Early this year, Srinagar’s Zabarwan Park got a hot air balloon service. This was part of the government’s initiative to attract more tourists with new means of entertainment and adventure.
In the second half of 2021, the Dal Lake became home to Kashmir’s first-ever open-air floating theatre. Expect music and dance shows by local artists, shikhara rally, and more – all against the picturesque backdrop of the famous lake.
Also known as Downtown, Sheher-e-Khaas has shops selling copperware, silverware, leather products, glasses, samovars (traditional jugs), tramis (plates) with intricate carvings at prices that you would not believe – most of these are handmade. There are also shops selling spices, carpets, and dry fruits.
Srinagar may not have a bustling nightlife, but the cafes and tea rooms more than compensate for it. From Chaai Jai to Adhoos bakery, Srinagar boasts of an eclectic mix of cafes—from the quaint to the themed.
If you are visting Srinagar during summer, you must check out this rare seasonal spectacle of breathtaking tulips at the Tulip Garden in Srinagar. The tulip season starts during the third week of March and blooms to the maximum glory in the first three weeks of April.
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre describes Kashmir's Mughal Gardens as a ‘testimony of the creative and innovative ingenuity demonstrated by the Mughals’. These gardens showcase the excellent engineering skills of the Mughals in making good use of the terrain and supply of water there.
Head to the Dal Lake and take a 60-minute shikara ride through the local canals to Zujilangkar in Rainawari to watch vegetable traders buy and sell their produce on the floating vegetable market.
A multi-tiered historical monument, the Pari Mahal or Peer Mahal, is located on top of the Zabarwan mountain range and it overlooks all of Srinagar. It has seven terrace gardens, and each of those is a sight to behold.
Khanqah-e-Moula, the first mosque that was built in the valley, is a must-visit. Constructed in 1395 in the memory of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani, who is credited with having brought Islam from Persia to the Valley.
Love adventure? Head to Pahalgam, just 54 km away from Srinagar, for a great whitewater rafting experience in the River Lidder.