Places to visit in Srinagar

• Dal Lake: The Dal Lake is the real draw in Srinagar. Immortalised through generations of Bollywood films, the Dal typifies the romance of the city. Flowers on shikaras, lovers on houseboats and birds skimming its surface — it’s a sight that is sure to warm your heart.
• Chashme Shahi: But time is at a premium, and so you must move on to Chashme Shahi, one of Srinagar’s many legendary Mughal Gardens. This one was built in 1632 AD around a spring whose waters are believed to have medicinal properties. The garden is the smallest among the four Mughal Gardens of Srinagar.
• Shalimar Garden and Nishat Bagh: To visit the largest, make your way to the expansive Shalimar Gardens. The must-see of the four is Nishat Bagh. The ‘garden of bliss’ is right across the road from Dal Lake with a snow-capped Pir Panjal Range view. Nishat includes rare plants and long avenues of chinar and cypress trees. There’s never a bad time to be at Nishat Bagh, but autumn brings with it a rain of red foliage, making the Bagh look more beautiful than ever.
• Hazratbal Shrine: Backing onto Dal Lake, several kilometres north of the Old City, the Hazratbal Shrine – a large, white-domed 20^th century mosque – enshrines Kashmir’s holiest Islamic relic, the Moi-e-Muqqadas, supposedly a beard hair of the Prophet Mohammed. The hair’s brief disappearance (in December 1963) nearly sparked trouble. It has resurfaced now, and all’s well with the world.
• Shankaracharya: On top of the thickly forested Shankaracharya Hill is a small Shiva temple built from massive blocks of visibly ancient grey stone. Previously known as Takht-i-Sulaiman (Throne of Solomon), it’s now named for the sage Shankaracharya who reached enlightenment here in AD 750, but signs date the octagonal structure to the 5^th century, and the site is even older.

High-end shopping/luxury shopping/shopping malls in Srinagar

• Sarah City Centre
• Town Square
• Sangarmaal City Centre

Street shopping in Srinagar

Whether it’s ethnic fabrics or exotic spices, Srinagar’s markets have plenty, provided you know where to look:

• M Shah, Polo View Road:Famous for designing Nargis Fakhri’s outfits in the movie Rockstar, this store is frequented by locals looking for stylish Kashmiri fashion. It specialises in hand embroidery on wool, cotton and silk.

• Saklain’s Coterie, Polo View Road:Rashid Ahmad Kawos’s store sells gorgeous-smelling essential oils made from local produce such as lavender and walnut, and handmade soaps such as almond honey and royal saffron. You’ll also find saffron, dry fruit and a powdered version of Kashmiri kahwa for those who want to take this local aromatic tea back home.

• M Sadiq & Sons, Polo View Road:Among the numerous paper-mâché and handicraft stores on Polo View street, this stands out for its quality and design.

• Amin-Bin-Khaliq, Polo View Road:Kashmir has long been famous for its dry fruits, and this store is known for selling high-quality ones. The array of produce here is endless from smoked almonds, walnuts and saffron to dried cranberries, dates, and prunes.

• Kashmir Loom, The Bund:Jenny Housego, a textile historian (and former member of the textile department at The Victoria and Albert Museum in London), started this company and locals Hamid, Zahid and Asaf Ali. Immersed in reviving the Kashmir shawl and Sozni traditions by creating collections in cashmere, silk and cotton, a visit to their studio is a must, but remember that it’s by appointment only.

• Kashmir Government Arts Emporium, Boulevard Road:This is a great place to buy Kashmiri products, as it ensures the artisans get their fair share of the profits. You’ll find apparel, handicrafts and woven carpets, as well as walnut wood furniture, which can be shipped all over the world.

• Andraab, Humhama Chowk:Producing Pashmina pieces woven and embroidered by hand, its clientele includes celebrities such as Richard Gere and Judi Dench. The store is on the way to the airport, near Humhama Chowk, the perfect way to end your holiday.

Nightlife/party places in Srinagar

• Lounge Seven
• Dal Bar
• Undress

Srinagar walks

When you get over with history, take a step forward and discover how the best of Kashmir’s handicrafts are crafted. Go on a guided walk through the old city with Srinagar Walks. You can see artisans at work, in their homes, and even enjoy a cup of kahwa with their families after buying a pashmina shawl or two at prices that are substantially lower than at the shops.

Rozabal

At the north end of the Sufi shrine of Pir Dastgir Sahib in Khaniyar is another small, green shrine known as Rozabal. A highly controversial theory claims that the shrine’s crypt holds the grave of Jesus Christ. Tourists are actively discouraged from approaching, but the mere existence of this little place poses some intriguing questions.

Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden

It is among the recently added tourist attractions in Srinagar, attracting many tourists since its inception. Sprawling across 29.6 acres, it is the largest tulips garden in Asia. With 20 lakh flowers of several varieties of tulips, the place looks as magical as a painting. Its scenic backdrop filled with beautiful Dal Lake and majestic Zabarwan enhance its beauty further.

The Lalit Grand Palace

There’s more to Srinagar than just gardens, lakes and shikaras. Contemplate a visit to The Lalit Grand Palace to have a gin and tonic under the courtyard’s chinar tree. This spot was once the meeting site between Gandhi and the erstwhile ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, who formally joined Kashmir to the Indian union back in 1947. Could anything be more historical?

Places to visit near Srinagar

Sonmarg

A must-have getaway from Srinagar, you will be awestruck to see this mesmerising scenic place. Surrounded by glaciers and lakes, the place looks ethereal and an ideal destination for nature lovers.

Gulmarg

Crowned as the 7^th best skiing destination in Asia, it is a hub for winter sports in India. Along with enjoying the enchanting beauty of this place, you can satisfy the sports bug in you with tobogganing, snowboarding and heli-skiing, among other such sporting activities. While visiting Gulmarg, you must try Gulmarg Gondola, the world’s highest ropeway connecting Gulmarg to Mount Apharwat.

Patnitop

A beautiful hill station famous for its scenic surroundings, it’s another great getaway from Srinagar. Located in the Udhampur district, near Pir Panjal range, this place boasts of beautiful locations and landmarks attracting many tourists every year.

Shikara Festival

Held in July and August, the Shikara Festival rejoices the iconic shikaras of the city of Srinagar. Beautifully adorned with flowers, lights, and decorations, it is truly a vibrant sight to witness the colourful shikaras gliding on the Dal Lake.

The Tulip Festival

With a widespread display of over 1.5 million tulips of various kinds, this festival lasts for only 15 days when the flowers are in full bloom.