Unique things to do in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is a place that is not just travelled but is explored and felt. It is heaven on earth. Once you visit Jammu and Kashmir, you will not be able to forget the beauty, peace, and experience of living at that place.
You can also experience adventure activities, but everything fades away compared to nature. When you walk on the white bed of nature, it is nothing less than a dreamland.
You can enjoy the best trip by choosing your season wisely. The best time to visit Jammu and Kashmir is from May to August, with the fresh and cool breeze and exploring the things around.
So here are some of the fantastic things that you must try out in Jammu and Kashmir.
Houseboat Stay
Houseboat stay is the most beautiful stay you will ever experience in Dal Lake, Srinagar. Just spend one night in the houseboat, and you will not be able to leave that place; no matter with whom you are travelling, be it family, friends, or partner, it is a unique experience.
The most exciting thing is that these houseboats also provide Wi-Fi facilities and airport transfers. You can also access the option for the meal, and if you do not experience this, you are missing something huge, and you will regret it later.
Shikara Rides
When you see the boat rides in movies, the actor laying down and floating with the peace, this is precisely what you can experience here in Shikara rides. It is one of the very famous tourist spots and preferred activity by tourists.
You can take a boat and ride across the lake, with the silence, no pollution, crowd, just your peace with the sound of water, and when you touch the cold water with your hands, that feeling gives you chills.
The best place to try Shikara rides is Manasbal Lake in Sonamarg and the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar. The ride costs between Rs 150 to Rs 250.
Gondola Cable Car
Every person is fond of watching the aerial views, especially the aerial views of mountains, and travelling to another place.
Jammu offers such exciting rides in Gondola, and it is a kind of ride that people of every age group can visit. You can enjoy the views of mountains covered with snow.
The Gondola cable car ride takes place in three different phases, the first is from Gulmarg to Kongdoori, the second is from Kongdoori to Mary Shoulder, and the third is from Kongdoori Apharwat Peak.
The cable car rides are available on all seven days from 10 AM to 5 PM, but tickets are open till 3 PM, and the ticket prices are according to the phases like for phase one, it costs Rs 600, phase two, it costs Rs 300, and for the third phase, it costs Rs 800.
It would help if you experienced the cable car ride from this place as you will cherish it all your life as the view is mind-blowing.
Shopping
Are you fond of shopping? This is one of the best places to shop from Kashmir, and you will find a wide variety of antiques and unique items.
Jammu and Kashmir are known for their Pashmina shawls, and tourists are very much attracted towards shopping as it is not very easy to find the type of shawls, antiques, and many more.
Apart from Pashmina Shawl, you can buy famous Namda hand-woven carpets, antique copper wares, samovars, expensive Doda Sapphire, Fernis and all, the shopkeepers have a vast and fantastic collection of these things.
Apart from these, you will find fresh flowers, vegetables, and fruits at Dal Lake, Srinagar, on the Shikara. Shopping lovers know to shop very well and this is the place for it, and it is more exciting for how you will buy it.
Tourist spots
Jammu and Kashmir, have many places that offer many beautiful attractions in the areas like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Srinagar, and Sonamarg.
You can visit Jama Masjid, experience floating post office, Shalimar Bagh, Pari Mahal, Hari Parbat fort, Shankaracharya hill temple, Chashme Sahi, and Dal Lake, Srinagar.
In Sonamarg, you can visit Manasbal Lake, Narang temple, Thaijwas glacier, Ganderbal. In Gulmarg, you can visit the strawberry valley, Khilanmarg, Apharwat peak, Maharani temple, and ziarat of Baba Reshi.
Pahalgam offers deer park, amusement park, Lidder river, saffron fields, Aru village, Matrand sun temple, Anantnag Sulpher springs, Sheshnag lake, and Betaab valley. These are the most famous places in the respective locations, and no one should miss the important tourism places.
Wildlife Tour
Mountains covered with snow and thickly dense forest present in Jammu and Kashmir offer some of the rarest and most beautiful species of flora and fauna.
They are all protected with seven wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. Kazinag National Park, Salim Ali National Park, Kishtwar National Park, Hennis National Park, and Dachigam National Park.
You can experience many unique and beautiful species here like the red fox, snow leopard, Himalayan black bear, brown bear, musk deer, marmot, griffon vultures, monal pheasants, and golden eagle.
Monal pheasants and griffon vultures are rare species found in this region only. The wetland of Jammu and Kashmir is home to five hundred different bird species, whicht makes it an ideal place for bird watching.
Heritage Walk
Every place has a different heritage, and heritages are considered the primary and essential treasure because that thing makes a home more unique and attractive.
While you are in Srinagar, you have to walk if you want to explore see many strange things and places.
You will even find some of the structures over four centuries old, and that place is a gem. Srinagar’s architectural design is influenced by three different religions and three different styles.
You can watch the Jama Masjid, whose pillars are made up of a maple tree and also, while walking down the lane, you can find the markets of dry fruits, threads, and spices.
Pony Ride
In Jammu and Kashmir, Pony is used as one of the standard mediums of transportation in the valleys. You can experience short pony rides around the spectacular gorges.
They are more famous in places where people can not use motor vehicles, and you will usually find these at many places, but for pony rides, you can experience it in Yusmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, and Gulmarg
. If you want to feel and explore like locals, this is one of the best things you must try. It is a part of the natural lifestyle in Jammu and Kashmir.
Tulip Garden
Your Jammu and Kashmir tour is incomplete without visiting the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip garden. When you see the tulips arranged, it feels like you are in a fairyland filled with beautiful flowers all around.
Indira Gandhi memorial tulip garden is one the most extensive tulip gardens in Asia. Apart from Tulips, you will also find ranunculus, hyacinths, and daffodils, which are among the species of flowers found in the park.
Every year at the time of April, a flower festival is organized, and tourists from different places visit to enjoy the beauty. The best time to visit the tulip garden is from March to May. This is the best and mesmerizing place in Jammu and Kashmir with the combination of snow and colourful flowers.
Try Kashmiri cuisine
No matter where ever you are travelling, trying the local cuisine is always the best option, as only Kashmir is known for its cuisine and on that Kashmiri Kahwa and Lamb mutton rogan josh is very famous.
Apart from these, there are many dishes in the Kashmiri cuisine that people are not aware of but are unique and delicious.
Some dishes like paneer Chaman, which is made with puree, fried paneer, nardoo yakhni made with curry based on yoghurt, dum aloo cooked with spicy gravy. And Gushtaba is prepared with mutton flavoured with yogurt.
Gulmarg Golf Club
Have you ever thought of visiting any golf course or playing it surrounded by the snow-covered mountains and greenery all around? Trying golf is one of the different things you will experience in Gulmarg as you can not find it everywhere.
Gulmarg Golf club is the highest and largest eighteen-hole golf course globally, and there is an entirely different experience while playing here on the meadows of flowers and located in the lap of nature with beauty.
The golf club remains open from 8:30 AM till 10 PM and the entry ticket costs Rs 1200 for foreigners and Rs 800 for Indians.
Trekking
How can a person not think about trekking with the greenery, mountains, and landscapes all around? Trekking in Jammu and Kashmir is the best activity in which you will enjoy the snow, forest, flora, and mesmerizing landscapes.
Many short treks and hikes are offered for the tourists that they can enjoy in the valleys, and also there are many lakes with high altitudes like Gadsar lake, Satsar Lake, Vishansar Lake, and Alpather lake. If you opt for trekking, you can enjoy these lakes and after so much of the hard work, the view from the top is breathed taking.
River Rafting
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Rafting in the cold water with mountains covering from the sides gives the tourists a different excitement, especially if you are an adventure activity enthusiast. River rafting looks complex but is very easy, and you can enjoy it fearlessly.
Lidder River is very famous for river rafting, and the most important thing while doing river rafting is coordination and teamwork. All the safety measures are taken care of, and instructions are provided accordingly.
Lidder river rafting is a short one that covers the distance of three kilometres from Yarganpal to Yaneed bridge, apart from Lidder river, other options for river rafting location is long Sindh river rafting, that covers the distance of 28 km, it is located in Sonamarg and rides from Mamar to Wayul Bridge, and the last one is medium Sindh river rafting that covers the distance of 8 km, that is from Mamar to Saturn Marg und, and the charges are according to the rides and distance.
Snowboarding and Skiing
How can we miss snowboarding and skiing when travelling to a place covered with white snow, mountains. If you are visiting Jammu and Kashmir in winter, this is the must thing you should try as experiencing snowfall and skiing feels very satisfying.
Pahalgam, Sonamarg, and Gulmarg are entirely covered with snow during the winters, and this provides the opportunity to the travellers for snowboarding and skiing.
If you want to do something adventurous on your trip, this is the perfect adventure ride. It costs around Rs 5000 and can vary according to the demand and crowd.
So here is the list of must-do things that you should not miss and create memories for life
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
