Srinagar
The summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir, built around the Jhelum River and Dal Lake.
A city built as much on water as on land.
Srinagar's identity runs through Dal Lake — houseboats moored along its edges, shikaras threading between floating vegetable markets, and the Mughal gardens terraced up the hills behind it. It's been Kashmir's summer capital for centuries, and the pace of the old city still reflects that: unhurried, built for staying rather than passing through.
Beyond the lake, the old city's wooden mosques and the Kashmiri handicraft trade — papier-mâché, pashmina, hand-knotted carpets — are as much a part of Srinagar as the water.
Gardens built by emperors, and a temple on a hill.
- 01Shalimar Bagh & Nishat BaghTerraced Mughal gardens overlooking the lake, at their best in spring and autumn.
- 02Dal Lake HouseboatsCedar-carved houseboats, many still family-run, some over a century old.
- 03Shankaracharya TempleA hilltop temple with the best overview of the city and lake.
- 04Old CityJama Masjid and Khanqah-e-Moula, both examples of Kashmir's distinctive wooden mosque architecture.
Best time & getting here.
Best Time to Visit
April–June for tulips and spring gardens, September–October for autumn chinar colour.
Getting Here
Direct flights to Srinagar from major Indian cities. By road, it's the natural first stop coming in via the Jammu–Srinagar highway.
Activities
Shikara rides, houseboat stays, garden visits, and shopping for local handicrafts in the old city.
Good To Know
A houseboat stay is worth building into the itinerary as an overnight, not just a daytime shikara ride — it changes the whole feel of the city.