From the old city to the snowline
We plan Kashmir trips from Rainawari, on the old-city side of Dal Lake. Houseboat nights, Mughal gardens, Gulmarg snow and Pahalgam meadows, put together in the right order and handled by a local team from start to finish.
- Private cab and driver
- Houseboats on Dal and Nigeen
- One clear price
Featured trips
5N / 6D
Srinagar, Sonamarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam
Kashmir Valleys Circuit
From ₹21,999 per person
3N / 4D
Dal Lake, Nigeen Lake and Downtown Srinagar
Old City and Dal Houseboat Stay
From ₹11,999 per person
6N / 7D
Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam
Lake and Meadows Honeymoon
From ₹39,999 per couple
6N / 7D
Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam
Easy Pace Family Kashmir
From ₹24,499 per person
4N / 5D
Srinagar and Gulmarg
Gulmarg Snow Holiday
From ₹18,999 per person
5N / 6D
Pahalgam and Sonamarg
Pahalgam and Sonamarg Mountain Trip
From ₹22,499 per person
5N / 6D
Srinagar, Achabal and Pahalgam
Tulips and Mughal Gardens
From ₹20,999 per person
4N / 5D
Srinagar, Yusmarg and Doodhpathri
Doodhpathri and Yusmarg Quiet Meadows
From ₹15,999 per person
Where to go in Kashmir
From the old city and the lake to the high meadows. Each place below has a short guide with heights, drive times and the season it suits best.
1,585 m
Old City Srinagar
Downtown's wooden shrines, Jhelum bridges and bazaars. Our neighbourhood.
Explore
1,585 m
Srinagar and Dal Lake
Houseboats, shikaras and the Mughal gardens along the eastern shore.
Explore 2,650 m
Gulmarg
A meadow at 2,650 m, the Gondola and the best snow in Kashmir.
Explore
2,200 m
Pahalgam
A riverside town in the pines, with Aru, Betaab and Chandanwari up the road.
Explore
2,800 m
Sonamarg
Thajiwas glacier, the Sindh river and the road to Zojila.
Explore
2,700 m
Doodhpathri
Open meadows and the white water of the Shaliganga, close to Srinagar.
Explore 2,400 m
Yusmarg
A sloping Budgam meadow, Charar-i-Sharif on the way and a lake in the forest.
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2,400 m
Gurez
Log houses and the Kishanganga, over Razdan Pass from Bandipora.
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Kashmir tour packages
Eight trips we plan often, each with its own pace. Every one can be changed to fit your dates, your group and your budget.
Most Kashmir trips see Srinagar from a car window. Ours start on the water, a few minutes from where we work.
Mareekh Tour and Travels is a small Srinagar company based in Rainawari, near Saida Kadal. The shikara ghats, the inner lake, Hazratbal and the Downtown shrines are all close by, and that is the Srinagar we like to show people first: the floating market before sunrise, the lanes behind Zaina Kadal, a houseboat on Nigeen instead of the busy Boulevard.
From there we plan the rest of the valley the way it should be done. Gulmarg for snow or the Gondola, Pahalgam for the Lidder and its side valleys, Sonamarg for the glacier, and quieter places like Yusmarg and Doodhpathri for those who want space. We mostly plan for couples, families and people coming to Kashmir for the first time.
- Based inRainawari, old-city Srinagar, near Saida Kadal
- Every tripPrivate cab, airport pickup and local support
- We planHouseboats, honeymoons, family trips and snow holidays
Things to do in Kashmir
Some of these are a few minutes from our office, others are a day's drive. All of them are worth building a trip around.
All yearThe market at first light
Vegetables traded boat to boat on the inner lake.
All yearOld city on foot
Wooden shrines, Jhelum bridges and the copper bazaar.
All yearSleep on the water
Cedar rooms and dinner cooked on board.
December to MarchSnow in Gulmarg
Sledges, snow walks and the Gondola over white forest.
Late March to AprilTulip season
A few weeks of colour below the Zabarwan hills.
April to NovemberThe Lidder valley
Aru's meadows and Betaab's river by local taxi.
Kashmir month by month
Kashmir changes completely from one season to the next. Pick a month to see the weather, what is open and what to pack.
The heart of Chillai Kalan
Srinagar: about −2°C to 7°C
Old-city mornings in January start with harissa, the slow-cooked mutton dish sold from Downtown shops before sunrise. Gulmarg carries its heaviest snow of the year and the shallow edges of Dal can ice over after a cold night. Roads to Gulmarg and Pahalgam stay open, with chains or a 4x4 on the steeper stretches.
- Good for
- Snow days in Gulmarg, harissa breakfasts, a warm houseboat with a bukhari
- Where to go
- Stick to the city, Gulmarg and Pahalgam. Razdan Pass is shut.
- Pack
- Thermal layers, a down jacket, waterproof boots and good gloves
Snow with more sunshine
Srinagar: about −1°C to 9°C
February is a quieter snow month. Gulmarg still has a thick cover for sledging and snow walks, and hotel rates are usually softer than in late December. Srinagar starts to thaw in the afternoons, though evenings on the lake are still cold enough for a kangri.
- Good for
- A calmer snow trip, the Gondola over white forest, houseboat evenings
- Where to go
- City, Gulmarg and Pahalgam. Sonamarg if the road is clear that week.
- Pack
- Heavy woollens, snow boots and dark glasses
Almond blossom
Srinagar: about 3°C to 14°C
Spring reaches the old city first. The almond garden at Badamwari is a short drive from Rainawari and fills with families on weekends. The Mughal gardens are being cleaned and replanted, and there is still snow up at Gulmarg if you want winter and spring in one trip.
- Good for
- Badamwari in flower, spring cleaning in the Mughal gardens, a last look at Gulmarg snow
- Where to go
- Mostly the city and its gardens. Gulmarg and Pahalgam for late snow.
- Pack
- Woollens for the evening chill and something waterproof
Tulips and orchards in flower
Srinagar: about 7°C to 20°C
April is short on rooms and long on colour. The Tulip Garden below the Zabarwan hills is at its fullest for two or three weeks, and the drive south to Pahalgam passes orchards in full blossom. Book early and reach the garden when the gates open, before the coach groups arrive.
- Good for
- Tulips at Siraj Bagh, cherry and apple blossom, Achabal and the south
- Where to go
- Everywhere below the high passes
- Pack
- A sweater for 7 am, a T-shirt for 2 pm, an umbrella for spring showers
The valleys open
Srinagar: about 11°C to 24°C
May gives you most of Kashmir at once. Betaab and Aru are green, Thajiwas still has plenty of snow to walk on, and the road over Razdan Pass to Gurez often opens towards the end of the month. Days are mild and nights still need a warm layer.
- Good for
- Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Yusmarg, family trips, honeymoons
- Where to go
- Everywhere, with Gurez depending on the pass
- Pack
- Sunscreen and a cap for the day, a fleece once the sun drops
School holidays and full rivers
Srinagar: about 15°C to 29°C
Families from the plains arrive in large numbers, so the popular viewpoints are crowded by late morning. The Sindh and Lidder rivers run high with snowmelt and rafting is in full swing. We start mountain days early and keep afternoons for the lake.
- Good for
- Family holidays, rafting, Sonamarg, Gulmarg meadows
- Where to go
- Everywhere
- Pack
- Cotton clothes for the city, a jacket for the mountains, a sun hat
Lotus on the lake
Srinagar: about 18°C to 31°C
The pink lotus beds on the inner lake bloom from July into August, and a shikara through them early in the morning is one of the best hours you can spend in Srinagar. The Amarnath Yatra runs through Pahalgam and Sonamarg in these weeks, which means convoys and checkpoints. We time drives around the Yatra schedule.
- Good for
- Lotus on Dal, Gurez, Yusmarg, Doodhpathri, Gulmarg meadows
- Where to go
- The whole valley, with convoy timings on the Pahalgam and Sonamarg roads
- Pack
- Light clothes, a rain shell and a warm layer for the hills
Green and mostly dry
Srinagar: about 18°C to 30°C
While the plains are soaked, the valley stays largely dry, with the odd afternoon shower in the mountains. It is a good month for the quieter places: Gurez, the meadows at Doodhpathri and the forest walk to Nilnag above Yusmarg. Independence Day week brings a short rush of visitors.
- Good for
- Gurez, Doodhpathri and Yusmarg, lotus on Dal, long drives
- Where to go
- Everywhere
- Pack
- Quick-dry clothes, a rain shell and comfortable shoes
Clear air and the first apples
Srinagar: about 13°C to 28°C
September has the cleanest light of the year and much easier traffic. Orchards around Shopian and Sopore start picking, and roadside stalls on the way to Pahalgam sell apples by the box. Houseboat and hotel rates usually come down a little after the summer peak.
- Good for
- Couples' trips, orchard visits, clear mountain views, emptier gardens
- Where to go
- Everywhere
- Pack
- A light jacket you can take off by eleven
Chinars turn red
Srinagar: about 6°C to 22°C
Autumn is when Srinagar looks most like itself. The big chinars at Naseem Bagh, along the Boulevard and around the old shrines change colour week by week. Late in the month the saffron at Pampore flowers purple for a short spell, and the apple harvest fills the highway with trucks.
- Good for
- Naseem Bagh under red leaves, the Pampore saffron, golden poplars on the Sonamarg road
- Where to go
- All of it, though go to Gurez early in the month
- Pack
- A padded jacket for the evenings; days are still mild
Mist on the lake
Srinagar: about 0°C to 15°C
November is for people who like Kashmir quiet. Mornings on the lake are grey and misty, the last chinar leaves cover the gardens, and the harissa shops in Downtown light their fires again. The first snow often dusts Gulmarg and the peaks above Sonamarg by the end of the month.
- Good for
- Misty houseboat mornings, the tail of the saffron harvest, off-season prices
- Where to go
- The city and the two big resorts. Passes like Razdan and Zojila begin shutting.
- Pack
- A winter jacket, warm socks, a woollen cap
Waiting for snow
Srinagar: about −2°C to 9°C
Snow can arrive early or late, so we watch the forecast with you and keep Gulmarg plans flexible. Christmas and New Year weeks fill Gulmarg and Pahalgam hotels quickly, sometimes months ahead. Srinagar itself is cold, clear and calm, with smoke rising from the old city chimneys in the evenings.
- Good for
- First snow in Gulmarg, New Year trips, winter houseboat nights
- Where to go
- Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam
- Pack
- Full winter clothing, thermals and waterproof boots
Around the valley
A few of the places and moments our trips are built around, from the lake at our door to the snowline.
How planning works
Four steps from your first message to the drive back to the airport.
- 01
Send us a message
Say when you want to come, how many of you there are and what kind of trip you have in mind. A rough idea is plenty to begin with.
- 02
We plan it with you
You get a day-by-day plan with named hotels and one total price. We explain why each day is where it is.
- 03
Change it, then book
Swap hotels, add a night, drop a place. When you are happy, a part payment holds the rooms and the car.
- 04
We are here while you travel
Your driver meets you at the airport and our office in Rainawari stays a phone call away until you fly home.
Questions people ask us
Short answers to the things travellers most often want to know before they book.
Ask on WhatsApp and you will hear from a person, not a bot.
Message usWhich month should we choose?
It depends on what you want. Snow from late December to February, tulips and blossom from late March to April, green meadows from May to September, and chinars and saffron in October and November. Every month works for something.
How many nights should we plan for?
Give the four main places five or six nights. Three nights is enough for Srinagar from the water plus one mountain day, usually Gulmarg.
Is it worth staying on a houseboat?
Yes, for at least one night. Choose Nigeen if you want quiet and the main Dal if you like being close to the shops. We match the boat to your budget and season.
Is Kashmir safe to visit?
The main tourist areas receive visitors all year. We live in Srinagar and keep an eye on local conditions every day, and if anything means a plan should change, we tell you straight away. Do also check official travel advisories before you book.
Will my phone work?
Only if it is postpaid. Prepaid numbers issued outside J&K are blocked here by rule, so travel with a postpaid SIM, or we can guide you to a local one on arrival.
What is not included in your prices?
Flights, Gondola tickets, pony rides, local union taxis at Pahalgam and Sonamarg, garden entry fees and lunches. We list these clearly in every quote so the total is never a surprise.
Can you plan a trip that starts in the old city?
That is our part of town. We can add a Downtown walk, a dawn shikara to the floating market or a harissa breakfast in winter to any package.
Start planning your trip
Tell us your dates and who is coming. We reply with a clear plan and one price you can work from.
- Call us+91 98589 85832
- WhatsApp+91 98589 85832
- OfficeRainawari, near Saida Kadal, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir