Kashmir Tulip Festival Tour Package from Srinagar

When is the tulip festival, and how do you choose your dates?

Our tulip garden ticket page says the garden is open to the public from mid-March to late April during the annual Tulip Festival, and that the exact dates depend on the blooming schedule, which varies with the weather. The dates and ticket arrangements are announced each year by the Floriculture Department, which runs the garden. We do not print a fee or a closing date on this page, because they change and a stale number does more harm than none.

Tulip varieties flower in turn, which is why the garden can stay in colour for weeks. Here is how we describe the season to guests choosing a week.

Our advice: do not lock non-refundable flights until the garden's dates for the year are public, and choose a fare you can change. Keep at least one spare day in your plan, and if you can, avoid weekends, when the gate is busiest.

What does a tulip garden visit involve?

Our tulip garden page describes the Indira Gandhi garden as sitting on the foothills of the Zabarwan Mountains overlooking Dal Lake, in Srinagar, and calls it Asia's largest tulip garden. It lists over 30 hectares and more than 1.5 million bulbs in over 60 varieties, with hyacinths, daffodils and ranunculus alongside. The garden is built on terraces, so expect gentle slopes and some steps. Most visitors spend one to two hours, and the page recommends going early in the morning, roughly 8 to 10 am, for softer light and fewer people. Photography is allowed; drones and professional shoots need special permission, so tell us if you plan either.

The garden sits on the same side of Dal Lake as the Mughal gardens, which is why it pairs well with them. Our Mughal gardens guide covers Nishat, Shalimar, Chashme Shahi and Pari Mahal, and our Srinagar destination guide covers the rest of the city, and our Srinagar sightseeing tour page shows how a city day is planned.

Which Kashmir package suits a tulip trip, and what does it cost?

These are the four valley packages we use most often for spring. Every figure is copied from the package's own price table, per person on twin sharing, ex-Srinagar. Garden entry is not in any of these prices, because our package pages list entry fees as an extra.

The packages list the Mughal gardens, not the tulip garden, on the Srinagar day, so tell us you want the tulips and we place them. Our Kashmir pages say that you can extend nights or adjust the plan, and we quote the change. The tables do not split seasons, so send your dates and we confirm the rate and the terms before you pay. For a couple's trip, see our honeymoon packages; for children, our family packages.

What does a 4-night spring plan look like?

1. Day 1, Srinagar. Airport pickup, a Dal Lake houseboat or hotel, and a shikara ride in the evening. Spring evenings are cold on the water, so wear a jacket.
2. Day 2, tulips and gardens. The tulip garden when it opens, then Nishat Bagh or Chashme Shahi. Keep the afternoon free; the garden day is the one we least want to rush.
3. Day 3, a day out of Srinagar. Gulmarg or Pahalgam, chosen on the day by the road and the weather. In spring, snow can linger higher up, so ask us what is open.
4. Day 4, the old city and shopping. A slower day, plus the second chance at the garden if the first visit was rained off.
5. Day 5, departure. Airport drop. Leave room for a delayed flight, and do not book a tight connection.

What is the weather in March and April, and what should you pack?

Spring in Srinagar is cool, changeable and often wet. Mornings and evenings are cold, afternoons can be pleasant in sun, and rain or hail is possible, which is good for the flowers and less good for photographs. Pack for layers rather than one heavy coat. Our packing list has the longer version, and our month-by-month guide puts March and April next to the other months.

• A light down or fleece jacket, plus a thermal layer for mornings and evenings.
• Comfortable shoes with grip; the garden is on a slope and paths can be damp.
• A compact umbrella or rain jacket, and a cover for your camera.
• A power bank, since cold drains phone batteries quickly.
• A printout or screenshot of your ticket and an ID, in case signal is weak at the gate.

Where should you stay in tulip season?

Hotels and houseboats near Dal Lake book up early when the garden opens, so tell us your dates as soon as you have them. Our packages offer both a hotel and a houseboat night. A houseboat is atmospheric but cold in early spring, so ask about heating and power before you choose one; our Dal Lake houseboat page says that standard boats may have limited electricity, and heating differs from boat to boat. For a hotel, see our Srinagar hotel booking page. For a shikara ride, which every package includes for one hour, see our shikara page.

What else is in bloom in spring?

Tulips are the headline, but spring has a run of blossom across the valley. Almond blossom comes first, around the Badamwari garden in Srinagar, and other orchard blossom follows through April. The Mughal gardens green up, and the chinar trees come into leaf. The timing shifts each year with the winter, so we tell you what is out in the week you travel rather than promise it in advance.

How do you get garden tickets, and what is the next step?

Our tulip garden page says we provide online ticket booking to avoid long queues at the entrance, offer guided garden tours, and can combine the visit with other Srinagar attractions. The ticket arrangements for each year come from the Floriculture Department, so we check them for your dates, tell you what a ticket costs, and add it as a separate line. Send your dates, the number of travellers and the package you like through our contact page. Our site says a Srinagar planner replies within 30 minutes.