For two
Kerala6 Nights / 7 Days
Kerala Backwaters & Hills
Tea estates, a boat of your own and rain on a tin roof
Starting from
₹48,999
per couple
Kashmir Valley Retreat
Dal Lake, the Gulmarg gondola and a valley that still looks like the postcards
About this trip
The classic Kashmir circuit, planned so the driving is spread evenly instead of stacked into one exhausting day. Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam are each 2–3 hours apart and each looks nothing like the last.
The houseboat night is worth doing once, and once is usually right. We book a properly restored boat for the first night, then move you to a hotel with heating for the rest of the Srinagar stay.
This is one of the few genuinely spectacular honeymoons that comes in under sixty thousand rupees for two, with a private car throughout.
- One night on a restored Dal Lake houseboat
- Dawn shikara ride through the floating vegetable market
- Gulmarg gondola to the upper phase and the snow line
- Riverside walks and pony trails through the pine forest at Pahalgam
- Mughal gardens below the mountains at Srinagar
- Private car and driver for the full six days
Day by day
A working outline rather than a fixed schedule. Every day can be moved, and at least one is deliberately left empty.
- 1
Day 1
Srinagar and the houseboat
Met at Srinagar airport and driven to the lake. Board the houseboat in the afternoon, then a shikara out onto the water in the last of the light. Dinner is served on board.
- Airport transfer
- Evening shikara ride
- Dinner on the houseboat
Meals: dinnerStay: Deluxe houseboat, Dal Lake
- 2
Day 2
Dawn on the lake, then up to Gulmarg
Out at 5:30am for the floating vegetable market, which happens whether or not anyone watches. Back for breakfast, then the Mughal gardens before driving to Gulmarg — around two hours, climbing the whole way.
- Dawn shikara and floating market
- Mughal gardens
- Drive to Gulmarg
Meals: breakfast, dinnerStay: Gulmarg hotel
- 3
Day 3
The gondola
Gondola Phase 1 to Kongdoori, then Phase 2 up towards Apharwat and the snow line. Weather decides how far the second phase runs; on a clear day the view crosses into the Pir Panjal.
- Gondola Phase 1 and 2
- Snow line at 3,900m
Meals: breakfast, dinnerStay: Gulmarg hotel
- 4
Day 4
Across to Pahalgam
A long, beautiful drive down through Tangmarg and across the valley floor past the saffron fields, roughly four hours with stops. Afternoon by the Lidder river.
- Cross-valley drive
- Saffron fields stop
- Riverside evening
Meals: breakfast, dinnerStay: Pahalgam hotel
- 5
Day 5
The Lidder valleys
A full day around Pahalgam — Aru and Betaab valleys by local taxi, then a walk along the river through the pines. Nothing strenuous unless you want it to be.
- Aru and Betaab valleys
- Riverside forest walk
Meals: breakfast, dinnerStay: Pahalgam hotel
- 6
Day 6
Back to Srinagar and home
An early start for the drive back to Srinagar airport, around two and a half hours. We build in a buffer for the checkpoints.
Meals: breakfast
What is and is not included
Included
- 1 night houseboat, 2 nights hotel in Gulmarg, 2 nights hotel in Pahalgam
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- Private car with driver for all six days including airport transfers
- Dawn shikara ride on Dal Lake
- Gulmarg gondola Phase 1 and Phase 2 tickets
- Mughal gardens tour of Srinagar
- All road taxes, tolls and driver allowances
Not included
- Airfare or train fare to and from the destination
- Meals not specified in the day-by-day itinerary
- Entry tickets to monuments and parks unless listed
- Personal expenses and tips for drivers and guides
- Anything described as optional rather than included
- Pony rides, sledging and local guide charges at Gulmarg and Pahalgam
- Aru, Betaab and Chandanwari local taxi charges, which are union-fixed
Before you book
Important information
- Prices are per couple on twin sharing and are indicative — final pricing is confirmed against live availability for your dates.
- Peak periods (Christmas, New Year and long weekends) carry a mandatory gala dinner supplement set by the property.
- Hotels listed are the properties we normally book. If one is unavailable we substitute a comparable alternative and tell you before you pay.
- Standard check-in is 2pm and checkout is 11am. Early check-in and late checkout are requested but never guaranteed.
- Carry a valid photo ID for every traveller. International trips need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your return date.
- The Gulmarg gondola closes in high wind or heavy snow. If Phase 2 does not run on either of your days, we refund the ticket difference.
- Local taxi unions control access to Aru, Betaab, Chandanwari and Sonamarg. These charges are fixed locally and cannot be pre-paid.
- Carry layers year-round. Srinagar can be 28°C on the same afternoon Gulmarg is near freezing at the top of the gondola.
- We plan around current local travel advisories and keep a driver with you throughout the trip.
Questions about this trip
When will we actually see snow?
The top of the Gulmarg gondola holds snow from roughly December to early May. For snow across the valley floor, travel between late December and February.
Is one night on a houseboat enough?
For most couples, yes. The first evening and the dawn ride are the memorable parts. A second night tends to feel repetitive, and hotel rooms are warmer.
How much driving is there?
Around ten hours in total across six days, split into stretches of two to four hours. No single day is spent entirely in the car.
Next step
Enquire about the Kashmir Valley Retreat
One travel designer picks this up, checks live availability for your dates and comes back with real numbers — usually the same day.
Before you go
Best time to visit Kashmir
March to October, and December for snow. April and May bring tulips, blossom and green meadows. September and October give crisp air and chinar leaves turning red. December to February is deep snow — beautiful, but some passes close.
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