Seven days is the length at which a Kashmir trip stops being a schedule and becomes a holiday. You see the same four places as a five-day trip (Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg), but with a full day for the Old City, a night in Pahalgam instead of a long return drive, a houseboat night, and enough slack that a closed road or a cancelled Gondola costs you nothing.

Below is the seven-day plan we recommend most, day by day, with drive times and what each day costs. After it come the variations: honeymoon, a second visit to the offbeat valleys, winter, and Gurez in summer. We are a tour operator in Srinagar, and this is the itinerary we would give a friend.

The 7-day plan at a glance

  • Day 1: Arrive in Srinagar. Mughal gardens, Shankaracharya Temple, shikara on Dal Lake.
  • Day 2: Srinagar Old City, Hazratbal and Pari Mahal.
  • Day 3: Gulmarg day trip. Gondola and meadows.
  • Day 4: Drive to Pahalgam via the saffron fields and Martand. Night in Pahalgam.
  • Day 5: Betaab Valley, Aru and Chandanwari, then back to Srinagar.
  • Day 6: Sonamarg day trip, then a houseboat night on Dal Lake.
  • Day 7: Depart.

Two nights away from the Srinagar base (Pahalgam, then the houseboat) is the right amount: enough to change the scenery, not so much that you spend the week packing.

Day by day

Day 1: Arrive in Srinagar

Land, check in, and use the afternoon for the gardens along the Dal: Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh and Chashme Shahi, then Shankaracharya Temple for the view over the lake. Finish with an hour by shikara at sunset. Shikara rates are fixed by the Tourism Department at roughly ₹700–800 per boat per hour.

Day 2: Old Srinagar

The day five-day itineraries leave out, and the one many people remember most. Start early in the Old City: the wooden Jama Masjid at Nowhatta, with its 378 cedar pillars; Khanqah-e-Moula on the Jhelum, its papier-mâché interior the finest in the valley; and Hari Parbat fort above them. After lunch, Hazratbal Shrine on the western shore of the Dal, then Pari Mahal in the late afternoon for the best view over the lake.

  • Friday: midday prayers fill the Old City and Hazratbal. On a Friday, swap this day with day 3.
  • Dress: shoulders and knees covered; women should carry a scarf for the shrines.
  • Eat: this is the day for a proper wazwan, and for the bakeries of the Old City.

Day 3: Gulmarg

Leave by 8 am for Gulmarg (50 km, about 2 hours). The Gondola is the main event: Phase 1 to Kongdori, and, when the wind allows, Phase 2 to Apharwat at almost 4,000 m. 2026 fares have been about ₹800 and ₹1,000 per person respectively, booked on the official portal only. Otherwise, walk the meadow or take a pony towards Khilanmarg. Back to Srinagar by evening.

Day 4: Srinagar to Pahalgam

Check out and drive south-east (90 km, about 2.5 hours, longer with stops). Break the drive at the Pampore saffron fields (in flower for about two weeks from late October), the ruined 9th-century temples at Avantipora, and the Martand Sun Temple near Mattan, on a plateau above the valley. Reach Pahalgam in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day along the Lidder river. (Baisaran meadow above the town was closed to visitors after April 2025 and had not been confirmed reopen as of October 2026; ask locally before planning around it.)

This is why seven days beats five: you sleep in the mountains. Pahalgam at dusk and at 7 am, before the day traffic arrives from Srinagar, is a different place.

Day 5: The Pahalgam valleys, back to Srinagar

Start early. The three valleys are reached only by local union taxi from the Pahalgam stand, at fixed rates. The April 2026 tariff ran from about ₹900–1,600 for Betaab alone to ₹2,100–3,000 for all three, depending on the vehicle:

  • Betaab Valley: the meadow, river and pine slopes most people picture.
  • Aru Valley: wider and quieter, with a village and the start of the Tarsar–Marsar and Kolahoi treks.
  • Chandanwari: the start of the Amarnath Yatra route, with snow often lingering into early summer.

Drive back to Srinagar in the late afternoon.

Betaab Valley meadow with the Lidder river and pine-covered slopes near Pahalgam
Betaab Valley in the morning, before the day traffic: the reason to sleep in Pahalgam.

Day 6: Sonamarg and the houseboat

The longest day trip (80 km, about 3 hours each way) up the Sindh valley to Sonamarg. Take a pony or walk the 3 km to Thajiwas Glacier; in summer and early autumn union vehicles also run on to Zero Point over Zojila. Back in Srinagar, transfer by shikara to a deluxe houseboat for the last night: carved cedar, a lake view, and tea on the deck in the morning.

Day 7: Depart

Breakfast on the houseboat, a last shikara to the shore, and the airport. Flights out of Srinagar are mostly in the morning and early afternoon; be at the airport three hours before departure.

Five other ways to spend seven days

Honeymoon: a night in Gulmarg too

Start on the houseboat, and sleep a night in Gulmarg and two in Pahalgam, so that every view is at its best in the early morning and evening. The Vale of Kashmir 6N/7D honeymoon is built this way, at ₹47,775 per couple, with Gondola Phase 1, the Pahalgam union cab and a candlelight dinner included. The Essence of Kashmir is the luxury version. The honeymoon cost guide compares all of them.

Second visit: the offbeat valleys

If you have already done the classic circuit, spend the week on the valleys most visitors never see, all within day-trip range of Srinagar: Doodhpathri, with its milk-white streams; Yusmarg and the walk to Nilnag Lake; the Lolab Valley in the north, walnut forests and almost no visitors; and Manasbal Lake with the 8th-century Naranag temples. Add Gulmarg if you missed the Gondola last time. This is our Kashmir Valley Explorer, from ₹33,400 for two.

Summer only: Gurez

From about June to September, Gurez Valley is open: wooden villages, the Kishanganga river and Habba Khatoon peak, over the Razdan Pass from Bandipora. It needs two days (a long drive each way and an overnight stay) and permission, because it is a border area; foreign nationals face additional restrictions. On a seven-day trip, take it in place of Sonamarg and the houseboat night.

Winter: Gulmarg for two nights

From late December to February, move two nights to Gulmarg. Ski or sledge one day, ride the Gondola the next when the weather is clear, and keep Pahalgam to a day trip, since Aru and Chandanwari are often snowbound. Keep one day loose: snow can close the Gulmarg or Pahalgam road for a day at a time.

Spring: tulips and blossom

From the third week of March to mid-April, put the Tulip Garden on day 1 or day 2, and the almond blossom at Badamwari early in the season. Sonamarg in spring is still under snow beyond the meadow, and the high passes stay shut until about May.

What seven days costs

Our Family Delight 6N/7D runs the main itinerary above, with a Pahalgam night and a houseboat night. It is priced as a total for the group:

  • 2 people: ₹39,800, about ₹19,900 each.
  • 4 people: ₹56,400, about ₹14,100 each.
  • 6 people: ₹78,900, about ₹13,150 each.
  • 8 people: ₹99,500, about ₹12,450 each.

That includes hotels and the houseboat, breakfast and dinner, a private vehicle with driver for all seven days, sightseeing, tolls, parking, the driver’s allowance and GST. On top, budget for flights, the Gondola (about ₹1,800 per person for both phases), the Pahalgam union taxi, pony rides, lunches and entry fees.

In total, from Delhi, most travellers spend ₹28,000–38,000 per person on this trip. The Kashmir trip cost guide has a fully costed example for a family of four.

Five days or seven?

  • Choose [five days](@post-kashmir-5-days-itinerary) if your leave is short, you are happy with day trips only, and you do not mind long days.
  • Choose seven if you are travelling with children or grandparents, if this is a honeymoon, if you want a night in Pahalgam and a houseboat night, or if you are travelling in winter or spring, when weather days are likely.
  • Choose eight or more if you want Gurez, a trek, or two nights in Gulmarg for skiing.

Practical notes

  1. Book in this order: flights, Gondola tickets, houseboat, then everything else.
  2. Carry cash for Pahalgam and Sonamarg. Union taxis and ponies are cash only.
  3. Use a postpaid SIM. Prepaid connections from outside J&K do not work in the valley.
  4. Pack a warm layer every day, even in summer.
  5. Check the season. The best time to visit Kashmir guide shows what is open in each month.
Terraced Mughal garden with fountains above Dal Lake, Srinagar
Day 1: the Mughal gardens along the Dal, before the sunset shikara.

Book this itinerary with us

MIRHA Tour & Travels is based in Srinagar. The Family Delight 6N/7D runs this plan year-round, and our drivers reorder the days when the weather asks for it. For couples, see the honeymoon packages; for everything else, the full range of Kashmir tour packages.

Or tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will tailor these seven days to your season, including the days we would advise you to change.