SIGHTSEEING

Chasma Shahi: 5 km, . This is Srinagar at its royal best, where the imperial love for laying out gardens, their beauty enhanced by the back drop of the lake and the mountain and carefully sited for the best views of both. The water is a recurring motif ; a crystal spring bubbles out of a stone vase at Cheshma Shahi, the royal spring perched daintily on a hill over looking the Dal Lake

Dal Lake: An amalgam of lakes, very popular with visitors.

Hari Parbat Fort: 7 km, 16th Century Fortress; permission to visit the Fort may be sought from the Director of Tourism.

Hazaratbal: 11 km, A sacred hair of Prophet Mohammad is displayed on special occasions.

Jamia Masjid: 6 km, Thrice destroyed by fire, an example of Indo Saracenic architecture.

Nishat Bagh: 11 km, If Shalimar is regal, Nishat with its beds of flower, trees, fountains and water foaming down carved chute, has an air of the dramatic. Its 12 terraces, representing the12 signs of the zodiac, descend gradually and seem almost to merge into the lake.

Nagin Lake: A part of Dal Lake, deep blue, for watersports activities.

Pari Mahal: 10. 6 km, Illuminated by night , built as a library by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's son Dara Shuko for his Teacher. Over looking the famous Cheshmashahi Garden.

Shalimar Bagh: 15 km, Shalimar has an air of seclusion and repose; its rows of fountains and shade trees seem to recede towards the snowcapped mountains. Its focus of attention is the airy graceful Black Pavilion, meant for the ladies of the royal court, set well to the back of the highest of its three terraces & site of the nightly son et lumiere show.

Shankaracharya Temple: 5 km, For a panoramic view of the whole city, the best vantage point is the Shankaracharya Hill, also called Takht-I-Suleiman, the Throne Of Solomon. From here one can look up and down the Jhelum River and see its serpentine course. In the distansce the snows of the Pir Panjal Range gleam a clear white against the blue sky, and to the southeast one can see the hills that mark Anantnag, where the waters of the large mountain streams---- the Lidder, the Bringhi and the Arpat join the Jhelum at the start of the navigable waterway, approached by a flight of 329 steps.

EXCURSIONS

Achabal: 58 km via Anantnag,  The waters of Achhabal Nag flow in a powerful stream, at an altitude of 1667 meters. The spring's waters come from the river Bringhi. The Mughal garden in front of the spring was laid out by a daughter of Shah Jahan in 1640 AD. 'The springs waters have been diverted into 3 channels, which flow over a three tiered terrace. A row of fountains mark the main channel, and on the uppermost terrace pavilions provide a place to picnic.

Aharbal: 51 km, Kashmir’s largest waterfalls.

Dachigam:  21 km, Wildlife Sanctuary National Park. Visitors require permits from the Chief Wildlife Warden, Srinagar

Shikaras: The best exploration of the Srinagar city is to board a shikara and follow its course through the heart of the city, past willow shaded channels and canals and under the seven older bridges of the river Jhelum. The city’s interior has a spectacular view of tattiness, the mud, brick and wood houses are crammed cheek by jowl along the waterfront; some look as if they are crumbling and propped up with stout pillars of timber. The river is a place that people live on, as well as live along. Lines of doongas are moored along its banks, the homes of boat people. The river is punctuated at regular intervals by landing stages or jetties leading up to narrow labyrinth like lanes which connect to the streets beyond , so there is a constant flow of activity between the water and land. Homes, shops, schools, places of work and worship cluster along the waterfront, a variety within a cohesive unit. Roof gardens and orchards tumble over the river wall, and carved or latticed windows add a touch of richness.. Fixed charges.

Gulmarg: 56 km, Ascending from the Valley are the famous uplands of Kashmir, those stretches of flowery meadows called margs . The best known of these is Gulmarg, the ‘Meadow of Flowers’, a saucer shaped hollow overhanging the main valley of Kashmir. From Gulmarg , a ski lift and a cable car project ‘Gandola’ goes up to around  11,000 ft for easy access to the slopes where winter skiing takes place. In summer, long lines of tourists queue up in nervous delight for this thrilling ride, a seemingly vertical lift off over pine forests into the uplands. If one is the sporting type, a 18 hole natural golf course, the highest in the world is present in the plains of Gulmarg. On a clear day, the view from the Gulmarg ridges are superb: the foothills slope down to the Valley, to fields of rice and clusters of walnut, pear, chestnuts and mulberry, and in far distance the roofs of Srinagar glint in the sun. The most thrilling of all , if one is lucky ,is the view of the great mountains directly to the north and the supreme peak of Nanga Parbat (8,125 metres), which stands out clear and distinct even though it is right across the Valley, over 100 kilometres away

Kokernag: which lies 79 km from Srinagar, has as its setting, at an altitude of 2012 metres, a botanical and rose garden, where a myriad varieties of flowers and shrubs perfume the air. The spring gushes out of the base of a thickly wooded hill from where it separates into channels which bear an uncanny resemblance to the claw foot of a hen, hence its name Kokernag, whether it is to drink of its curative waters or breathe in the fragrance and quiet beauty of its gardens, remains one of the loveliest of all the springs in this verdant valley.

Manasbal: 32 km, is the deepest lake in Kashmir, 32 km from Srinagar. Flanked on its eastern shores by the craggy Mount Baladar, the lake has a placid beauty uniquely its own. All through the summer the lotus blooms in profusion on its surface and it is home to a variety of aquatic birds, making it a naturalist's delight. One can stay in lovely cottages and make use of a boat club Lake replete with lotus blossoms.

Pahalgam: 96 km,Away from the broad expanses of the central valley with Srinagar at its heart, lies the Lidder Valley with the hill resort of Pahalgam at its upper end, the base for the long and adous trek to the holy Hindu shrine of Amarnath Cave, a pilgrimage that attracts lacs of devotees each year. Another road leads to the Kolohai Peak with its sharp needle form, and its extensive glacier, an idyllic holiday resort. Overnite stay posiible with different accomodation setups.

Pampore: Kashmir's saffron growing belt.

Sonamarg: 83 km, Almost diagonally across the Valley lies Sonamarg, the ‘Meadow Of Gold’, where the Sindh River rushes headlong through a gorge. A narrow, grassy flat, jewelled with alpine flowers, Sonamarg is encircled by great peaks whose flanks gleam with the glaciers that slide down them. Rich forests of silver fir, sycamora and birch clothe the mountainside. This is among the last outposts of splendid and lavish greenery; less than thirty kilometers away lies the pass of Zoji-La, the most dangerous motorable road in the world , also the divide between Kashmir and Ladakh, which is a completely different world. 

Verinag: One of the largest springs in India, Verinag, which lies in the Anantnag district, is 78 km south east of Srinagar via Anantnag, and is easily accessible through a bypass from the Jammu Srinagar highway. Source of the River Jhelum. In 1620, the Emperor Jahangir had the shape changed into the traditional Mughal octagonal. The spring, which has a circumference of 80 m is enclosed today by a brick wall under which are vaults. These lake like waters have a limpid clarity in which the verdant surroundings of pine trees are mirrored. Fish swim in the cool depths and this picturesque setting that so captivated the Mughal emperors has lost none of its pastoral charm over the centuries. The lawns around the spring are a beautifully manicured green, and banks of massed flowers add splashes of colour to this symphony of greens and browns.

Wular Lake: The largest fresh water lake in Asia is 60 km from Srinagar. Spreading over a 125 km area, the lake, by drawing off excess water from the Jhelum, acts as a natural flood reservoir. Interesting ruins in the centre of the lake are the remains of an island created by KingZain ul abidin. With its turbulent waters perpetually wind ruffled, its exciting variety of avian life and the sheer beauty of its setting, Wular represents Nature at her most untamed.. Here, under the shade of the chinars, fishing for mahseer, chooro and chos starts in mid-June

Yusmarg: is a small meadow, set in the heart of the mountains in the south west of Srinagar, at a distance of 32 Kms. It can be reached via Nagam and Tsar. The road is motorable. Yusmarg is an ideal picnic spot. Nilnaga medium sized spring with blue water and deep rooted weeds, may be visited. From Yusmarg short treks can be made to Chitta Pathar. . The valley is surrounded on all sides by a chain of mountains which range from 24000 M to 5000 M, Sunset peak 247245 M, Tata Kutti 24725 M and so on.