Splendours of Kashmir

Our services start when you arrive at Srinagar airport, where you are met and taken to your hotel or houseboat. A non-alcoholic welcome drink is served on arrival. In the afternoon, visit the Mughal Gardens: Chashme Shahi (the Royal Spring), Nishat Bagh (the Garden of Pleasure) and Shalimar Bagh (the Abode of Love). In the evening, enjoy a Shikara ride on the famous Dal Lake. Dinner and overnight at the hotel or houseboat.

After breakfast, a full-day excursion to Sonmarg, one of the loveliest drives from Srinagar. Sonmarg is 98 km away, about 3 hours, and is the last stop in the Kashmir district before the territory of Ladakh begins. At an altitude of 2,743 m, it lives up to its name, which means 'Meadow of Gold'. Snow-covered mountains form its backdrop, alpine trees surround it and it has some of the loveliest flowers in Jammu and Kashmir. You can take a pony ride to Thajiwas Glacier, where snow stays throughout the year. Return to your Srinagar houseboat by evening for the night.

After breakfast, check out of your Srinagar hotel and drive to Gulmarg, 52 km away, and check in on arrival. Gulmarg is one of the most beautiful resorts in the valley and was once a retreat for kings such as Yousuf Shah Chak and Jahangir. It has the Gulmarg Gondola, described as Asia's highest and longest cable car project, a two-stage ropeway carrying about 600 people per hour to and from Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of Afarwat Peak (4,200 m or 13,780 ft). You can also try skiing on one of the world's best ski slopes, and Gulmarg has an 18-hole golf course said to be the highest in the world. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, you have free time until departure. Transfer by car to Srinagar airport for your onward journey.