Places to visit in

Kashmir

Astanmarg Meadow is an alpine meadow in the Kashmir Valley valued primarily for its natural beauty and pastoral importance. It forms part of the Lidder Valley's scenic landscape and is used traditionally as grazing ground by local shepherds and pastoral communities. The meadow provides panoramic views of surrounding Himalayan ridges and is a quiet, less-commercialized alternative to some of the more frequented meadows in the region.

Gurez Valley (Gurais) is an isolated high-altitude valley in the northern part of Jammu & Kashmir, India, located along the Kishanganga (called Neelum across the Line of Control). It is important for its unique natural landscapes — alpine meadows, the clear Kishanganga River, and snow-capped peaks — and for its cultural significance as the homeland of the Dard-Shina community. The valley retains traditional Shina language, customs, music, and handicrafts, providing an important living record of a minority Himalayan culture. It is also strategically and ecologically significant due to its proximity to the Line of Control and its role as habitat for high-altitude wildlife.

Tulail Valley is a remote high-altitude valley in Gurez Tehsil of Bandipora district, northern Kashmir. It is known for its pristine natural beauty, high meadows, and traditional Wakhi and Kashmiri mountain culture. The valley forms part of the Himalayan ecosystem and has significance for biodiversity, pastoral livelihoods, and as a seasonal grazing ground. Historically, it has been a crossroads for local transhumant communities and retains traditional ways of life relatively undisturbed by mass tourism.

Lolab Valley (Lolab, Kashmir) is a picturesque valley in Kupwara district of Jammu & Kashmir, India, celebrated primarily for its natural beauty — dense pine and deodar forests, lush meadows, clear streams and springs. It is part of the larger Kashmir Himalayan landscape and supports traditional Kashmiri rural life, agriculture and pastoralism. The valley is important for local biodiversity and as a quieter, less-commercial alternative to the more visited central Kashmir destinations.

Bangus Valley is a high-altitude alpine valley in Kupwara district of Kashmir, prized for its vast meadows, rich biodiversity and remote scenic beauty. The valley functions as an important summer pasture and grazing area for local pastoral communities (Gujjars and Bakarwals), and serves as a relatively undisturbed habitat for Himalayan flora and wildlife. It is valued for conservation, nature-based tourism, and as a living example of traditional highland pastoral culture.

Keran Valley (Keran village) is a scenic valley in the Kupwara district of Jammu & Kashmir, India, located along the Kishanganga (Neelum) River near the Line of Control. Its significance is primarily natural and strategic: the valley offers pristine Himalayan riverine landscapes, dense pine and deodar forests, alpine meadows and panoramic views across the border to the twin Keran village on the other side of the LoC. The area has cultural value as a traditional Kashmiri rural settlement with local practices, crafts and cuisine. Its proximity to the LoC also gives it strategic and historical importance in regional geopolitics.

Habba Khatoon Peak is named after the 16th-century Kashmiri poetess and queen Habba Khatoon, a significant cultural figure in Kashmir's literary and oral traditions. The peak serves as a cultural landmark honoring her legacy and is valued for its natural beauty as part of the Himalayan landscape, with alpine meadows, seasonal wildflowers and habitats for high‑altitude birds and small mammals.

Floating Vegetable Market on Dal Lake is a living cultural and economic institution in Srinagar, Kashmir. For generations, farmers and gardeners from the lakeshore and nearby floating gardens (locally called "rad") have sold produce from shikaras (traditional wooden boats). The market exemplifies the traditional lacustrine lifestyle of Kashmir and highlights the importance of Dal Lake as both a natural ecosystem and a community resource.

Lal Chowk is the central public square and commercial heart of Srinagar, Kashmir. It has long served as a focal point for commerce, civic life and public gatherings, and is widely recognized for its role in local political and cultural expression. The area links the modern city with parts of the old city and surrounding markets, making it important both as a meeting place and as a gateway to Srinagar's urban heritage.

Shri Pratap Singh (SPS) Museum is one of Kashmir's oldest and most important cultural institutions. Established during the late 19th century under Dogra rule and named after Maharaja Pratap Singh, the museum preserves a broad cross‑section of Kashmiri material culture — archaeological finds, manuscripts, paintings, textiles, metalwork and everyday ethnographic objects — making it an essential repository for understanding the region's history, arts and crafts.