Aquilla Hikes
Kashmir Winter Backpacking (5N/6D)
5 Nights / 6 Days · from Srinagar
Stay: 5 nights on triple or dual sharing – Srinagar (1 night houseboat, 1 night hotel), Gulmarg (1 night) and Pahalgam (2 nights)
Meals: 5 breakfasts and 5 dinners
Transport: Srinagar to Srinagar, all local travel by Tempo Traveller, SUV or sedan depending on group size
Day-wise itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Srinagar
- Dal Lake
- Airport pickup on sharing basis (arrivals before 12 noon) and drive to Dal Lake
- Check in at the houseboat and freshen up
- Visit the Mughal gardens on the banks of Dal Lake: Nishat Bagh, the 'Garden of Pleasure', and Shalimar Bagh
- Shikara ride on Dal Lake at sunset
- Dinner and overnight on the houseboat
Meals: Dinner · Night: Srinagar (houseboat)
Day 2: Srinagar to Gulmarg
- Gondola Ride
- After breakfast, drive to Gulmarg, home to one of the world's highest golf courses and Kashmir's main ski slopes
- Check in at the hotel and take some time to rest
- Gulmarg Gondola Phase 1 ride (included), among the highest cable cars in Asia, with wide views of the snow peaks
- Evening free to enjoy the snow around the meadow
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner · Night: Gulmarg
Day 3: Gulmarg to Pahalgam via Drung Waterfall
- After breakfast, begin the drive towards Pahalgam
- Stop at Drung Waterfall near Tangmarg, which freezes into a wall of ice in winter
- Reach Pahalgam, check in at the hotel and relax
- Evening walk around the town and along the Lidder river
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner · Night: Pahalgam
Day 4: Explore Pahalgam
- Aru, Betaab & Chandanwari
- After breakfast, a full day around Pahalgam
- Betaab Valley, a wide meadow ringed by snow peaks, and Aru Valley, a quiet village meadow further up
- Chandanwari, known for its snow bridge and as the starting point of the Amarnath route
- Snow activities such as sledging are available here and payable directly
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner · Night: Pahalgam
Day 5: Back to Srinagar
- Shrines & Markets
- After breakfast, drive back to Srinagar
- Shankaracharya Temple on Takht-e-Suleiman hill, with a view over the whole Kashmir valley
- Pari Mahal, Hazratbal Shrine on the lake shore and the old city's Jama Masjid
- Evening by Dal Lake; try Kashmiri Wazwan in the local market or go café hopping (on your own)
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner · Night: Srinagar
Day 6: Departure
- Breakfast at the hotel and check-out
- Drop at Srinagar airport on sharing basis
Meals: Breakfast
Inclusions
- Transport: Srinagar to Srinagar, all local travel by Tempo Traveller, SUV or sedan depending on group size
- Stay: 5 nights on triple or dual sharing – Srinagar (1 night houseboat, 1 night hotel), Gulmarg (1 night) and Pahalgam (2 nights)
- Meals: 5 breakfasts and 5 dinners
- Activities: Gulmarg Gondola Phase 1 ride and a shikara ride in Srinagar
- Airport pickup and drop on sharing basis
- Trip Captain throughout the trip
- Experienced local drivers for mountain roads
- Driver allowance, tolls, parking and state taxes
- Basic medical kit
Exclusions
- 5% GST
- Flights or train tickets to and from the starting point
- Lunch and any meals not listed under inclusions
- Gondola tickets, pony rides, sledging, snow activities and other optional activities, unless listed under inclusions
- Local union cabs for Aru, Betaab Valley and Chandanwari in Pahalgam, and for Thajiwas Glacier in Sonamarg, unless listed under inclusions
- Entry tickets to gardens and monuments
- Room heaters where the hotel charges for them
- Travel insurance, tips, porterage, laundry and other personal expenses
- Costs arising from bad weather, snowfall, road closures, landslides or anything else outside our control
- Anything not listed under inclusions
Price per person
| Triple sharing (3 per room) | ₹19,999 |
| Double sharing (2 per room) | ₹21,999 |
5% GST extra. Booking advance ₹2,000 per person (non-refundable). Balance before boarding.
Things to carry
Valid government photo ID · Comfortable walking / trekking shoes · Warm layers or jacket (mountain evenings get cold) · Rain jacket or poncho · Sunglasses, cap and sunscreen · Personal medicines · Reusable water bottle · Power bank and charger · Toiletries and personal essentials · Small backpack for day trips
Cancellation policy
- The booking amount / advance is non-refundable in any case.
- 30 or more days before departure: 80% refund (excluding the advance).
- 15–29 days before departure: 50% refund (excluding the advance).
- 7–14 days before departure: 25% refund (excluding the advance).
- Less than 7 days before departure: no refund.
- No-shows and late arrivals: no refund.
- If Aquilla Hikes cancels or reschedules for unavoidable reasons, you get another date or a trip of equal value (no cash refund). Rescheduling credit is valid for 12 months.