Kashmir in Winter

Opened for public in the year 2007, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden was built with the aim of improving floriculture as well as tourism in the area. The initiative proved to be a huge success and in the year 2017, this beautiful garden had its name among the world’s 5 best tulip gardens.

This garden is blessed to have even the rarest of rare tulip varieties, including the “Queen of the Night”. The main highlight of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden is the enchanting annual festival, which is held in Spring, between the months of March and May.

Location: Jammu and Kashmir, Cheshma Shahi Road, Rainawari, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190001.

Timings: From 7 AM to 7.30 PM, on all days of the week.

Price: INR 50 for adults and INR 25 for children.

Best Time to Visit: March, April, and May. 

Planning a trip to Kashmir, check out: Best Kashmir Trip Packages

Lying in the central part of the city, Jamia Masjid happens to be one of the most ancient places to visit in Srinagar. This majestic mosque was constructed back in the year 1394 by Sultan Sikandar Shah Kashmiri Shahmiri, under the commands of Said-ul-Auliya Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani’s son, Mir Mohammad Hamadani. The construction of the shrine was extended in the later period by Zain-ul-Abidin, the son of Sultan Sikandar.

The mosque’s architecture resembles the Indo-Saracenic architectural style and also showcases certain similarities to the traditional Buddhist pagodas. In addition to its rich historical significance, Jamia Masjid is even famous as Kashmir’s largest mosque. The place has the ability to accommodate around 33,333 individuals at one time.

Location: Nowhatta Kathi Darwaza Road, Nowhatta, Srinagar, 190003.

Timings: From 3 PM to 7 PM, on all days of the week.

Best Time to Visit: Throughout the year.

Considered to be one of the most rejuvenating places to visit in Srinagar, Anchar Lake is connected to the pristine Dal Lake through a channel, known as “Amir Khan Nallah”. During the occurrence of floods, the excess waters of the Dal Lake gets diverted here.

Anchar Lake makes for an excellent destination for nature lovers, who come here to indulge in birdwatching and photography. Birdwatching is mostly popular during the winter season when water birds like Teal, Pochard, Gadwall Snipe, and Mallard are easily noticeable. The visitors also get to enjoy Shikara rides at the Anchar Lake.

Location: Near Ganderbal, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

Timings: From 10 AM to 5 PM, on all days of the week.

Best Time to Visit: March to August.

Planning a trip to Kashmir, check out: Best Kashmir Trip Packages

Crossing River Jhelum in a seemingly North-South direction, the beautiful Zero Bridge connects Sonwar on the northern end to Rajbagh on the southern end. This bridge was originally built in the 1950s under Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, who was the Prime Minister at that time. Though this bridge was earlier used for crossing the Jhelum river, vehicular movement was banned on the Zero Bridge in the 1980s in order to protect the weakening wooden structure.

Zero Bridge was initially referred to as “Zorr” Bridge due to the reason that the structure was constructed by a deaf architect and in Kashmiri, “Zorr” implies “deaf”. The bridge manifests an impressive design and is considered to be one of the oldest and best tourist places of Srinagar to get a sneak peek into the state’s glorious cultural heritage. Zero Bridge is dotted with a number of food courts and kiosks that serve authentic Kashmiri delicacies to the visitors.

Location: Zero Bridge, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190008.

Timings: Open 24 hours.

Best Time to Visit: Throughout the year.

Considered to be one of the oldest spiritual places to visit in Srinagar, Dastgeer Sahib happens to be a 200 years old sufi shrine. According to popular beliefs, the shrine was constructed by the philanthropist Mir Husain Qadri back in the year 1845.

The building was expanded by Khwaja Sanaullah Shawl in 1877. Covered with a conventional Khatamband ceiling featuring multiple crystal chandeliers and surrounded by interior walls adorned with papier mache finishing, the surreal features of this shrine hardly had any parallels. However, Dastgeer Sahib was damaged badly in an ugly fire incident that took place in the year 2012. At the present day, the shrine is restored back to its original state and has attractive relics of Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jelani.

Location: Khaniyar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190003.

Timings: From 5.30 AM to 7.30 PM, on all days of the week.

Best Time to Visit: Throughout the year. 

Planning a Honeymoon trip to Kashmir, check out: Kashmir Honeymoon Packages

Lying on the eastern part of Srinagar, Nigeen Lake is considered to be a part of the beautiful Dal Lake, but is separated from it by a narrow causeway. Also referred to as “The Jewel in the Ring, the name of this lake is inspired by the plethora of tall trees that surround the deep blue waterbody.

Making for a rejuvenating getaway from the chaotic and monotonous life, this popular lake is considered to be one of the most amusing tourist places in Srinagar. Propelling thrill and fun seekers of all age groups, this enticing destination is suitable for various water activities including swimming, sailing, water skiing. Right on the lake’s bank, you can find the Nigeen club, which has a tea pavilion and a bar for the visitors.

Location: Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

Timings: 7 AM to 8 PM, on all days of the week.

Best Time to Visit: June to August.

A stunning piece of lush green wonder ensconced in India's presidential house, the Mughal Gardens of Delhi are a sight to behold for tourist who visits the Indian capital. Mughal gardens attract several tourists from around the world and are known for their lush green plantations, attractive wildflowers and perfectly manicured grass.

Also often called the soul of the Presidential palace, the Mughal gardens of Delhi are located in Rashtrapati Bhavan, which is the residence of the President of India. As a visitor to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, you will catch sight of the glorious Gardens as you walk around.

The entire make of the Gardens is said to have been inspired by the Mughal Garden of Kashmir and Agra. There are also indications of the architecture being inspired from choicest Persian Paintings.

Sir Edwin Lutyens, credited with the designing of most of the Indian capital, was the chief architect supervising the project of the Mughal Gardens. He designed the positioning of the plantations of the Mughal Gardens in 1917.

However, it took a little while after that to finalize the estate. By 1929, all plantings in the garden were done perfectly. The then director of Horticulture, William Mustoe, was another collaborator of Sir Lutyens in designing the Mughal gardens. Sir Mustoe is known to have brought together two different cultures and practices of Horticulture to the garden, making it one of the most complexes yet charming human-made gardens of our time.

Location: Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, India.

Timings: 9:30 AM to 4 PM every day except Monday.

Established in the year 1969 in the memory of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Nehru Garden is a beautiful botanical garden spread across a huge area of 80 hectares. Lying on the slope of the Zabarwan Mountain, this well-planned garden is maintained and administered by the Indian Forest Department.

The entire garden has been categorized into 4 segments, namely Sporting Garden, Research Section Garden, Centre of Plant Introduction, and Botanical Garden. Known to be a home to more than 1.5 lakhs ornamental plants, the entire garden looks amazingly stunning with umpteen varieties of plant species. There is also a well-constructed greenhouse sheltering a plethora of beautiful orchids at the middle of the garden. Known to offer a stress busting environment, Nehru Garden attracts peace seekers, nature lovers, photo fanatics, and fitness freaks.

Location: Cheshma Shahi, Muja Gund Ghat, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190001.

Timings: From 9 AM to 7 PM, on all days of the week.

Price: INR 12 per person.

Best Time to Visit: October to June.

Counted among the most sacred Islamic tourist places in Srinagar, the Hazratbal Shrine lies on the peaceful banks of Dal Lake. The name of the shrine is taken from the Kashmiri terms, “Hazrat” meaning “Sacred” and “Bal” meaning “Place”. The major attraction of this majestic shrine is a unique relic called Moi-e-Muqaddas that is basically a holy hair from the beard of Prophet Muhammad. The hair is well-preserved inside the structure and is presented before the devotees only on special islamic occasions.

According to history, the Hazratbal Shrine was built by Sadiq Khan as a unique pleasure house. In the later period, the place was used for offering prayers and was eventually turned into a shrine. Today, this marble structure is referred to by many different names like Dargah Sharif, Assar-e-Sharief, and Madinat-us-Sani.

Location: Hazratbal Rd, Hazratbal, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190006.

Timings: 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM, on all days of the week.

Best Time to Visit: Throughout the year.

Planning a trip to Kashmir, check out: Best Kashmir Holiday Trip Packages

Known to be “The Jewel of Srinagar”, Dal Lake spreads across an area of around 26 square kilometers. Popular as one of the most spellbinding places to see in Srinagar, this hillside lake flaunts colorful Shikaras, traditional wooden houseboats, and floating markets. Tourists visiting Dal Lake love to take a ride in the beautiful Shikaras, which are basically wooden boats decorated beautifully with canopies overhead.

They also enjoy shopping authentic Kashmiri items from the floating market or lake market. These markets lay amidst the lake and sell a number of items like saffron and handicrafts. The houseboats on Dal Lake feature floral motifs and intricate carvings and offer breathtaking sights of the majestic lake. These boats are equipped with single rooms and luxury suites and offer comfortable accomodation to the visitors. During the winter season, the visitors also enjoy ice skating on the frozen lake.

Location: Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.

Timings: Anytime.

Best Time to Visit: May to November. 

Planning a trip to Kashmir, check out: Best Kashmir Trip Packages

Known popularly for its rich religious and historical significance, Hari Parbat is a magnificent mountain overlooking Srinagar city. Counted among the top religious places to visit in Srinagar, this mountainous site is home to a plethora of beautiful shrines that are dedicated to several deities. Hari Parbat shelters Sharika Devi Temple that worships Goddess Jagdamba. In addition to this Hindu temple, the mountain also houses a gurdwara and a mosque, showcasing secularism in this region.

One of the major attractions of Hari Parbat is the majestic Hari Parbat fort, which was constructed back in the nineteenth century under the Durrani Empire. At the present time, this place is a popular tourist destination attracting mainly spiritual seekers, history fanatics, and peace lovers all through the year.

Location: Nohata, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190003.

Timings: From 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM, on all days of the week.

Best Time to Visit: March and April.

Planning a Honeymoon trip to Kashmir, check out: Kashmir Honeymoon Trip Packages

Forming the largest garden of the 3 breathtaking Mughal Gardens, the amazingly laid out Shalimar Bagh makes for one of the most sublime places to see in Srinagar. According to history, this stunning garden was constructed by Jahangir back in the year 1619 for his beautiful wife Noor Jahan.

Manifesting the extraordinary craftsmanship of the Mughal horticulturists, this garden overlooks the mesmerizing Dal Lake and showcases a surreal architecture. Shalimar Bagh presents an exquisite amalgamation of artificial structures and natural marvels. The whole premise of the garden has been beautifully carpeted with green grass. The garden has umpteen varieties of colorful flowers as well as tall trees of walnuts and almonds.

Location: Chinar chowk, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 191121.

Timings: From 9.30 AM to 6.30 PM, on all days of the week.

Price: INR 10 per person.

Best Time to Visit: Mid-February to Mid-April and September-October.

Planning a Honeymoon trip to Kashmir, check out: Kashmir Honeymoon Packages