Things to do & places to visit in Jammu and Kashmir, India

Jammu and Kashmir #15 destination in India 2023. The average rating score is 4.41 based on 28.0k traveler reviews, of 68 attractions. Timezone: Asia/Kolkata, current date and time: Friday, May 03, 2024, 7:01.

Top things to do (19)

Top destinations in Jammu and Kashmir 3

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Vaishno Devi Mandir (2.254 reviews)
- Vaishno devi Darshan - Things not to do :)
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent 2-3 hours Religious Sites

Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani, Trikuta and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Hindu Mother Goddess of MahaKali, MahaSaraswati and MahaLakshmi. See more..
5.0 Vaishno Devi (110 reviews)
- Must visit place with hazardous experience
Religious Sites

It is a good place to visit during September to March, as the climate is too hot during summer. One can arrive at Bhawan through Pony ride, Battery Car (Only from Adhkuwari), by walk or by helicopter. It is better to book a helicopter rather Battery car. I faced much problem by online booking of battery car on 18/5/22 due to cancellation of the ride. Booking of Pony from Adhkuwary is a hazardous one. Rather book a pony from the starting point which will be a better option. Scenic beauty is superb. Must visit Vaironath temple by cable car from Bhawan before evening. A long way to cross by walk to visit the cave. Only one free locker is available for keeping your valuables, for which you have to wait for minimum 1-2 hours. See more..
5.0 Doodhpathri (78 reviews)
- Most beautiful place around srinagar
Spent 2-3 hours Valleys

It is the most beautiful place for a day trip from srinagar. A two hour drive. The car can go right upto the entrance point to the river. There is a 150 rupees toll that one has to pay. Also, the horses union will not let the car pass and will insist on taking ponies. We did not want to take horses so we just paid then rs. 500 to let us through. We also tipped our driver who helped in convincing the horse union. The scenic beauty around the flowing river is mersmerising. On the way back we had makke ki roti and sarson ka saag which was very tasty. Do not miss this trip See more..
5.0 Doodhpathri (60 reviews)
- A day trip to Doodhpatri from Srinagar
Spent More than 3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Valleys

We visited just after Id July 2022. It took about 2 1/2 hours from Srinagar. We were mesmerized with the beauty of the valley and the river beyond the same. This is not generally visited by tourists and I would strongly recommend to visit this valley in rainy season or after instead of visiting Sonmarg and Gulmarg (both were disappointing in July). If you are travelling with your own car, you can drive down straight to the riverside, else the 'ghora-wala's will force you to ride horses to the river. We, though travelled by hired Innova, somehow managed to take our vehicle upto the riverside paying Rs 100 to the touts. See more..
5.0 Martand Sun Temple (44 reviews)
- Revive the temple for our kids to see our rich heritage
Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Religious Sites

This ancient sun temple showcases the rich heritage of our country. The knowledge of our ancestors were incomparable. This place lost the significance due to sheer neglect by the successive government. However I was happy to see that ASI is now restoring this temple. I also saw an officer of ASI personally involved in getting the staff clean the lawns etc. I also saw a group of students in the lawn who had come for a picnic with their teachers. See more..
5.0 Bawey Wali Mata Temple (41 reviews)
- Peaceful place Bawey Wali Mata Temple Jammu
Religious Sites

I visited Bawey Wali Mata Temple on 16 March 2022 with my family members, It is situated inside the Baahu Forte Jammu constructed by then Raja Bahulochan over 3K years ago, Spend Time. 02 Hour. Best Time To Visit. March or April and September or October. Timings. 05:00 AM To 09:00 PM See more..
4.5 Dal Lake (4.238 reviews)
- Breathtaking view early morning from dal lake when it is not crowded
Spent More than 3 hours Bodies of Water

We went to dal lkae twice. Once was during afternoon when it was very crowded. Then we went again at 5.30 am in the morning and had the entire lake to ourselves. Dal lake is breathtaking at sunrise and i would highly recommend an early morning visit there to avoid all the crowd. View the sunrise! See more..
4.5 Gulmarg Gondola (3.244 reviews)
- Gulmarg ...the way to heaven
Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Trams

The good first, what a place on earth!!!. Really mesmerising. Once you get down from the gondola at the first stage, you would see a very vast and beautiful valley spread across acres and acres. If you stroll across the valley u will come to the edge of it from where you can enjoy the beauty of the Himalayan range all around you. We did not choose to go to the second stage as there was no snow in the mountains. Now the bad . Inspite of buying tickets in advance the queues are serpentine and the waiting is for hours. The ever pestering so called guides will get ur wallet thinner.these guides will force you to go for a local tour in an expensive taxi to hardly enjoyable places. Locals here can be not so friendly. See more..
4.5 Shankaracharya Hill (2.100 reviews)
- Lord Shiva Temple On Top of the Hill ! Must Visit !
Points of Interest & Landmarks

This is a historical temple situated on the top of the hill. The entire hill is under CRPF control and you will have to undergo security check before entering the road that leads to temple. You are not allowed to carry any camera, mobile phone or any other electronic gadget inside the temple. There is no provision to keep these valuables so you better leave everything in your car. There are close to 300 steps from the car parking. The temple is made of stones and the architecture is majestic. You get very nice views of Srinagar city and Dal lake from the hill top. Do carry a water bottle before you begin the journey and spend some time on hill top and enjoy the views. See more..
4.5 Sonamarg (1.189 reviews)
- Amazing views
Geologic Formations

Sonmarg is a beautiful place covered with snow everywhere but there is lot of loot and no regulation here for the snow activities like snow biking etc. We visited in March end when it was covered with snow, we wanted to try snow biking. Try to negotiate the price upfront, officially it is written 2k for 1 hour but it does not take more than 5-10 min for the operator to drop you at the glacier point, so negotiate well, so overall max 15-20 mins to go up and come down by snow bike. If you want to self drive the snow bike the operator will ask for a tip and only then allow you to ride the snow bike. Once, you reach glacier point, there will loads of people approaching you for sledge ride. Overall, a nice place if you love snow and want experience of snow bike if you havent done it in phase 1 of Gondola ride in Gulmarg. See more..
4.5 Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden (1.118 reviews)
- Tour to Tulip Garden
Friday: 9:15 AM - 7:30 PM Gardens

Tulip Garden Ais the Lagest Tupuls and Mire Than Thousands of Tulios Bloom in the Month of April for Fourty Daye Every year. MOST OF parts of indian tourists come and Enjoye.Never Miss ot start Palning to Explore the Kashmir Hospitality and Tourism.Always Miss... See more..
4.5 Nigeen Lake (1.110 reviews)
- Kings houseboats Nigeen Lake
Bodies of Water

Kings Houseboat was recommended by a friend and we are so grateful to find this gem of old school luxury. We stayed on the three bedroom Boat but there is also options of two and four bed boats available all found within the gated community of this family’s plot. This is a special find as you will find yourself in a secluded location on Nigeen lake with no other boats visible. Surrounded by lotus flowers and the sounds of chirping birds this is truly a slice of paradise. The family provide breakfast and a different home cooked meal every evening. They are also an endless source of local information and can help with any travel plans large or small. This family boasts three generations of history in houseboats and you will benefit from those years of experience in customer care. They call Nigeen lake the Jewel in the crown but I think this location / boat / family are the real Jewel. Just superb. Katy & Ian See more..
4.5 Betab Valley (1.011 reviews)
- Super Scenic
Friday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas

Very scenic and non polluted place. Due to very poor living style majority of the tourist places in Kashmir are dirty , except this valley. As it is far away from human establishments it is pure and pristine. Surprisingly well maintained. Very helpful service of single seater wooden cart is available for elderly tourists at a reasonable rate. As it has a long oval lush green path to roam round it gives a great feel. See more..
4.5 Apharwat Peak (621 reviews)
- Wonderfull to witness such a heaven in India
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Mountains

If the Phase II i.e. Apharwat peak is open then one must go for it. Scenaries are much better at phase II and less crowded as compare to phase I. Phase I has activities but that can be done at the snow covered golf course ground as well and at lesser cost. Dress up- Three layer covering, neck warmer, woolen cap, woolen socks, hand gloves and Gum boots (wear woolen socks then add one polythene on it and then wear normal socks- to avoid getting your woolen socks wet and so does your legs). We bought insulated pants as well from Decathlon and it helped a lot as gum boots were completely covered and so no chance of ice getting inside it and this helps when you sit on ice for long as this pants are waterproof from outside and has woolen fabric from inside. But this pants are not available on rent. Jacket, boots and hand gloves are available on rent at Tangmarg. See more..
4.5 Jama Masjid Mosque (295 reviews)
- Architecturally unique
Friday: 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM Religious Sites

It's a very large mosque in the old city of Srinagar it has many wooden beams which looks quite good it is also quite historical. Architecturally unique, this monument has spires instead of domes and minarets. Interestingly, each of the 350 pillars of Jama Masjid is made from a single deodar trunk. See more..
4.5 Nathatop (263 reviews)
- Natha top with friends
Friday: Spent 1-2 hours Lookouts • Ski & Snowboard Areas

We Reached Patni Top on 5 th March late afternoon.We were staying at Skyview hotel And took the Gondola ride up .Our Taxi took us to Natha Top as we wanted to be in ice . In the main stop there was ice but our guide took us about 15 min further ahead to a hill where there was ice through out .. The guides are alloted by number system of their Union and everything is systematic .Tea..Maggie and boiled eggs were available. Our Guide helped us climb till the top.of the hill and brought us down by sledge and we had a good time. Would suggest taking ice coat and gumboots from the shops on the way for choice and size . See more..
4.5 Baisaran (246 reviews)
- Beautiful place in pahalgam
Scenic Walking Areas

Lovely place to be and much much better than aru valley and chandanwari. The only option is pony ride which is exciting as well as bit riskly. Dont worry. You can trust the horses (dont trust the people). The pony ride is around 1000 per pony. Just see Baisaran and nothing else. They say 8-10 points but they are not points - everything comes on the way and they just try to make more money out of you. Dont trust touts, agents and drivers. Everyone is there to loot you. See more..
4.5 Yousmarg (243 reviews)
- Lovely offbeat location
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Drives • Geologic Formations

Yousmarg is a great offbeat location just about 50kms away from Srinagar. You could make a day trip or even stay over and enjoy some peace. Vast expanses of green meadows, lakes and the doodhganga river make it interesting See more..
4.5 Thajiwas Glacier (240 reviews)
- Thajiwas Glacier ‘The hidden jewel of Kashmir’
Geologic Formations

Our second trip to Sonamarg but this time we trekked to the Thajiwas Glacier. It took us around 2.5 hours to reach the Glacier a 5 km trek; the weather was quite supportive as it was not snowing that period. You can even use road to trek which is more safer than hiking. It was an enthralling experience, one can say it was inner peace; or a better connect with the basic elements of nature (Air, Water, Earth, Fire). A sense of belonging to these elements in their most primal forms, which we are deprived of in urban life. See more..
4.5 Ksheer Bhawani Temple (234 reviews)
- Fortunate to get a darshan and prasaad.
Religious Sites

This temple is a not to be missed for every hindu tourist. Its the only temple where shivling is placed next to Durga . The story behind the temlple is that bhavani mad was not happy with Ravan's activities and asked hanuman to carry her to the Himalayas. She took the form a water and transformed into a spring in this place. devotees offer kheer the spring on which the temple is build. See more..
4.5 Zojila Pass (178 reviews)
- Thrilling and scenic ride
Scenic Drives

We went from sonamarg till Zojilla war memorial via zojilla pass. One has to take the car from taxi stand.Usually they quote double the price.We paid 4000 rs finally. The drive is quite scenic,at the same time risky and dangerous too.Only thrill and adventure seekers should go for this drive.Though,the local drivers are quite skilled.Thats the reason one doesnot mind paying them the hefty amount. Be sure to carry warm clothes at temperature at the war memorial can be lower than sonamarg. See more..
4.5 Nau Devi Temple (160 reviews)
- Mata Vaishno devi and Nau Devi.
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent 1-2 hours Religious Sites

Mata Rani (Vaishno devi) and Nau devi are the most revered of all the deities in Jammu and Kashmir city. A trip to this beautiful city is incomplete without a visit here. Its a very soothing and memorable experience, its said, your vows are fulfilled and one experiences an sense of fulfillment in life...a must go every time one visits Katra. See more..
4.5 Badamwari Garden (153 reviews)
- A beautiful not very known gem
Friday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Gardens

This is a lovely garden and a must visit in Srinagar. The best time to visit as I understand is during March/April when the almond trees are in full bloom. Unfortunately we couldnt see this. But the garden itself was quite lovely. With almond trees, flowering plants including lovely red roses, etc. The Allah fountain is a majestic structure. Well worth a visit. See more..
4.5 Sinthan Top (150 reviews)
- Best decision to visit Sinthan Top
Points of Interest & Landmarks

The day we planned to visit Sinthan top, it started raining so stayed at the JKTDC Daksum guesthouse which we had pre-booked. Next morning there was a landslide due to the rains but we waited and luckily it got cleared and we set out in our pre-booked vehicle. The road is not so good in some places because of the landslide, but after going a little head the roads get better. The scenery & view on the way is breathtaking. When we reached Sinthan top (1 hour drive from Daksum), we were the only tourists at this place and it was gorgeous and freezing cold, but worth the trip. Note : Tourists need to be mindful not to litter (we were surprised to see quite a lot of litter here). See more..
4.5 Amarnath Cave (149 reviews)
- Amarnath Yatra.....my experience.
Friday: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas • Caverns & Caves • Religious Sites

1.Taking the Pahalgaon route is more convenient in respect of the availability of hotels and other amenities like toilets,bathrooms,approachability and cleanliness. 2.Take the same route while coming back so that the luggage can be left safely in the hotel cloak room. 3.No need to carry too many eatables as per my experience as plenty of chai shops on the way and "Bhandaras"around the cave. 4.Take helicopter from Pahalgaon to Panchtarni and then going walking or by "palki" is the safest option.Ponywallas go very carelessly and least bothered about the safety of the yatri.Sometimes ponies also get slipped when it rains. 5.Palkis go till the last point possible. 6.BSNL connection works only intermittently. 7.Sufficient sanitation facilities are not available at Baltal even though there are umpteen camps here. 8.Carry as little stuff as possible during the yatra. 9.Weather is really unpredictable... sunny,cloudy,rainy....it changes within minutes.So,be prepared. 10.Not a very suitable yatra for children,physically impaired or unhealthy people. These are my personal views and please make prior bookings before leaving e.g.yatra registration,health certificate,helicopter &hotel bookings etc. JAI BABA BHOLENATH HOPE U ALL HAVE A SUCCESSFUL DARSHAN See more..
4.5 Shah-e-Hamdan (100 reviews)
- A peaceful piece of history
Religious Sites

This shrine, originally built in 1395 and reconstructed in 1732, supposedly contains "the secret of Allah." See more..
4.5 Ranbireshwar Temple (89 reviews)
- Blessings of Mahadev ji
Religious Sites

We visited this temple on 15-Apr-2022 evening. There was no rush and hence darshans were very peaceful. We saw 1.25 lac Shivlings and also a magnificent murti of bholenath's wedding ceremony. We had not seen it before anywhere. Thank you Mahadev ji for your blessings. See more..
4.5 Raghunath Temple (88 reviews)
- Raghunath temple
Spent 1-2 hours Religious Sites

We visited this temple first thing in the morning. The atmosphere was so divine and with no crowd we had a very peaceful darshan. They have free lockers outside for chappals etc. Apparently the original temple is in the Indo-Pak border, or that is what our driver told us. See more..
4.5 Sri Shiv Khori Shrine (73 reviews)
- Bam bam bhole
Spent More than 3 hours Religious Sites

It's a divine experience like mini amarnath cave. Natural caves with natural shivling darshan. It's a climb of 3.5 kms. It took me 1hr and 20min and 50 to return. .fitter people can do it in 45 minutes also. Pony ride is available for 500 rs both sides.One thing I didn't like was shrine employees are making settings of fast darshan if u pay them 200 rs. People make business of every queue in India and a queue is seldom reason of mismanagement only. If u take bus from katra dont fall for there promise regarding the timing of the bus. They can promise to return by 8 but might not return till 10.They give u four hours at shiv khori to return but wait for 1 to 2 hours for persons who don't return in the allocated time. So u might miss your train if it's on same day. Buses are poor almost like state buses. Roads are bad at some places. See more..
4.5 Tulian Lake (71 reviews)
- Tulian Lake trek with High Hills Trek and Tours
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Bodies of Water

It was my Solo trip. Destination- Pahalgam, Tulian Lake. The trek was led by Subzar from High Hills Trek and Tours. Right from organising the trek and ensuring that I ws motivated at all times ( dur yo the steep climb), Subzar managed it all Lunch and apples were provided enroute as energy boosters The base camp for Tulian was carefully selected, ( food non veg included) was out of the world. The arrangement was perfect. No room for error. This was my 2nd time with High Hills Trek and Tours and all I can say is that they are getting better. See more..