9 Best Things to Do in Srinagar
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Quick heads-up before this list: Jammu & Kashmir is a security-sensitive, disputed region, and the 22 April 2025 attack near Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, briefly escalated into an India-Pakistan military confrontation before a May 2025 ceasefire held. The US and UK both currently advise against travel to the Kashmir Valley, so check your own government’s current wording before you book. Srinagar itself is busy and functioning under heavy security, so treat everything below as a precaution-first plan with a registered operator, not a “just go” list.
Srinagar’s best things to do cluster around three ideas: water, gardens, and the old city, with Gulmarg as the one easy day trip that belongs on a first visit. Here are the nine worth building a trip around.
1. Ride a shikara on Dal Lake at dawn
The floating vegetable market runs roughly 5-7am and peaks around 5am, so this is the one item on the list worth an early alarm. A dedicated dawn shikara runs about INR 1,200-1,500; a standard hour-long ride is officially INR 750-800, though ghat touts often quote two to three times that, so agree the fare through your hotel first.
2. Sleep a night on a Dal or Nigeen houseboat
Carved-cedar houseboats are graded roughly like hotels, from INR 2,500-3,500 standard to INR 10,000-15,000+ luxury, usually full board with shikara transfers included. Book a registered one; Nigeen Lake next door is the quieter alternative if Dal feels too busy.
3. Walk all four Mughal gardens in one day
Shalimar Bagh (1619, the largest, 410 fountains), Nishat Bagh (1633, the best Dal Lake view from its top terrace), Chashme Shahi (the smallest, 30-45 minutes), and Pari Mahal (open and ticketed, the single best panorama with the thinnest crowds) all sit close enough together to do in a single day.
4. Visit Hazratbal Shrine
This white-marble shrine on Dal Lake’s north bank holds a relic believed to be a hair of the Prophet. The outer courtyard welcomes non-Muslims; treat the inner prayer hall as restricted and dress modestly, as at any active place of worship.
5. Walk the old city, Shehr-e-Khaas
Eight historic kadals cross the Jhelum through the old city, past Jamia Masjid (1394-1402, 378 deodar pillars) and the all-wood Khanqah of Shah Hamdan. Budget half a day for the walk between them.
6. Shop for Pashmina and papier-mache the right way
Favor fixed-price government emporiums over the commission shops that drivers are often paid to steer you toward. Pashmina is legal and genuine pieces start around INR 8,000; shahtoosh, made from an endangered antelope’s wool, is illegal regardless of what a shopkeeper claims.
7. Climb to Shankaracharya Temple for the view
About 240 steps up Takht-e-Sulaiman hill get you a full panorama of Dal Lake and the city. The hilltop sits in a high-security zone where phones and cameras are frequently barred at a checkpoint with no lockers provided, so leave electronics with your driver and carry photo ID.
8. Time a spring trip around the Tulip Garden
The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, Asia’s largest, blooms roughly late March through April with a peak in early April (2026’s festival opened 16 March, verify). Outside that window it’s essentially dormant, so don’t plan a summer visit around it.
9. Day-trip to Gulmarg
About 1.5-2 hours from the city, Gulmarg runs one of the world’s highest cable cars in two phases (Phase 1 roughly INR 740-810, Phase 2 to nearly 3,980 meters roughly INR 920-1,010) and is reported fully open with stepped-up security since 2025. Browse Gulmarg gondola tours from Srinagar if you’d rather not arrange the taxi yourself, and check the current official advisory before you book, traveling with a registered operator.
Is nine things to do enough for a first trip?
Yes, for two to three days in the city. Add a second day trip, Pahalgam or Sonamarg, and you’re at four to five days, which is the more common first-timer plan. See the full Srinagar guide and the 2-day or 5-day itineraries for how to sequence all nine.
| Activity | Rough cost | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Dal Lake shikara (standard hour) | INR 750-800 | 1 hour |
| Dal Lake dawn floating market shikara | INR 1,200-1,500 | 2-3 hours |
| Mughal gardens (all four) | INR 20-30 each, verify | Half day |
| Gulmarg Gondola (both phases) | INR 1,800 combined | Full day trip |
One concrete tip: do the Mughal gardens and Hazratbal in the same half-day since they sit on the same side of the lake, and save the old-city walk for a cooler morning rather than midday.