Itinerary & Budget (Kashmir)

A 7 day trip to Kashmir is sufficient to enjoy it completely. Since, Kashmir is a tourist hub, the longer you stay the more expensive it gets. We have provided all the details of places to visit in Kashmir in this post. Do check it out after reading the itinerary and plan your trip. Here is a sample 7 day itinerary along with the expected budget to cover major tourist spots of Kashmir. You can extend it or reduce it depending on your choices.

Itinerary

One key point to note is that you may stay over at Gulmarg as well as Sonamarg. But, it will not be very judicious if you want to keep your budget low. The following is the itinerary that we followed and also the budget for our Kashmir trip:

Srinagar- Day 1:

Arrive at Srinagar (morning flight from Delhi).
Check-in to the hotel. After breakfast, set out for a local Srinagar tour.
Take the first stop at Shankaracharya Temple. Cover 2 Mughal gardens namely, Nishat Bagh and Shalimar Bagh. If you are visiting in April, do not forget to visit Asia’s largest tulip garden, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip garden for the wonderous tulips.
Take a shikara ride on the Dal lake in the evening just before sunset (If you are staying in the houseboat on the Dal lake, this can be your last event for the day).
Visit the lal chowk market. End your day with dinner at your hotel or in any restaurant in the market area.

Srinagar- Day 2:

After your breakfast start your day 2 of local sightseeing with the Chashme Shahi garden.
Next visit the Pari Mahal.
Your next destination can be Downtown Srinagar.
You can visit the Jamia Masjid in this area. Explore the shops around it.
Take a visit to the Hari Parbat fort.
End the day with visit to the market or exploring more of Srinagar or just spending the remaining time in the comfort of your hotel.

Gulmarg- Day 3:

Dedicate this day to a trip to Gulmarg.
Enjoy the beautiful ride from Srinagar to Gulmarg specially after Tangmarg.
Go straight to Gondola. Enjoy snow activities if it is winter.
Take a pony or walk exploring the golf course area, strawberry valleys and the snow leopard valley.
You may visit the Al- Pathar lake which is a frozen lake in Gulmarg. You can take a pony as it requires a little trek.
Return to Srinagar by evening.

Sonamarg- Day 4:

This day embark on your journey to Sonamarg. Stop over at a restaurant by the river and click some pictures.
Take a pony to Thajiwas glacier.
After returning from the Thajiwas glacier ride, you may book a taxi to zero point and Zojila Pass from the taxi stand. On the way you will cross Mansabal lake an important point for Amarnath Yatra.
Return to Srinagar.

Pahalgam- Day 5:

The next day set on your journey to Pahalgam.
After that you reach the ruins of Avantipura temple on the route.
Visit the apple orchards in Anantnag.
Tak some pictures on the banks of river Lidder.
Check in to your hotel.
Explore the market.
Hire a pony for Baisaran, Dabyaan and Kashmir valley. The trip takes about 2-3 hours.
Relax in your hotel.

Pahalgam- Day 6:

You can hire a taxi for a half day trip to Aru Valley, Chandanwari, Betaab Valley. You can include more stop points in your trip with added costs.
Participate in a barbeque bonfire organized by tour operators.

Srinagar- Day 7:

Start your journey back to Srinagar.
Depending on the time of your flight, you may spend some time shopping for dry fruits, saffron or woolen clothes. If you are short on time, ask the taxi to drop you to airport directly.
Take the return flight to Delhi.

Budget

It does not cost you a bomb to explore Kashmir. The travel packages are normally for 5-7 days but with a very high budget when you are booking for Kashmir. Please avoid the packages and plan your trip for yourself. Undermentioned expenses are approximate based on a similar itinerary as mentioned above and that too on a fairly low budget for Kashmir:

Returning Flights (ex-Delhi): Rs.7000-8000.
Car Rental: Rs.2200-2500 per day
Hotels: Avg Rs.2500 per day
Local taxi for sightseeing in Pahalgam: Rs.2200-3000
Tickets for parks, gondola, shikara etc.: 3500-4000
Tips: Rs.100 per activity.
Pony rides or snow activities: Rs.700-1000 per activity
Food: 1200-1500 for 3 meals per day
Shopping: Depends on you!
Total approx. 2 people: Rs.74,000 maximum

Our breakup of expenses for 2 people:

Stay (Srinagar & Pahalgam): Rs.5,600
Flights: Rs.13,000
Taxi (4 days on use basis): Rs.10,800
Local sightseeing (Srinagar & Pahalgam): Rs. 3,600
Pony, gondola, activities, gardens: Rs.10,000
Tips: Rs.500
Food: Rs.6,000
Others: 2,000
Total (approx.) : Rs.50,500 for 2 people