The best time to visit Kashmir, month by month
Kashmir is a genuine four-season destination. The best month depends entirely on what you want the valley to look like.
March to May - blossom and tulips
Late March brings almond blossom around Srinagar, and the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden usually opens for about three weeks from the last week of March into mid-April. Days are cool, hillsides are green, and the summer crowds have not arrived. Gulmarg can still hold snow into April.
June to August - the classic green season
This is peak season. Every road is open, the meadows of Pahalgam and Sonamarg are at their greenest, and daytime temperatures are pleasant while the rest of North India bakes. Book hotels and houseboats well ahead. Our Classic Kashmir circuit is designed for exactly this window.
September to November - golden chinars
Our favourite time. The chinar leaves turn red and gold, the light is soft, and prices drop noticeably after the first week of September. Mornings get crisp by late October.
December to February - snow and skiing
Gulmarg becomes one of Asia's best ski resorts, Srinagar is cold and quiet, and some higher roads close. If snow is the goal, this is the season - see the Winter in Gulmarg ski week.
Quick answer
- Flowers and fewer people: April
- Meadows and full access: June to August
- Best value and photography: September to October
- Snow: January to February