A 2,650-metre bowl below Apharwat peak with the world's second-highest operating gondola, India's best lift-served skiing and a summer meadow that gave the place its name.
2,650 m1–2 daysBest: Year-round
Hill stationSnowTrekking
Trip style
Winter, Snow & Skiing
Gulmarg powder, snow on the Dal and a valley that empties out just as it becomes most beautiful.
4–8 days8 destinations covered
How we approach it
The thinking behind these trips
Winter is the most underrated season in Kashmir. Snow typically arrives in Gulmarg in December and holds through March, the Dal mists over and occasionally freezes, Pahalgam's pine forests go silent, and the whole valley costs a fraction of what it does in June.
Gulmarg is the headline. It has the longest lift-served vertical in India, genuinely world-class off-piste above the second gondola phase, and gentle nursery slopes at Kongdoori where beginners can learn properly with certified instructors. Beyond skiing there is snowboarding, snow tubing, snowmobiling, heli-skiing and simply walking through a meadow under a metre of fresh snow.
Logistics matter more in winter than any other season. Gondola tickets sell out, the Tangmarg road needs chains after heavy falls, and hotels without proper heating are miserable. All of that is what we handle.
What we take care of
Exact inclusions depend on your dates and standard of stay — these are the things we build into every trip of this kind.
Pre-booked gondola tickets
Phase 1 and Phase 2 secured in advance for peak January and February dates.
Ski lessons and gear
Certified instructors at Kongdoori, with skis, boards, boots and snow clothing hired through vetted suppliers.
Properly heated hotels
Every winter property we use is inspected for working heating, hot water and backup power.
Weather-aware routing
Daily road and gondola status checks, with alternative plans ready when Apharwat closes for wind.
Places this usually includes
Destinations
Where these trips usually go
A starting shortlist, not a fixed route. We add, drop and reorder depending on your dates and pace.
The summer capital of Kashmir, built around a lake, a river and an old city of wooden balconies, copper-beaters and saffron-scented kitchens.
1,585 m2–3 daysBest: Mar–Oct
LakeHeritageGarden
Eighteen square kilometres of waterways, floating gardens and carved houseboats that have defined the image of Kashmir for a hundred and fifty years.
1,583 mHalf day to overnightBest: Mar–Nov
LakeHeritage
Kashmir's most relaxed hill town, where the Lidder river runs through pine forest at 2,130 metres, with Aru, Betaab and Chandanwari branching off above it.
2,130 m2 daysBest: Mar–Nov
Hill stationValleyTrekking
An hour from Srinagar, a wide alpine meadow cut by a stream that froths white over the rocks — hence the name, the valley of milk.
2,730 mDay tripBest: Apr–Oct
ValleyOffbeatSnow
A glacial valley at 2,730 metres on the road to Ladakh, surrounded by snow peaks, braided rivers and the walk-in Thajiwas glacier.
2,730 m1–2 daysBest: May–Oct
ValleySnowTrekking
A deodar-covered plateau at 2,024 metres above the Chenab valley, known for paragliding, snow in winter and India's longest cable car.
2,024 m1–2 daysBest: Jan, Mar–Jun, Sep–Dec
Hill stationSnow
At 2,711 metres, the highest accessible point near Patnitop — a bare ridge with Pir Panjal views and the most reliable snow in the Jammu region.
2,711 mHalf dayBest: Jan–May, Sep–Dec
Hill stationSnow
Questions
Winter & Snow FAQs
The questions we get asked most about this kind of trip.
When does it snow in Gulmarg?
Usually from late December, with the deepest and most reliable cover in January and February. March still skis well and is noticeably quieter.
Can complete beginners ski in Gulmarg?
Yes. The Kongdoori nursery slopes and certified instructors make it one of the better places in Asia to learn. Two or three days is enough to get comfortable.
Is the road to Gulmarg open in winter?
Normally yes, but after heavy snowfall the final climb from Tangmarg may require chains or a local shuttle. We check conditions daily and adjust.
How cold does it actually get?
Gulmarg sits around -8°C to 3°C in January. Srinagar is milder at roughly -3°C to 8°C. Proper layers matter far more than the headline number.
Start planning
Plan your winter & snow trip
Give us your dates, group size and roughly what you want to spend. We will send a day-by-day winter & snow itinerary with named hotels and one clear quote.
A reply within hours
A planner in Srinagar reads your enquiry and responds personally, usually the same working day.
An itinerary, not a brochure
You get a day-by-day plan written for your dates, group and pace — then we refine it together.
One clear quote
Every inclusion listed in writing before you pay anything. No surprise charges on the ground.
Prefer to talk? +91 88991 23434 · Every day, 09:00-21:00