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Kodaikanal Film & Cinema Trail
Srinagar · Gulmarg · Pahalgam — 5 days with a group of 14, led by someone from the valley.
DURATION
5 days / 4 nights
STARTS
Srinagar airport
BEST FOR
Solo travellers & couples
RATING
4.9 · 38 reviews
01 — The trip
Five days in the valley, at the valley's pace
You land in Srinagar, sleep on a houseboat on Dal Lake, take the gondola up at Gulmarg, walk the Betaab valley in Pahalgam and end the week back in the old city with kahwa and copper shops. Two or three things a day — never a checklist sprint.
The group is capped at 14 and every traveller is screened before it closes. Your trip lead is from Srinagar, so the route bends with the weather instead of breaking.
Route
Srinagar → Gulmarg → Pahalgam
Group size
14 travellers, screened
Difficulty
Easy — light walking only
Trip lead
Local, Srinagar based
FROM / PERSON
₹[adult_price]
Enquire about this trip
No spam. We reply on WhatsApp with dates, seats and the full day plan.
02 — Day by day
The plan
Open a day to see what it actually looks like on the ground.
01 Land in Srinagar, sleep on the lake Srinagar
Srinagar
- Airport pickup, then straight to the houseboat on Dal Lake — rooms sorted by 2pm.
- Shikara ride through the floating gardens as the light drops.
- First group dinner on the deck: wazwan, introductions, and the plan for the week.
02 Gulmarg and the gondola Gulmarg
Gulmarg
- Early drive out through the rice fields and pine into Gulmarg.
- Gondola to Phase 1 — Phase 2 if the weather holds. Snow at the top most of October.
- Evening is free: the meadow walk, the golf course fence, or nothing at all.
03 Pahalgam, Betaab and Aru Pahalgam
Pahalgam
- Drive to Pahalgam with a saffron-field stop in Pampore.
- Betaab valley on foot, then Aru for the river and the horses.
- Bonfire by the Lidder with the group in the evening.
04 Old city, kahwa and the copper lanes Srinagar
Srinagar
- Back to Srinagar, morning at Jamia Masjid and the old-city lanes.
- Copper and papier-mâché workshops — the real ones, not the showrooms.
- Mughal gardens at golden hour, then the last dinner on the water.
05 Slow morning, then home Srinagar
Srinagar
- Breakfast runs long. Nobody rushes the goodbyes.
- Airport drops timed to your flight; extensions to Sonmarg can be arranged.
- You leave on the group chat, which is where the next trip usually starts.
Replace Edit 03 — Stay base
Deluxe houseboat, Dal Lake + Gulmarg lodge
Two nights on the lake, two nights in the mountains — double sharing.
Carved cedar interiors, a deck that opens onto the water, and breakfast served as the shikaras start moving. Every property is visited by our team before it enters an itinerary.
ADDRESS
Ghat No. 9, Boulevard Road, Dal Lake, Srinagar 190001
04 — The fee
What the price covers
TRIP FEE / PERSON
₹[adult_price]
₹2,000 to hold a seat, balance 15 days before departure. Flights and personal spends are not included.
Included
- 4 nights stay — houseboat and mountain lodge, twin sharing
- All internal travel in a private AC vehicle
- Gondola Phase 1 ticket at Gulmarg
- Local trip lead for the full 5 days
- 4 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners
- Shikara ride on Dal Lake
- Permits and entry tickets listed in the itinerary
Not included
- Flights to and from Srinagar
- Gondola Phase 2 and pony rides
- Personal meals, drinks and shopping
- Travel insurance
- Anything marked optional in the day plan
05 — Know before you go
Weather, routes, and what to see
Best time to visit
Mar – May
Spring
Tulip gardens in bloom, 12–22°C. Best light of the year.
Jun – Aug
Summer
Warmest and busiest, 18–30°C. Good for Sonmarg and high meadows.
Sep – Nov
Autumn
Chinar turning, 8–20°C, thin crowds. Our pick for this trip.
Dec – Feb
Winter
Snow in Gulmarg, −2–8°C. Roads can close for a day at a time.
This departure runs in October — chinar season, thin crowds, and the first snow already sitting on Apharwat.
How to reach
By air
Srinagar (SXR) — 1 stop from Bengaluru, direct from Delhi. The trip starts at arrivals.
By rail
Jammu Tawi is the nearest railhead, then a 7–8 hour drive up the NH44.
By road
Jammu–Srinagar highway, open year round barring heavy snow days.
Getting around
Private AC vehicle for the group through all five days — nothing to book
yourself.
Things to do on this route
Shikara at first light on Dal Lake
The floating vegetable market clears by 7am.
Gondola to Apharwat, Gulmarg
Asia's highest cable car. Phase 1 included, Phase 2 optional.
Betaab and Aru valleys
Easy walks along the Lidder in Pahalgam.
Old city walk, Srinagar
Jamia Masjid, copper lanes, papier-mâché workshops.
Mughal gardens at golden hour
Nishat and Shalimar, terraced into the hillside.
Wazwan dinner with the group
Rista, tabak maaz and rogan josh, eaten the local way.
06 — Why book with us
Same valley. A trip that actually holds together.
We have run this route since 2018. What changes between operators is not the sights — it is who leads the group, how big it is, and whether the price on the page is the price you pay.
08 — Straight from the valley
Vibe with us
Clips shot by travellers on the last two Kashmir departures.
09 — Kashmir questions
Before you book this one
Anything else — WhatsApp +91 80731 84260 and a planner replies the same day.
Is Kashmir safe for a group trip right now?
What is the weather like in October?
How do I get to Srinagar?
Is it double sharing? Can I get a private room?
Rooms are twin-share and matched same-gender by default. A private room is available on request for ₹4,500 extra for the trip.
Are flights included in ₹8,500?
Can I extend after the trip ends?
11 seats left on the October valley run
full itinerary and packing list.