5 Days Kashmir Tour from Srinagar: Shikara Rides & Mughal Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.99 (106 reviews) 99% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/7

Duration5d

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Five days threading Kashmir's lakes, gardens and peaks without arranging the route

A five-day sightseeing tour of Srinagar and Pahalgam with accommodation, breakfast and airport pickup included. The itinerary covers shikara rides on Dal Lake, the Mughal Gardens (Nishat and Shalimar), Gulmarg's cable car and gondola, saffron fields, and a pony trek to Baisaran — a guide in English leads throughout, and the fixed schedule holds all transport and entry together.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival and Srinagar Shikara Ride

Arrive at Srinagar airport
Drive to New Srinagar City
Check into houseboat
Dal road sightseeing tour
Enjoy Shikara ride
Return to houseboat

Day 2 — Srinagar to Pahalgam Sightseeing

Breakfast at houseboat
Drive to Pahalgam
Visit saffron fields
Visit Awantipur ruins
Visit Anantnag sulphur spring
Enjoy nature in Pahalgam
Dinner and overnight at hotel

Day 3 — Pahalgam to Srinagar Local Sightseeing

Breakfast at hotel
Drive to Srinagar
Visit Shankar Acharya Temple
Visit Nishat Mughal Garden
Visit Shalimar Mughal Garden
Visit Cheshmaashahi Royal Spring
Visit Hazratbal Mosque
Evening Shikara ride on Dal lake
Visit floating, lotus, vegetable gardens
Explore backwater canals
Visit paper machi and wood carving handicrafts
Overnight at Srinagar hotel

Day 4 — Gulmarg Day Trip

Breakfast at hotel
Drive to Gulmarg
Explore Gulmarg attractions
Ride Gulmarg Gondola cable car
View snow-capped Himalayas
Optional hiking, horse riding, golfing, skiing
Return to Srinagar
Overnight at Srinagar hotel

Day 5 — Departure from Srinagar

Breakfast at hotel
Visit local market for shopping
Drive to Srinagar airport
Depart for home destination

The Experience

You arrive at Srinagar airport and get picked up for a 35-minute drive into the city, passing the Abdullah Bridge on the way. Check into a houseboat on Dal Lake, then head out on the water for a shikara ride — a flat-bottomed wooden boat that moves through the floating gardens and lotus beds, past paper-machi and wood-carving workshops along the canals. The first night you stay on the houseboat; the next morning, breakfast comes before a drive south to Pahalgam, stopping at saffron fields, the Awantipur ruins and the Anantnag sulphur spring along the way.

Day three brings you back to Srinagar for a full day of gardens and temples. Shankar Acharya Temple sits on a hilltop; the Mughal Gardens — Nishat (Garden of Pleasure) and Shalimar (Garden of Love) — spread across terraced flower beds with marble pavilions and fountains, the Himalayas visible behind them. You also visit Cheshmaashahi (Royal Spring) and the Hazratbal Mosque, then return to Dal Lake for an evening shikara ride through the backwater canals. On day four, a day trip takes you to Gulmarg, where the Gulmarg Gondola — Asia's highest and longest cable car — carries you up to Kongdoori Mountain and views of Apharwat Peak at 14,403 feet. Hiking, horse riding and skiing (in winter) are available there. The final morning is free for shopping at the local market before your airport drop-off.

Breakfast is included each day; dinner and lunch are on your own. The guide speaks English throughout. A pony trek to Baisaran is an option if you're not visiting during ski season, and the itinerary assumes a high level of fitness — the trek and the cable car both involve altitude and walking.

What’s included

Airport pickup and drop-off in Srinagar.
four nights' accommodation (one houseboat night, three hotel nights in Srinagar and Pahalgam).
daily breakfast.
shikara rides on Dal Lake.
entry to Mughal Gardens (Nishat, Shalimar and Cheshmaashahi).
visits to Shankar Acharya Temple and Hazratbal Mosque.
Gulmarg Gondola cable car ride.
sightseeing stops at saffron fields, Awantipur ruins and Anantnag sulphur spring.
English-speaking guide throughout.

Good to know

Demanding physical levelInfant seats availableNot for pregnant travelersNot for back problems

Operated by KASHMIR LOCATION TRAVELS

Is this one for you?Five days is long enough to move between Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg without rushing any stop, but short enough to fit into a week-long trip to Kashmir. The fixed itinerary and included transport mean you do not build the route yourself — the guide handles timing and logistics, leaving you to move through the lakes, gardens and peaks without the planning.