The capital during the summer months, and size-wise, the largest, Srinagar is very important to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The city decorates the banks of the Jhelum river, the Dal and Nigeen lakes, the Valley of Kashmir’s pride and joy is the city of Srinagar. The gardens, waterfronts, and houseboats are some of the things it is famous for and constitute an important part of best things to do in Srinagar. Apart from these, traditional handicrafts of Kashmiri origin and fruits which have been dried for long periods of time under Kashmiri sun are famous.
Folk etymology shows that the name comes from two different Sanskrit words, which are: “Sri”, which is used to denote the Goddess Lakshmi, and “Nagar”, which is used to denote the word, “city”. Therefore, Srinagar is also known as the “City of Lakhsmi”, or a city which is blessed by the goddess Lakshmi, a city that always prospers.
The earliest of the mentions of the city, states that the word, “Srinagar” comes from the word, “Surya- Nagar”, which means, “Home of Surya” or “city blessed by the Sun God”.
The climate experienced at Srinagar is Humid Subtropical, therefore making the place experience much colder weather than most the other parts of the subcontinent. This, however, is because of the very high elevated areas. The valley and the city have been surrounded by the Himalayas on all sides, thereby giving access to travelers to take part in the best things to do in Srinagar. Srinagar experiences cool winters and the temperatures with an average of 2.5°C in the daytime, coming down to below 0°C during the night. The highways which connect Srinagar to the rest of the country experience several blockages because of snowfall which normally ranges from medium to extremely heavy. The summers experienced can be called warm, with temperatures rising up to 24.1°C during the day. The city receives mediocre rainfall annually, that is, about 72 cm.
Places to Visit and Things to Do in Srinagar
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Srinagar Top Attractions
Places To Visit In Srinagar
Perched at a lofty elevation of around 1700 to 4300 meters, Dachigam National Park is spread across 141 square kilometers. The name “Dachigam” means “ten villages” in Kashmiri and the name is assigned in the loving memory of the 10 villages, which had been relocated for creating land for the park.Dachigam National Park is home to the endangered Kashmiri Stag or Hangul, which happens to be the only Red Deer species found in the whole country. Other animals that can be spotted in the park include Snow Leopard, Red Fox, Musk Deer, Himalayan weasel, long-tailed marmot, blue magpie trotter, and yellow-throated marten. In addition to wildlife exploration, the park also offers its visitors the chance to enjoy trekking.Location: Near Harwan Mughal Garden, Dachigam Road, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 191202.Timings: From 8 AM to 6 PM, on all days of the week.Best Time to Visit: April to October.
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
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.
More Srinagar Attractions
Srinagar Travel Guides
People Also Ask About Srinagar Things To Do
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Which are some of the best things to do in Srinagar?
The best things to do in Srinagar are:
- Houseboat Dal Lake
- Take a shikhara ride through the Nigeen lake and the Dal lake
- Visit Shankaracharya Temple
- Marvel at the Hazratbal Mosque
- Check out the Jama Masjid
- Go Birdwatching at the Manasabal Lake
- Have a field day at the Cricket Bat factories
- Go skiing at Gulmarg
- Go rafting at Sonmarg
Planning a trip to Kashmir, check out: Best Kashmir Holiday Packages
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What all adventure activities can be done in Srinagar?
Other than sightseeing and romantic getaways, Srinagar provides its visitors with many adventure activities. Some of them are:
- Go on a Himalayan Excursion
- Trek to the Shankaracharya Temple
- Go Paragliding
- Go onto the Aero Balloon
- Go skiing at Gulmarg
- Go rafting at Sonmarg
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Which are some famous treks in Srinagar?
With the various hills and mountains available in the northern end of India, Srinagar has loads of treks which it offers to its tourists:
- Kashmir Great Lakes Trek 2017
- Leh-Manali Trek June
- Jammu and Kashmir Tour
- Snow Leopard Trek in Ladakh
- Tarsar Marsar Trek
- Ladakh Adventure and Monastries
Planning a Honeymoon trip to Kashmir, check out: Kashmir Honeymoon Packages
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What is the best time for Srinagar to Leh bike trip? How long is the highway and how many days required to complete it?
The bike trip from Srinagar to Leh cannot possibly be taking place during the six winter months. The highway from Srinagar to Leh is closed off during winter, that is, from Late November to Mid-May. The best time to take a bike trip from Srinagar to Leh is in the Late September, Early October times. Here is a month vise timetable of the highway from Srinagar to Leh:
- Mid-May: can be exceedingly inconvenient, due to the highway being subjected to six months of bitter cold, snow and unused.
- Early June: the roads being having been cleared only a weeks ago are in a terrible condition, there are a big number of water streams, and lots of slush on the street
- Late June: the streets are clear and have an overall better condition
- Early July: amazing time to take the journey, because the roads are in a much better state than before
- Late July: is when the monsoon starts to set in, which makes the occurrence of landslides quite common. The Amarnath Yatra starts during this time, which makes the highway busy with yatris, and army personnel is increased by a notch.
- August: is the worst time to travel on the Srinagar-Leh Highway. The monsoon is in full force. Amarnath Yatra being at its peak, and 15th August is when there is a lot of tension in the air. A lot of security measures will be followed strictly, therefore not letting you have the amount of fun you thought you would.
- September: is the best time to go for the Srinagar to Leh bike trip, what with the monsoon gone and the Amarnath Yatra over and done with. The vistas would be at their greenest. But the only downfall is that there would be no snow available.
- Early October: the weather is pretty much the same as September, just that the cold starts setting in.
- Late October: the weather is stormy, and there is an abundance of snow. The Road is open throughout the entire month but people traveling at the of the month would be faced with terribly cold weather and some wisps of snow.
- November: not the best time to take the trip. The tourist season is officially at its end, and the only upside of visiting during this month is the loneliness.
The length of the highway between Srinagar and Leh is 422 km or 262 miles, and the bike ride takes about 10 days, 9 nights.
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Where can I do skiing in Srinagar? How much is the cost?
The mountains that the State of Jammu and Kashmir is situated on, bless its capital city with a considerable amount of Skiing options. Some of them are:
- Gulmarg Ski Shop; $319 or Rs.20,867.39
- Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering;$91.72 or Rs.6,000
- Pine Palace Resorts;$188.32 or Rs.12,000
- Gulmarg Backcountry Ski Lodge;$76.88 or Rs.5000
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Where and when can I enjoy shikara ride in Srinagar? How much is the cost?
Shikhara Ride is exclusive to the pretty lakes of the Jammu. The city of Srinagar offers Shikhara rides to its tourists in the following places:
- Dal Lake; $9.61 or Rs.400
- Shikhara Boat ride;$3.52 or Rs.250
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What type of jeep safaris available in Srinagar?
With the beautiful terrain that Srinagar has, many jeep Safaris are found in Srinagar itself and around it. Some of them are:
- Trans Himalayan Ladakh Jeep Safari
- Manali to Leh Jeep Safari
- Ladakh Jeep Safari: Srinagar Leh Manali with Tso Moriri Lake
- Leh Sightseeing tour with Stay at Pangong
- Leh Escapade (all women tour)
- Trans Himalayan Jeep Safari
- Ladakh sightseeing trips including flights from Delhi, 2017
- Manali to Leh Jeep Safari
- Jeep tour to Srinagar from Manali
- 11 days and 10 nights Ladakh Jeep safari and photo tour
- 7 nights trip to Ladakh from Mumbai
- Ladakh Cultural Tour
- A Tryst with Ladakh
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What are must-see sightseeing attractions in Srinagar?
Srinagar is the capital for the summer of Jammu and Kashmir. Naturally, it’s a hub of all things beautiful and is diverse in all that is sighted there. Some of the sightseeing attractions are:
- Dal Lake
- Shalimar Bagh
- Nishat Bagh
- Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden
- Chasme Shahi
- Pari Mahal
- Hazratbal Mosque
- Shankaracharya Temple
- Hari Parbat
- Kheer Bhawani
- Roza Bal
- SPS Museum
- Kathi Darwaza
- Anchar Lake
- Sangeen Darwaza
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Can I do river rafting in Srinagar? What is the cost of rafting?
Srinagar is situated in the mountainous state of Jammu and Kashmir. It has been graced with many spots of River Rafting. Some of them are:
- Pahalgam River Rafting; Rs.37,800 or $ 591.61
- River Indus Rafting; Rs. 29310 or $448.06
- Between Spitok River and Zanskar River Rafting; Rs, 36,000 or $550.33
- River Rafting in Ladakh; Rs. 39,280 or $ 600.47
- Rafting at Leh; Rs.38,500 ($587.74)per person
- Zanskar River Rafting, Leh 2017; Rs.1,200($18.17) per person for 14km
- Rafting between Chilling and Nimo; Rs.1,500($22.59) per person
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Where can I go for Gondola ride in Srinagar? What are the charges?
District Baramulla, Alambal Road, Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir 193403. This is the address to the Gulmarg Gondola. The charges to the Gondola is Rs. 700 for people above the age of 18, 3-10-year-olds are charged Rs.700 and people under the age of # are not charged.