🇮🇳 Ultimate Guide to Kashmir, India by an Indian local
✈️ How to get to Kashmir
Within India
✈️ By Flight
Several major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad will have either direct flights or 1-stop flights to Srinagar. Use any of the travel apps listed below to book your domestic flights.
💸 Flight prices can fluctuate heavily based on season location and airline, so I won't be able to provide an estimate for this.
🚂 By Train
Srinagar is also accessible by train from several places in India. However, if you're not used to train travel in India, I would recommend against it especially for your first time.
ℹ️ Indian Railways are not the best when it comes to speed, comfort or cleanliness. Apart from Shatabdi, Rajdhani or Duronto trains - the journey will be long, tiring, and not very luxurious.
💸 Approximate rates
AC 3-Tier ticket: Rs. 2500 / $30
Book train tickets on👇
OR use any one of the Indian travel apps below
🚌 By Road (Bus or Car)
You can also opt to reach Srinagar from Jammu by road. It usually takes 8-10 hours. Take a flight/train to Jammu, and then opt for a private car or a bus.
Out of the two I would advise you to opt for a private car. Buses are cheaper, but they would take longer and won't be very comfortable. Hiring a car and a driver (or renting a self-drive car) would be faster and much more comfortable.
💸 Approximate rates
Car + Driver: Rs. 10,000 / $120 one way
Bus: Rs. 1000 / $12 one way
Book bus tickets on👇
Book cabs on any of the Indian travel apps listed below👇
OR
Contact me for a local driver's phone number ☎️
From outside India
If you're coming from somewhere outside India, the best way is to first arrive in Delhi by flight.
From Delhi, you opt for a direct (non-stop) flight to Srinagar (SXR)
Use any of the below platforms to book your flight👇
Top travel apps in India
Used by locals to book travel (flights/trains/buses/cabs) in INR👇You will need an Indian SIM card to sign up.
Popular domestic airlines in India👇
📶 Connectivity
The state of Jammu & Kashmir is restricted when it comes to connectivity. Its highly likely your prepaid SIM card will not work.
Only Airtel Postpaid or BSNL Postpaid SIM cards will work here, so please buy one for your journey, or switch from a prepaid to a postpaid connection.
This is also a relatively remote part of India, so don't expect WiFi or even high-speed mobile data in most places (except larger hotels).
💰 Paying for things
🔶 Currency
The local currency is Indian Rupee (INR).
Cash is still king, so carry lots of cash (and keep it securely).
Credit cards and debit cards can be used sparingly within the city or at bigger hotels.
🔶 Tipping
Not mandatory at all but also not frowned upon. Bigger restaurants and hotels usually deduct a 10% service charge in their bill - so no need to tip in those cases. Of course, if you're particularly happy with the service you can always leave a tip of Rs. 50 - 200 / $1 - $3
But when you're dealing with more flexible service providers, like your car driver who will cater to you for 6-7 days, it's usually implied that you tip them some amount at the end of your journey.
For example, if your total is Rs. 25,000 (~$300) for renting the car, you can tip your driver Rs. 1000 - 2000 / $12 - $25
🔶 Bargaining
In India, you're expected to bargain at smaller shops, street vendors and tourist areas. If you don't, you're going to get scammed, especially if you don't look like a local. So do your research about usual rates before you go.
🚗 Getting around Kashmir
Within Srinagar
If you're spending most of your time in the city, you can opt for public transport like local buses, autos and taxis to travel short distances.
As of 2023, Uber does not operate here.
Outside Srinagar
Rent a car or a bike from Srinagar to explore areas around Kashmir like Gulmarg, Pahalgam or Sonmarg. It's preferable to do this through people rather than on a website or app, because you can bargain accordingly.
Ask your hotel reception to arrange a car and driver for you, or reach out to me for the number of a trusted driver (extra cost).
🛌🏿 Where to stay
In Srinagar, you have two options: houseboats and hotels.
Houseboats will give you a unique experience of living on the beautiful Dal Lake. This must be experienced at least once. You can opt for a houseboat during the summer months, when the temperatures are warmer, up until October. Between November to February, it's more advisable to stay in a hotel.
When opting for a hotel in Srinagar, look for ones which are near tourist areas like Dal Lake or Lal Chowk. Outside Srinagar, look for hotels which are in quieter, remote places but still near the tourist attractions.
Tips
ℹ️ If you want cheaper rates, don't book your hotels online. Find a hotel you like on Google, and call them on the phone to reserve your booking offline.
ℹ️ During off-season, you can even choose to not book any rooms in advance - instead ask your driver to take you to a good hotel. It will be much cheaper on spot, and you can inspect your rooms before you pay (as well as bargain).
Here are some of my preferred places to stay in Kashmir👇
(Use this link to book so that I can get a 6% commission from the hotel at no extra cost to you)
🍚 What to eat
Kashmiri Wazwan is one of the most mind-blowing things you will ever taste in your life. And I'm not exaggerating. I had it back in 2017, and 6 years later I still cannot find anything that can hold a candle to it.
Eat the best meal of your life at👇
Approximate price: Rs. 1500 / $18 for two
Here are some real photos from our meal👇
⛰️ What to do
👛 Approximate budget
Rs. 45,000 - 50,000 / $544 - $655 per head for 7 days
Even during peak season, this budget should suffice for a mid-ranged comfortable 7-day trip to Kashmir (including transport, flights, food, and hotels). Shopping not included.
During off season, or if you opt for cheaper modes of travel, this can be even lower. So Kashmir is definitely an affordable and fantastic holiday option within India!
The home for unique & authentic travel
