Places to Visit in Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir occupies the northernmost edge of the Indian subcontinent, wedged between the Pir Panjal range to the south and the Great Himalayan range to the north. The union territory, reorganised from the former state in August 2019, comprises three distinct physiographic zones: the subtropical Jammu plains and the Shivalik foothills; the high-altitude Kashmir Valley, carved by the Jhelum River at roughly 1,600 metres above sea level; and the high ranges of the Great Himalaya that eventually give way to Ladakh. Each zone demands a separate wardrobe, a different pace, and an entirely different sensibility.

The Kashmir Valley, which draws the lion's share of visitors, is a bowl of flat alluvial land fringed by snow-capped peaks. Srinagar, its premier city, spreads across the shores of Dal Lake and Nagin Lake, its old quarters stitched together by narrow lanes of unpainted brick and carved walnut-wood facades. The city's famous Mughal gardens — Shalimar Bagh, Nishat Bagh, Chashme Shahi — were commissioned by Mughal emperors and nobles as earthly approximations of paradise, and their formal char-bagh geometry still impresses despite tourist traffic.

Jammu, the winter capital, is a temple city of an entirely different character: loud, warm, and deeply Hindu in its ritual cadence. The Vaishno Devi shrine, lodged in the Trikuta hills about 60 kilometres north of Jammu city, draws more than eight million pilgrims annually, making it one of the most visited religious sites in South Asia.

The best months to visit the Kashmir Valley are May through June and September through October, when apple orchards are heavy with fruit and the passes into Gurez and Sonamarg remain open. July and August bring monsoon rains. December through February sees heavy snowfall — charming for those who can tolerate sub-zero temperatures but occasionally disruptive to road connectivity. The Jammu region is comfortable from October through March.