Things to do in Srinagar — the lake, the gardens, the old city and day trips
Things to do in Srinagar: a shikara on Dal Lake, the Mughal gardens, the old city's mosques, the hilltop temple, spring tulips and day trips to Gulmarg.
ArticleVerified 2026-10-24
Doodhpathri, Yusmarg and Kokernag from Srinagar — three meadow and spring day trips, with distances and seasons
Three day trips from Srinagar: Doodhpathri's meadows at 2,730 m, Yusmarg and its walk to Nilnag, and Kokernag's springs and trout farm, with distances.
Three quiet places lie within a day's drive of Srinagar, none of them on the usual circuit: two meadows in the Pir Panjal and a spring town in the south. We give no road or security advice we could not source; ask your hotel about the road on the morning you go.
Photos: Suhail Skindar Sofi (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Suhail Skindar Sofi (CC BY-SA 4.0) · 511KeV (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Doodhpathri
Doodhpathri, "valley of milk", is a bowl-shaped alpine valley at about 2,730 m in Budgam district. Wikipedia puts it 42 km from Srinagar by way of Budgam and Khansahib; our routing measures about 43 km and 58 minutes. It has no permanent settlement: shepherds from the plains bring their herds up for about six months, and heavy snow closes it in winter. The meadows, pine and fir forest and a pale, very cold stream are the draw. The name is said to come from a story of the saint Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, who struck the ground in search of water and found milk, which then turned to water.
Yusmarg
Yusmarg, about 2,396 m, lies on the Doodganga river below the Pir Panjal peaks, about 53 km from Srinagar by Wikipedia's figure and about 48 km and 55 minutes on our routing. Walk 4 km to Nilnag, a small lake known for its blue water, or about 10 km to the Sang-e-Safed valley, where a lake stays frozen even in summer. Wikipedia lists horse riding, fishing and photography, and skiing in winter.
Kokernag
Kokernag, at about 2,000 m in Anantnag district, is known for its springs, its gardens and its trout farm. Wikipedia says the springs gush out of the foot of a wooded hill, and that the trout project, set up in 1984, is the mother unit for the state's hatcheries. The town is about 25 km from Anantnag on NH244, and about 82 km and 62 minutes from Srinagar on our routing. It is one of the popular weekend outings from the city.
Plan the rest
Copy the five days in Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam, and read how to reach Srinagar and things to do in Srinagar.
Places around Srinagar
The Srinagar guide →
Khanqah-e-Moula — the wooden shrine of Shah-e-Hamadan on the Jhelum
Jama Masjid Srinagar — the great wooden Friday mosque of the old city
Hari Parbat Fort — the hill fort above Srinagar's old city
Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden — Asia's largest tulip garden
Chashme Shahi — the royal spring garden above Dal Lake
Dal Lake — shikara boats, houseboats and floating gardens in Srinagar
Hazratbal Shrine — the white-domed Sufi shrine on Dal Lake
Nishat Bagh — the terraced Mughal garden of joy on Dal Lake
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Best time to visit Srinagar — tulips, lotus, autumn colour, and Kashmir in winter
When to visit Srinagar: spring tulips, summer lotus on Dal Lake, dry autumn, and the cold of Chillai Kalan in winter, with IMD monthly figures for 1991–2020.
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The Kullu valley's temples in one place: Raghunath in the town, the stone temple at Bajaura, the ridge shrine at Bijli Mahadev and the carved wood at Bhekhli.
Vaishno Devi yatra from Katra — the yatra card, the walk, Bhairon and the other ways up
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Questions people ask
How far is Doodhpathri from Srinagar?
About 42 km by Wikipedia's figure; our routing over OpenStreetMap measures about 43 km and 58 minutes. Wikipedia says the road runs by way of Budgam and Khansahib and takes under two to three hours by car or bus. There is no permanent settlement at Doodhpathri, and heavy winter snow makes it inaccessible.
What is there to do at Yusmarg?
Walk, ride and photograph. Wikipedia describes an alpine valley of pine and fir meadows at about 2,396 m, with a 4 km trek to the blue Nilnag lake and a 10 km trek to the Sang-e-Safed valley. Horse riding and fishing are the other activities, and there is skiing in winter.
What is Kokernag known for?
Its springs, its botanical gardens and its trout farm. Wikipedia says the springs gush from the base of a wooded hill, and that the trout project, founded in 1984, is the mother unit for the state's trout hatcheries. It lies about 25 km from Anantnag, and about 82 km and 62 minutes from Srinagar on our routing.