Srinagar, Kashmir, India - Srinagar Travel Guide

Srinagar, India

Dal Lake, Srinagar, India (cc)

Srinagar Travel Guide

Introduction

Srinagar, the summer capital of India's northernmost state, Jammu and Kashmir, is the loveliest of the country's travel destinations. It enjoys a spectacular alpine setting in the Kashmir Valley, surrounded by picturesque lakes dotted with colorful houseboats and flower-laden shikaras (narrow rowboats), and interwoven with streets filled with chai shops and markets selling traditional handicrafts, clothing, furniture, and dried fruits and nuts. There are temples and shrines, hill-town structures, and some of the most stunning public gardens you're likely to find anywhere in India. The local people, fair-skinned and rosy-cheeked and a tourist curiosity unto themselves, often seen in phirans, the traditional Kashmiri loose coats worn in the winter, further add to the interest, bursting forth in a smattering of Kashmiri and Urdu, punctuated with stabs at English and Hindi. And despite the overtones of "trouble in paradise," Srinagar remains a premier Indian tourist destination.

Location

Srinagar is situated 556 miles (890 km) north of New Delhi, the capital.

How to Get There

Sightseeing

Neighborhoods

How to Get Around

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

Where to Party

Essential Information

Nearby Destinations

How to Get There

There are direct flights between Srinagar and the capital city, New Delhi, as well as between Jammu and Srinagar.

Sightseeing

Srinagar is abundant in places to see and experience. Among its most notable attractions are the picture-perfect Dal Lake, the Nishat and Shalimar Gardens, Nagin Lake, Shankaracharya Hill, the Hari Parbat Hill which sits atop Sharika Hill, the Hazratbal Shrine, and the Charar-e-Shareif shrine, situated along the road to Yusmarg. Another draw, the Dachigam National Park, is a little way from Srinagar and offers a worthwhile excursion from the capital.

Main Neighborhoods