Kashmir 3 Day Tour Packages and Gulmarg Options

Which package fits a short Kashmir trip?

We do not publish a two-night, three-day Srinagar and Gulmarg package yet, so this is the honest shortlist. The Keran Valley tour is the only two-night package we publish, and its itinerary does not visit Gulmarg. Gulmarg appears in several of our longer packages. The shortest of them is the three-night quick getaway, with a full-day Gulmarg excursion. The shortest of our packages with a night in Gulmarg is the five-night Gulmarg stay, which sleeps in Gulmarg itself on two of its three hotel tiers; our six-night Doodhpathri and Summer Special packages and the eight-night Gurez package also include a night in Gulmarg in their day plans. If you have more days, our winter packages page compares four Gulmarg packages side by side.

Prices are starting prices per person on twin sharing, ex-Srinagar, from each package's own price table, which also names the vehicle for each group size. The Keran Valley tour uses a sedan for two travellers and an SUV for four and six. The quick getaway uses an Etios for two and a Rumion for four and six. The Gulmarg stay uses an Etios for two, a Rumion or Ertiga for four and an MUV for six. All three packages include a private vehicle for transfers and sightseeing as per the itinerary. That does not cover every local ride: both Gulmarg packages list the Betaab, Aru and Chandanwari trips in Pahalgam as direct payment, and our Srinagar to Gulmarg taxi page reports operators saying a Srinagar taxi may drop you at your hotel or the Gulmarg parking area but may not run you to local points such as the gondola station, which go to a local Gulmarg union cab.

The Keran Valley price excludes GST at 5 per cent. Both Gulmarg packages list all taxes as included. Both Gulmarg packages leave out airfare, lunch and gondola tickets at Gulmarg, which you buy separately.

What the Keran Valley trip covers

The Keran Valley tour is a different kind of trip. It includes a drive of approximately 151 km from Srinagar Airport, which takes about 5 to 6 hours, and crosses Pharkian Top at 9,600 ft to Keran, a village on the Line of Control. Breakfast and dinner are included at all places, with a private AC vehicle for transfers and sightseeing, and toll taxes and parking charges covered.

How far is Gulmarg from Srinagar, and how long is the drive?

Sources differ, from about 54 km to 60 km. The Baramulla district tourism page gives about 54 km for the road from Srinagar in one passage, and 60 km in its introduction, where it also says the trip is an hour and half journey by car. Wikipedia gives about 56 km. Gulmarg itself sits at 2,650 m (8,690 ft) in the Baramulla district.

Use the range for planning. Winter snow and road orders can change the route on a given day, so ask us for the route on your dates. If you want a taxi only, our Srinagar to Gulmarg taxi page sets out the vehicles and the fare ranges we have read.

Can you stay a night in Gulmarg?

Yes. The shortest of our packages with a night in Gulmarg is the five-night Gulmarg stay, which puts the night in Gulmarg itself on the 3 Star Premium or 4 Star Basic tier; the 3 Star Basic tier sleeps in Tangmarg, a short drive below, as our winter packages page sets out. Our six-night Doodhpathri and Summer Special packages and the eight-night Gurez package also include a night in Gulmarg in their day plans. The Gulmarg stay also includes a Sonmarg Thajiwas Glacier excursion, a Pahalgam Lidder Valley experience and a houseboat finale on Dal Lake; gondola tickets are extra. All of them are longer than a weekend. A two-night Srinagar and Gulmarg itinerary is not in our published list, so we price it on request.

What is there to do in Gulmarg on a short visit?

The gondola is one of the main things to do in Gulmarg. The first gondola phase connects Gulmarg with Kongdori at 2,600 m (8,530 ft), according to Wikipedia, and the Baramulla district page gives the height of the first phase as 8,530 ft. Gondola tickets are sold on the corporation's official portal. The corporation's homepage says Gulmarg Gondola tickets are available in abundance on the new official domain. Our gondola ticket page explains the booking steps and the closure days. We do not quote a gondola fare on this page, because we found no official fare table. For the ATV ride and the winter ski options, see our ATV ride and Gulmarg ski packages.

Snow, roads and skiing in winter

Wikipedia describes skiing, tobogganing, snowboarding and heli-skiing on the slopes of Mount Apharwat, and says Gulmarg is one of the popular destinations for winter games in India. In winter, the Tangmarg to Gulmarg road can need anti-skid chains when it snows, and heavy vehicles can be barred. The orders differ by season and are issued by local authorities, so check them for your dates.

Our winter packages page lists the road orders we have read and the monthly temperatures for Srinagar and Gulmarg, so read it before you book a December to March trip.

When should you go?

Our quick getaway page sets out the season: it suits April to October for the valleys, and December to March when you want snow in Gulmarg, and we confirm road and weather conditions for your dates.

Snow cannot be promised for any date, so the honest plan is to choose the season for the experience you want, and then confirm conditions with us before you travel. For the month-by-month view, read our Gulmarg best time guide.

A short planning checklist

• Choose the Gulmarg option first: a full-day excursion from Srinagar on the quick getaway, or a night in Gulmarg, which the Gulmarg stay gives on two of its three hotel tiers (the third sleeps in Tangmarg) and our six- and eight-night packages also include.
• Check the gondola portal for the day you plan to ride, and read our gondola page for its closure days before you fix a date.
• In winter, ask us about chains and vehicle limits on the Tangmarg road before you choose a car.
• Ask whether your price includes GST: the Keran Valley price excludes it, and both Gulmarg packages list all taxes as included.
• Tell us whether you want a houseboat or a hotel in Srinagar; our houseboat guide compares Dal and Nigeen houseboats.

Build your own Srinagar and Gulmarg weekend

A two-night Srinagar and Gulmarg trip can be built to order. We price the Gulmarg day or night, the vehicle, the stays and the gondola date for your group, and the price comes on request, not from a published table. Send your dates, the number of travellers and the Gulmarg option you prefer through our contact page or on WhatsApp, and we will tailor the days to your group.

For a safety check before you travel, read our safety guide, which lists the government advisories with their dates.