Things to Do in Srinagar: 12 Real Picks
Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use.
Read this first: Jammu & Kashmir is a security-sensitive, disputed region. The April 2025 attack near Pahalgam and the India-Pakistan tension that followed it are the reason both the US State Department and the UK FCDO currently advise against travel to J&K, the FCDO naming Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg by name. Check your government’s current advisory before you plan anything below. The Valley is still functioning, busy even, with heavy security around every site tourists actually visit, but that’s a reason to travel with a registered operator and stay updated, not a reason to skip the advisory.
Twelve things worth actually doing in Srinagar, roughly in the order a first trip tends to hit them, each with what it costs.
1. Take a Shikara Ride and Sleep on a Houseboat
The shikara is Srinagar’s defining image for a reason: a canopied paddle boat gliding past floating gardens and houseboats on Dal Lake. Official tariff runs about ₹750-800 an hour; touts at the ghats will quote two to three times that, so agree the fare through your houseboat or a hotel desk first. Houseboats themselves run roughly ₹2,500-3,500 a night at the budget end, ₹4,000-8,000 deluxe, and ₹10,000-15,000-plus for the full luxury package, usually with meals and shikara transfers included.
2. Walk All Three Mughal Gardens in One Day
Shalimar Bagh (1619, the largest, 12.4 hectares across three terraces, 410 fountains), Nishat Bagh (“Garden of Joy,” 1633, twelve terraces and the best combined Dal Lake and Pir Panjal view), and Chashme Shahi (1632, a spring garden, the smallest, 30-45 minutes) all sit close enough together to do in one day. Entry runs roughly ₹20-30 per garden (verify locally). Go early morning for the light and thinner crowds.
3. Pay Respects at Hazratbal Shrine
The white-marble shrine on Dal Lake’s north bank holds the Moi-e-Muqaddas, a relic believed to be a hair of the Prophet, displayed only on select occasions. It’s free, non-Muslims are generally welcome in the outer courtyard, and it’s an active place of worship: modest dress, no photos of the inner prayer hall.
4. Step Inside Jamia Masjid’s 378-Pillar Courtyard
Built 1394-1402 in Nowhatta in the old city, Jamia Masjid is a Persian-style quadrangular mosque with 378 deodar-wood pillars around a Chaar Bagh courtyard. It’s free outside prayer times and one of the few places in the city where the scale of the old wooden architecture is immediately obvious.
5. Shop the Old City, Not the Boulevard
Pashmina (legal, do the ring test, authentic pieces start around ₹8,000), hand-knotted carpets, papier-mache and walnut-wood carving are all made here. Favor a fixed-price government emporium over commission-driven shops near the Boulevard, and know that Shahtoosh, wool from an endangered antelope, is illegal; walk away from anyone offering it.
6. Ride Up to Shankaracharya Temple
An ancient Shiva temple on Takht-e-Sulaiman hill, reached by about 240 steps, with a panoramic view over Dal Lake and the city. It sits in a high-security zone, and phones and cameras are frequently barred at a checkpoint on the way up, with no lockers provided, so leave electronics with your driver and carry photo ID. The policy shifts with the security situation, so confirm on arrival.
7. Do the Hari Parbat Multi-Faith Circuit
Hari Parbat hill packs a fort (army permission sometimes needed at the gate, verify locally), the Sharika Devi Hindu temple, the Makhdoom Sahib Sufi shrine and Sikh gurdwaras onto one hillside. Entry is free or a nominal ₹10-25. Treat it as a pilgrimage circuit, not a viewpoint.
8. Time a Visit to the Tulip Garden
The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, Asia’s largest at 30 hectares with roughly 1.75 million bulbs, blooms hard for one to three weeks in early April and is close to dormant the rest of the year. Ticket runs roughly ₹50-70 (verify). Build your trip dates around the bloom, not the other way around.
9. Eat a Full Wazwan Feast at Least Once
Wazwan is Kashmir’s multi-course feast: Rogan Josh, Gushtaba, Yakhni, Tabak Maaz and more, traditionally shared from one large plate (trami) among several people. Pair it with Kahwa, saffron-almond tea, rather than regular chai.
10. Take the Gulmarg Gondola
About 1.5-2 hours from Srinagar, Gulmarg’s gondola is one of the world’s highest cable cars: Phase 1 to Kongdori runs roughly ₹740-810, Phase 2 up to Apharwat (about 3,980m) another ₹920-1,010, combined around ₹1,800. It’s reported fully open with stepped-up security since 2025. See our day trips guide before you book transport.
11. Wander the SPS Museum
The Sri Pratap Singh Museum holds roughly 80,000 artifacts on Kashmiri history and craft. Entry is ₹10 for Indian visitors, ₹50 for foreigners, Tuesday to Sunday, roughly 10am-5pm (verify hours).
12. Walk the Boulevard at Golden Hour
The lakeside Boulevard is Srinagar’s tourist spine, houseboats moored along one side, shops and cafes on the other. It’s the easiest place to just sit with a Kahwa and watch shikaras cross the lake as the light drops.
Quick Comparison
| Activity | Rough cost (INR) | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Shikara ride | ₹750-800/hr | 1-2 hours |
| Three Mughal gardens | ₹20-30 each | Half a day |
| Shankaracharya Temple | Free | 1-2 hours |
| Gulmarg gondola (combined) | ~₹1,800 | Full day trip |
| SPS Museum | ₹10-50 | 1-2 hours |
If you’re planning which of these to string together first, our 3-day itinerary already does it, and check the current advisory before locking in dates. For the shikara and gardens booked ahead, browse Srinagar tours on GetYourGuide .
Whichever of these twelve you cut for time, don’t cut the Wazwan. Everything else on this list you can approximate elsewhere in India; a real trami shared among strangers on a houseboat, you can’t.