4N/5D Kashmir backpacking road trip

Meeting Point:

Dal Lake gate no. 1

Inclusions

• Accommodation
• Transportation within Kashmir
• Entrance fees
• Non-AC Car

Exclusions

• Meals (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
• Pony ride/Gondola ride
• Any Private Expense
• Travel from home city to Kashmir & back

Blueprint

Day 1 | Dal Lake, Srinagar

• Reach Srinagar by 15:00 HRS latest.
• Check into a houseboat at Dal Lake.
• Meet the rest of the group.
• By 17:30 HRS leave for a Shikhara ride around Dal Lake.
• Dinner in the city of Sri Nagar.
• Spend the rest of the evening relaxing in our house boat.

Day 2 | Pahalgam

• Post Breakfast leave for Pahalgam. (90 km = 2.50 hours)
• Check in to our Pahalgam stay.
• Freshen up and leave for Aru Valley, Chandanwari and Betaab Valley
• In the evening return to the guest house.
• Rest of the evening at leisure

Day 3 | Gulmarg

• Post Breakfast leave for Gulmarg (51 km =1.5 Hrs)
• Explore Gulmarg and visit Gulmarg Gondola cable car ride.
• In the evening at 18:00 HRS return back to Srinagar
• Check in to our houseboat stay for the night

Day 4 | Doodhpatri

• Post Breakast leave for Doodhpatri. (90 km = 2.50 hours)
• Explore Doodhpatri
• In the evening return to the houseboat stay in Srinagar.
• Rest of the evening at leisure

Day 5 | Lal Chowk

• Post breakfast, leave for Srinagar Sightseeing (Sri Shankaracharya Temple, Mughal Gardens, including Nishat Bagh, Chesham Shahi, and Shalimar Bagh. Hazratbal Shrine located along the banks of Dal Lake)
• Drop off by 13:00 hrs at Lal Chowk
• Trip ends at Lal Chowk

FAQ

General questions

Q. Where is Srinagar located?
Srinagar is a region administered by India as a union territory.

Q. Is Srinagar safe?
Yes, Srinagar is an extremely safe place to travel to. Unlike the rest of J&K, Srinagar has not been affected by any kind of conflict till date.

Network related faq

Q. Is there a cell phone network in Srinagar?
Yes, there is cell phone coverage in Srinagar. BSNL, Airtel and Vodafone postpaid connection work. BSNL and Airtel are the best. Only postpaid connections work in Srinagar.

Q. Why does prepaid cell phone network not work in J&K?
Since J&K is a highly conflicted region for security purposes only postpaid connections work in this region.

Q. Is there 3G/4G in Srinagar?
As of October 2017, Srinagar had only edge and edge plus (2G) in the town of Leh. So basically WhatsApp works. BSNL has the best data coverage in Srinagar.

Q. Does Airtel and Vodafone work in Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley and Tso Moriri?
Only BSNL has a cellular connection in these regions and that too is very scratchy.

Q. Where do we meet the driver at Srinagar?
The trip starts at Dal Lake gate no.1.

Q. What time should we reach Dal Lake?
Any time from 10:00 HRS to 17:30 HRS on day one of the trip is an ideal time to reach Dal Lake.

Q. What time and where does the trip end at Srinagar?
The trip ends at Lal chowl by 13:00 HRS on the last day of the trip as mentioned on our blueprint.

Q. How do we reach Dal Lake from Srinagar airport?
From Srinagar airport there are two options. Either you can take a taxi to Dal Lake gate no.1 or a local bus.

Q. What kind of accommodation will be provided?
We will be using homestays and guest houses all along the trip.

Q. Will the accommodation be clean?
Since no one in the world likes to keep their home untidy, it’s safe to say that every place we stay at will be clean and will give you a homely feel.

Q. Will we get a bed, blankets and pillows?
Yes, at every place we stay at you’ll get a blanket, a pillow and if not a bed then surely a mattress to sleep on.

Q. Will we get hot water for a bath?
Every guest house and homestay we stay at will have geysers so you’ll surely get to have a bath at least once a day.

Q. Will the rooms be based on gender or mixed?
It will be girls in a separate room and boys in a separate room, for all those backpacking solo.

Q. Why is food not included?
Since this is a backpacking trip we want to leave the eating for you’ll to explore on your own. You’ll never go hungry in Srinagar.

Q. Do we need to carry food along?
Not needed. Every place we stay at will have either a cafe or a Kashmiri family who will cook for us.

Q. What kind of food should we expect to get?
In Srinagar you’ll get everything from pizza to dosa. While in other regions, it’s the basic rajma dal (kidney beans) rice, pickle, mix vegetables and rotis with some local chicken curry.

Q. Can we cook?
Yes, you can cook in our homestay in Srinagar. Provided you make the time.

Q. How do I avoid altitude sickness?
The only way to avoid altitude sickness is to rest well, keep yourself hydrated and have plenty of water.

Q. What about motion sickness?
Consult your local physician is the best for motion sickness.

Q. Is there a hospital in Srinagar?
Yes, every town and village in Ladakh has a health centre.

Q. Is it okay if I enroll solo for a trip?
Yes, it’s absolutely fine to enroll solo. All our trips have 70% solo travelers who enroll.

Q. What will be our mode of transportation?
While in Srinagar we will be using a combination of Sedan, SUVs or tempo travellers depending on the group size

TLOW, based on the Cancellation Date, shall withhold the following amounts stated in the table below, from the Booking Amount or Trip Price as cancellation charges and refund the remainder to you. The refund shall be paid to you, within (21) calendar days from the Cancellation Date.

Cancellation Date is: Cancellation charges

• Before forty (40) calendar days prior to the date of commencement of Trip, 15% of the Trip Price
• On or after forty (40) calendar days but prior to thirty (30) calendar days day of commencement of Trip,
  30% of the Trip Price
• On or after thirty (30) calendar days but prior twenty five (25) calendar days from day of commencement of Trip
  50% of the Trip Price
• On or after twenty five (25) calendar days but prior to twenty (20) calendar days from day of commencement of Trip
  75% of the Trip Price
• On or after twenty (20) calendar days but prior fifteen (15) calendar days from day of commencement of Trip
  100% of the Trip Price

For more information on cancellation & refund policy please read our T&C.