Gulmarg or Pahalgam - which should you choose?
Both are day trips or overnights from Srinagar, and most Kashmir itineraries include both. If you have to pick one, this is how they compare.
Gulmarg
- High meadow at 2,650 m, ringed by peaks
- The gondola - one of the highest cable cars in the world - is the main draw
- The only real ski destination in India, December to March
- Can be cold and windy even in summer; a half-day is often enough in the green season
Pahalgam
- Lower, greener, along the Lidder river
- Three side valleys - Betaab, Aru, Chandanwari - each worth a couple of hours
- Better for walks, riverside time and a relaxed overnight
- The starting point for the Amarnath yatra in season
Our take
- Snow, gondola, adventure: Gulmarg, and consider the ski week
- Nature, walking, unwinding: Pahalgam, ideally an overnight
- First trip: do both, as in the Classic Kashmir circuit