After staying two nights in Pahalgam, our next destination was Gulmarg – a skiing paradise – though not in this off-season July weather😊.

En-route to Gulmarg, there are several stops one can make:

• Apple Orchids: Small sweet home run farms, selling apple (and also haakh – Kashmiri spinach) pickles and chutneys
• Saffron Fields: Drive past several paddy and saffron fields; stop to buy some pure kesar from Pampore (1gm will cost roughly Rs 350-400)
• Bat Factories: Anantnag is very popular for wooden bats; grab one if you enjoy playing cricket
• Handicrafts Emporiums: You’ll see several of them as you get closer to Gulmarg; you can halt to shop for pashminas, saris, woollen jackets, carpets, and many other artifacts
• Tanmarg: Known as the Gateway to Gulmarg, Tanmarg is a quaint little town, about 13 kms before Gulmarg. It has several local bazaars for handicrafts shopping. However, the main highlight of Tanmarg is the Drung Waterfall, which remains frozen and is quite a visual treat
  • We decided to give this a miss since the waterfall is supposedly not as pretty in the summer months and also because you need to hire a separate taxi to take you to Tanmarg or you need to rent ATVs (All-Terrain-Vehicles). Visiting Tanmarg would have taken 2-3 hours and so we skipped it, to directly head to Gulmarg
• Habba Khatoon Viewing point: Beautiful viewpoint on the hilly winding roads between Tanmarg and Gulmarg. It’s a short but steep climb on foot to reach it, but absolutely worth it. Do make a stop!

Now, let’s talk about Gulmarg. In winters, the mountain peaks are snow-clad and in summers, the meadows are lush green. Both seasons have their own charm!

Now, the must-do, and as touristy as it sounds, but should be done is the world famous Gondola ride. It is touted as the second-highest and second-longest cable car in the world. One needs to buy Phase 1 (Gulmarg to Kongdoori) and Phase 2 (Kongdoori to Mt Apharwat) tickets – can be done online or physically at the ticket counter, cost is about Rs 1700 per person. The cable car ride to each phase takes roughly 10 minutes and provides phenomenal panoramic views of the green pine trees of the steep mountain slopes. The scenic views of mountains and of the valley from this cable car ride are unmatched.

While one can hang out for a while at the Phase 1 station, click some pictures, visit the Igloo Café but I suggest quickly heading to Phase 2 which is where the real beauty lies. Once on top, you can see endless snow capped majestic mountains – ranges like Harmukh and Nanga Parbat. If you’re lucky, you will find some snow and can indulge in activities like skiing, sledging, etc. Once again, because of the timing of my visit in July, there was very little snow, so most children were just playing in the snow while I enjoyed the views, clicked pictures and made memories. Once you come back to base and before exiting, there is a nice gift shop – from where you can buy magnets, t-shirts, and the like, to take back. This visit would take about 3-4 hours, so do budget time in accordance. And do note that in winters, you will be required to rent snow boots for the climb.

Views from the Cable Car, from Phase I and finally from Phase 2….

Other quick tourist spots to check out in Gulmarg are the Maharani Temple, The Maharaja Palace, the Gulmarg golf course, and the ice-skating ring (relevant in the winters; hence no pictures included below).

We also booked a separate local taxi to visit BootaPathri – as per the locals, it is a popular picnic spot to get away from the ‘relatively’ crowded Gulmarg! It’s largely untouched given its proximity to the LOC and you can literally smell the freshness in the air.  However, there are several check-posts and civilians are allowed to go only till a point. Beyond this, you can take a horse ride till another point. Luckily, we are from the Armed Forces, so we managed to take the car till very close to the LOC. The sight was pretty and we were told it’s even prettier from the Pak side!

In terms of accommodation options,

1. If you can afford it and are willing to splurge, hands down without thinking, stay at ‘The Khyber’ – the only and the very best five star hotel in Gulmarg. It’s a luxurious property and the views from it are to die for!
2. If you don’t have a car/dedicated taxi, I recommend staying at Hotel Hilltop or Hotel Kolahoi (named after a mountain peak) – both are very close to the Gondola ride and the ice-skating ring, so fairly central
3. If local commute is not a problem for you, opt for Hotel Highlands Park. It is on top of a hill and has very pretty views
4. We stayed at The Vintage. While the stay was comfortable, be cognizant that it’s a bit of a walk from most places. Also, only the suites have a decent view of the meadows. The deluxe rooms have no view, so it can get disappointing. So, in my mind, if possible, avoid this and the other hotels on this stretch

The Khyber and the view from it…

Hotel Kolahoi and the Igloo Cafe next to it…

Hotel Highlands Parks…

The Vintage – day and night views…

Lastly, note that while Gulmarg does have some shops and small eateries, it doesn’t have a downtown/ main market area like Pahalgam. The closest proper market is that of Tanmarg. We grabbed dinner one day at the Kyber and lunch the next day at Hotel Highlands Park (btw, they have a gorgeous bar!). And enjoyed evening coffee at the Café below Hotel Hilltop. Also, another suggested option to stay or grab a meal is the Nedous Hotel.

Cafe at Hotel Hilltop…

Some closing thoughts from my side…

• I had heard several tourists do a day trip from Gulmarg, but I thought that would be too tight. However, honestly having been there now, I think it makes sense. Or at max, plan a one night stay
• Gondola ride takes most time of the day; plan for another one hour for all the local sight seeing (can also be done by renting an ATV for Rs 2,000). Allow for some time to visit the Kyber – it’s such a gorgeous property and a complete must see, if you aren’t staying there
• One can drop Boota Pathri, unless you are a complete SRK fan and want to see the spot where the climax of Jab Tak Hai Jaan was shot!
• Here again, like in Pahalgam, the local guides will hound you everywhere. Infact, on the Gondola rides and the peaks, we heard so many tourists crib and complain about how useless the guides have been. Avoid them as far as you can! Trust me, you’ll be fine without them!
• Even though I can’t tolerate extreme winters, I might decide to go again to Gulmarg perhaps in the month of March-April, with my motivations being
  • See how Winter Gulmarg looks completely different from the Summer Gulmarg
  • Visit the frozen Drung Waterfall at Tanmarg
  • Experience the 13 kms snow covered stretch from Tanmarg to Gulmarg in a 4×4 with snow chains
  • Stay at the Khyber Resort (I’m sure by now you’ve figured my love for it!)
  • Indulge in some snow activities at Mt Apharwat (Phase 2)

Hope you not only enjoyed reading this blog, but also found it informative! Gulmarg, a beauty, and a must do!

See you in the next post on my third destination of the Kashmir trip – Gurez Valley!