Srinagar in 3 days

Dal Lake houseboats, Mughal gardens, and the heart of Kashmir. Best time to visit: April to October. Average daily budget: $30 to $60.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Dal Lake (Boulevard Road), The classic strip along the lake with houseboats, shikara ghats, and views of the Zabarwan mountains.

Morning: Ride a shikara at sunrise. Glide across Dal Lake before the crowds, past the floating vegetable market where traders trade produce from boat to boat.

Afternoon: Explore Dal Lake (Boulevard Road), The classic strip along the lake with houseboats, shikara ghats, and views of the Zabarwan mountains.

Evening: Stay on a houseboat. Spend at least one night on a cedar houseboat on Dal or Nagin Lake, with carved interiors, hot kahwa tea and water views from bed.

Eat: Rogan josh, Kashmiri lamb slow cooked in aromatic red spice

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Old Town (Downtown), The historic district along the Jhelum with wooden mosques, shrines, bazaars and the city's best street food.

Morning: Walk the Mughal gardens. Nishat Bagh and Shalimar Bagh terraced fountains and chinar trees, built by emperors who considered this paradise on earth.

Afternoon: Explore Old Town (Downtown), The historic district along the Jhelum with wooden mosques, shrines, bazaars and the city's best street food.

Evening: Explore the old town. Find the 14th century Jama Masjid with its 370 wooden pillars, the Shah Hamdan shrine's papier mache walls, and spice bazaars.

Eat: Kahwa, saffron and almond green tea served from samovars

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Nishat and Shalimar, The lakeshore east of the centre where the great Mughal gardens sit among apple orchards and quieter guesthouses.

Morning: Day trip to Gulmarg. Ride the Gulmarg Gondola, one of the world's highest cable cars, to 4,000 metre meadows and, in winter, serious ski slopes.

Afternoon: Explore Nishat and Shalimar, The lakeshore east of the centre where the great Mughal gardens sit among apple orchards and quieter guesthouses.

Evening: Take a Kashmiri wazwan meal. A multi course feast of slow cooked lamb dishes, or at least try rogan josh, nadru (lotus stem) and gushtaba at a local restaurant.

Eat: Nadru yakhni, lotus stem in a delicate yogurt gravy

Hidden gems

Nagin Lake, the quieter sister of Dal with clearer water and fewer boats
Hazratbal shrine's white marble dome mirrored in the lake at dawn
Pari Mahal, a terraced ruin above the lake with the best sunset view in the city
A working saffron farm in Pampore on the drive toward Pahalgam

Getting around

Srinagar has no app taxis, so rely on prepaid taxis, auto rickshaws negotiable at 150 to 400 rupees for short hops, or your houseboat's shuttle. Shikaras cross the lake for small sums. Gulmarg is 1.5 hours by road, Pahalgam 2 hours, and the airport sits 20 minutes from Boulevard Road.

Safety

The security situation in Kashmir has improved markedly and tourist areas are well protected, but check current government advice before travel. Carry your passport for checkpoints, expect occasional curfew day disruptions, and dress modestly. The main physical risks are altitude around Gulmarg and cold nights outside summer.

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