated, and avoid visiting during main prayer times if you want a quieter look around; photography rules can vary, so ask before photographing worshippers.
Experiences in Srinagar
- 08
Dal Lake Floating Gardens
Reed-and-mud beds anchored across Dal Lake, where families grow vegetables on the water and sell them at a floating market before dawn. It is the lake's working life, not a staged attraction.
- Time needed
- 45–90 minutes as part of a longer shikara ride
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Before sunrise for the trading market; mid-morning for a quieter look at the gardens themselves
- Tickets
- No ticket; arrange as part of a shikara booking, and say in advance if you specifically want the floating market rather than a general lake ride.
- 09
Salim Ali National Park
A small forest national park above Dal Lake in the Zabarwan foothills, also called City Forest, about 9 sq km and notified in 1986. Part of it became the Royal Springs golf course, so public access is limited.
- Time needed
- 1 to 2 hours
- Walking
- Moderate
- Best time
- April to November, mornings
- Tickets
- Opening hours of 9 am to 5 pm and guided birdwatching are listed by the tourism board, but entry procedure and any fee are not published. Confirm with the wildlife department, as part of the area is the Royal Springs golf course.
Day trips in Srinagar
- 10
Dachigam National Park
A protected Zabarwan forest north-east of Srinagar, the last home of the hangul or Kashmir stag. Entry is by advance online booking, and the park is closed on Tuesdays.
- Time needed
- Half to full day
- Walking
- Moderate
- Best time
- April to October for access; autumn for hangul activity
- Tickets
- Permission is requested online through the Department of Wildlife Protection portal. Published rules list one booking per day, groups of up to 15, ID proof of one member and no refunds or date changes once paid. The park is closed on Tuesdays. Fees were listed as Rs 25 (Indian) and Rs 50 (foreign) with extra for cameras; confirm on the portal.
Forts in Srinagar
- 11
Hari Parbat Fort (Koh-e-Maran)
The 1808 fort on Hari Parbat, the hill that rises over Srinagar's old city, with Sharika Devi temple and the Makhdoom Sahib shrine on its slopes. Entry is regulated, so check access before you set out.
- Time needed
- 2 to 3 hours including the climb
- Walking
- Moderate
- Best time
- Morning, April to October
- Tickets
- Entry rules and any fee are not published in one official place and have varied over time. Carry photo ID, expect security checks and confirm timings locally. Dress modestly because of the shrines, and do not point cameras at security posts. Drones are not allowed.
Places of worship in Srinagar
- 12
Jama Masjid
A 14th-century mosque in the old city built entirely in wood, its vast prayer hall held up by 378 deodar pillars, and one of the largest mosques in India by ground area.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Mid-morning or mid-afternoon, avoiding the five daily prayer times
- Tickets
- No entry ticket. Modest dress is required, footwear is removed at the entrance, and visitors should avoid the mosque during the five daily prayer times; non-Muslim visitors are generally welcomed outside those hours.
Museums in Srinagar
- 13
SPS Museum
A museum housed in a former royal guesthouse on the Jhelum River, holding around 80,000 objects spanning Kashmiri shawls, arms, sculpture and archaeology, established in 1898.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Weekday mornings, when it is quietest
- Tickets
- An entry ticket is charged, with separate rates for Indian and foreign visitors; the museum is generally closed one day a week, so confirm current hours before visiting.
Temples in Srinagar
- 14
Shankaracharya Temple
An ancient Shiva temple on a hill known as Takht-i-Sulaiman, reached by 243 steps, with the widest view over Srinagar of any religious site in the city.
- Time needed
- 45–60 minutes, including the climb
- Walking
- Demanding
- Best time
- Morning, before the day heats up and while the view is clearest
- Tickets
- No general entry ticket, though security screening applies at the base and cameras or large bags may need to be left at a checkpoint; photography restrictions can apply near the summit, so confirm current rules on arrival. Footwear is removed before entering the shrine itself.
