Travel Story Kashmir · Paradise on Earth
from the valley

The Journal

Straight answers

What people actually ask us

No listicles and no borrowed photographs. These are the questions that come up every week on WhatsApp, answered by the people who drive the roads and book the houseboats.

We run trips in this valley all year, which means we answer the same handful of questions every week — when to come, what it really costs, whether it is safe, and what on earth to pack for a place where the valley floor and the top of the gondola are twenty degrees apart on the same afternoon.

Rather than repeat ourselves on WhatsApp, we have written the answers down properly. Everything here is written by people based in Srinagar, and it includes the parts that are awkward for a tour operator to admit — the months we would tell you not to come, the costs that sit outside every package, and the risks that are actually worth planning around.

More is on the way: the Amarnath yatra season, Kashmir compared with Himachal and Uttarakhand, trekking the Great Lakes, and a guide to buying real pashmina without being sold a blend.

Best Time to Visit Kashmir — Month by Month Guide When to go · 9 min read The Best Time to Visit Kashmir Every month works for something. The trick is matching the month to what you actually want. Kashmir Trip Cost — An Honest Breakdown Money · 8 min read What a Kashmir Trip Actually Costs Package prices are the easy part. The extras nobody warns you about are where budgets break. Is Kashmir Safe for Tourists? An Honest Answer Practical · 7 min read Is Kashmir Safe for Tourists? The honest version, from people who live here — including the risks that are actually worth planning around. What to Pack for Kashmir — Season by Season Practical · 7 min read What to Pack for Kashmir The valley floor and the top of the gondola are twenty degrees apart on the same afternoon. How to Reach Kashmir — Flights, Trains and Road Getting here · 8 min read How to Reach Kashmir Air, rail and road — and what each route really costs from your city. Kashmir by Train — Delhi to Srinagar Rail Guide Getting here · 7 min read Kashmir by Train The Chenab bridge, the Katra Vande Bharat, and whether the train actually beats the flight. Solo Travel in Kashmir — An Honest Guide Practical · 7 min read Solo Travel in Kashmir Including solo women — what it is actually like, and the caveats worth stating plainly. Bike Trip to Kashmir — Routes, Rentals and the Ladakh Rule Riding · 7 min read Bike Trip to Kashmir Routes, rental rates, and the registration rule that turns riders back at the Ladakh boundary. Kashmir vs Himachal, Uttarakhand and Ladakh compared Deciding · 9 min read Kashmir vs Himachal, Uttarakhand & Ladakh Including the cases where we would tell you to book somewhere else. How many days do you need in Kashmir Planning · 7 min read How Many Days in Kashmir? What 3, 5, 7 and 10 days each actually buy you — and when more stops helping. Kashmir Great Lakes Trek — Route, Days and Difficulty Trekking · 8 min read Kashmir Great Lakes Trek Seven days, six lakes and a 13,750 ft pass — what the route actually asks of you.