Located on the banks of Jhelum in the heart of the Kashmir valley, Srinagar is very much a niche tourism town, attracting a steady flow of tourists from all parts of India and abroad. A travel to the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is a fairytale panoramic tour through the mountains where nature is both the backdrop and the director. The beautiful placid mountain-backed Dal and Nagin lakes, the unique accommodation in houseboats, the blossoming gardens and the waterways with their own quaint lifestyle make Srinagar a paradise for holidaymakers and nature lovers. The city is also the base to enjoy some of the best hiking, mountain biking, river rafting opportunities in India.

Sights to See

Chasma-i-Shahi
Located on the south-eastern side of the Dal Lake, Chasma-i-Shahi, also called Royal Spring, is the smallest of the tastefully laid out Mughal gardens. Initially planned and laid out by Jahangir, it was completed by Shah Jahan in 1632.

Nishat Bagh
Designed in 1633 by Asaf Khan, brother of Nur Jahan, this picturesque Mughal garden is situated on the banks of the Dal Lake with the Zabarwan Mountains as a backdrop offering a magnificent view of the lake and the snow-capped Pir Panjal mountain range. Nishat is dotted with chinar trees which are reputed to have been imported to Kashmir from distant Persia by the Mughals.

Shalimar Bagh
The largest and the most famous of the Mughal gardens in Kashmir, Shalimar gardens were laid out in 1619 by Jahangir for his consort Nur Jahan. A garden of immense beauty with wonderful vistas and shallow terraces, it is 539 by 132 metres wide and has four terraces one above the other. A canal lined with polished stones and supplied with water from Harwan runs through the middle of the garden.

Nasim Bagh
Situated on the western side of Dal Lake, Nasim Bagh (The Garden of Morning Breeze) is the first garden built by the Mughals. Laid out in 1586 by Akbar, this garden is known for hundreds of its stately chinar trees.

Dal Lake
The Jewel in Srinagar's Crown, Dal Lake lies at the foot of the Shridhara (Zabarwan) mountain. A vast stretch of water reflecting the carved wooden balconies of the houseboats and the misty peaks of the Pir Panjal Mountains, the lake is divided by causeways into 4 parts.

Tulip Garden
On the foothills of Zabarwan and just behind the Botanical Garden is Asia’s biggest Tulip Garden. Also known as 'Siraj Bagh', the garden has more than 60 varieties of early, mid, late and very late blooming tulips, spreading a rainbow of red, orange, purple, white, pink, parrot and yellow colours.

Harwan
This is a historical site where remains of ancient ornamented brick pavements have been excavated. It is the site of a monastery where the great scholar Nagarjuna lived.

Hazratbal Mosque
Situated on the left bank of the Dal Lake opposite Nishat Bagh Hazratbal shrine is one of the holiest of the Muslim pilgrimage destinations in Kashmir. Commanding a majestic view of the lake and mountains, this beautiful white marble shrine has a special sanctity as it enshrines a sacred hair of Prophet Mohammad which is displayed to the public on special occasion.

Nagin Lake
So named after the trees surrounding it, the Nagin Lake is popularly known as the 'Jewel in the Ring’ and separated from the Dal lake by a thin causeway.

Jama Masjid
Originally built by Sultan Sikandar Shah in 1388 A.D. and enlarged by his son, Zain-ul-Abidin, Jama Masjid is a fine specimen of Indo-Saracenic architecture.

Hari Parbat Fort
Built in the 18th century by an Afghan Governor named Atta Mohammed Khan, the fort is now occupied by the Indian Army. On the western slope of the hill is a shrine dedicated to Goddess Parvati while on the southern face is the venerated Muslim Shrine of Khwaja Makhdoom Sahib, the famous Sufi saint who helped the spread of Islam in Kashmir.

Badshah Tomb
This unusual 5 domed brick structure is a peculiar piece of architecture dating back to the fifteenth century AD. It marks the final resting place of the mother of Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin.

Pari Mahal
Situated on a spur of Zabarwan Mountains, Pari Mahal (House of Fairies) initially a garden built by Dara Shikoh, eldest son of Shah Jahan, for his Sufi teacher, Mulla Shah. Pathar Masjid / Shahi Masjid

Facing Shah-i-Hamadan mosque on the opposite side of the Jhelum river, this largest surviving Mughal structure in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is a more conventional stone mosque built by Jahangir’s wife Nur Jahan in 1623.

Shah-i-Hamadan mosque
Situated on the banks of the river Jhelum in the centre of the city this is one of the oldest mosques in the city. Built by Sultan Sikander around 1400, the mosque is built of timber and has fine papier mache reliefs on the walls and ceilings.

Shankaracharya Temple
Situated atop the forested Takht-i-Sulaiman hill, also known as Shankaracharya Hill, the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva dating back to 11th century. The temple is built on a high octagonal plinth and can be approached by flight of steps.

Shri Pratap Singh Museum
Once the summer palace of the Kashmir Maharajas, the museum has a collection of Mughal papier-mâché work, shawls, paintings, arms and armoury, silver images, copper and jade ornaments, copper & brass utensils and Ladakhi handicrafts. The museum remains closed on Fridays and public holidays.