4 Surreal must see valleys of Pahalgam Kashmir

“Agar Firdaus Bar ru-e-zamin ast, Hami ast, o Hami ast, o Hami ast”

meaning : “If there’s heaven anywhere in the world, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here”

Jahangir’s words echoed in my ear as I navigated winding roads up and down the mountain slopes to witness some of the most beautiful sceneries that I have come across in my life.

 

Actually, Pahalgam is the most beautiful of all the places that we visited on our 9 days trip to Kashmir. Without further adue, let me take you through the top places in Pahalgam, Kashmir that we experienced.

Aru Valley

The first one among the must see valleys of Pahalgam A heavenly valley almost 13 km from the main town of Pahalgam, Aru Valley is nothing less than heaven. And the road to Aru valley is as beautiful as the destination itself.

You must visit here in the summer months of April – June to witness the true beauty of this valley.

With snow covered peaks peeking from behind lush green cover of deodar and Chinar trees, and a river gushing down into the valley, the path to Aru valley was picturesque enough to be considered a destination in itself.

Once you reach Aru Valley, you can park your vehicle in the parking lot. And then walk to the lower valley.

From here, you can either take a horse ride or just walk up to the upper reaches of the valley. Not everyone goes here. Many tourists prefer to stay down in the lower part itself. So, once you reach here, you get to witness unspoilt beauty of the actual Aru Valley.

It takes a total of 2 hours to explore the valley properly.

 

Chandanwari

Another unique one of the must see valleys of Pahalgam, a spot among the places to visit in Pahalgam is Chandanwari. We visited here post visiting Aru Valley. It lies on almost the peak. So, there was ample snow here when we visited.

And, you can rent snow gears like shoes, coats etc. from near the parking lot at Chandanwari. We climbed up the snow and had fun there.

And while returning, I took a sledge to make the downwards journey easy on myself and my younger kid.

While Abhishek and Aashi walked down the slope.In spite of the snow, it was not very cold here. It was comfortable with a single layer of jacket when we visited here in April.

From the point where the snow cover started to the parking lot at Chandanwari, there is a lot of snack and food shops. While returning back, we stopped at one of these. And enjoyed a late afternoon lunch. That consisted of steaming hot maggie, hot chocolate, rajma chawal and some parathas.

 

Betab Valley

The most famous among the must see valleys of Pahalgam – Betab Valley! After visiting Chandanwari, next we headed to Betab Valley which is yet another famous valley at the foothills of the hill where Chandanwari is located.

The Valley gets it’s name from the movie “Betab” whose shooting was done at this location years back.

Now, the whole area is developed like a large park with manicured gardens, beautiful backdrop of the Himalayas, public refreshment facilities like snacks counters and pay to use washrooms.

Since this was the last spot we visited while exploring Pahalgam, we spent a lot of time here. Which included covering the length and breadth of the park as well as relaxing in the gardens.

The kids had a gala time here running around and exploring the tree house.

I couldn’t help but draw a parallel to the beautiful town of Bern that we visited years back on our trip to Switzerland. Posting a picture here to draw the parallel :

Baisaran Valley

Yet another beautiful, understated among the must see valleys of Pahalgam, this valley in Kashmir and Pahalgam is none other than the Baisaran Valley. It is the closest to the town of Pahalgam. Around 6 km – 7km. But it is not accessible by motor vehicles. Since the terrain leading to this valley is rough. Either one can trek which will require ample time at hand. Or, one can hire a horse for a ride to the Baisaran Valley.

Given it’s access is not so straight forward as the other spots, Baisaran valley is also the least crowded of the three. So, if you are like us who enjoy less crowded places, you are definitely going to fall in love with this place.

 

Related read:

Exploring Asia’s largest Tulip Gardens in Kashmir

One day of sightseeing in Srinagar Kashmir

Our 9 days Kashmir Trip itinerary with family and kids

 

How to visit the above places in Pahalgam

We stayed at the Oswal Cottage in Pahalgam. It was near Baisaran, almost 7km. So, the day we arrived at the Oswal Cottage after a road trip from Srinagar to Pahalgam, we visited Baisaran Valley post lunch. Baisaran valley can be only reached through trekking or a horse ride. It’s not accessible through motor vehicle. The next day we visited Aru Valley, Betab Valley and Chandanwari in that order. The below map will give you an idea of the distance and direction of these places from our hotel. While aru valley is located in one direction, Betaab Valley and Chandanwari are in completely different direction. But they are not very far from main Pahalgam. So, it is absolutely possible to cover them all in a single day.

When to visit Pahalgam

Any time is a perfect time to visit Pahalgam. But it is said that it’s beauty is at it’s best in summer season. When the trees get loaded with fresh green leaves post spring, And the flowers bloom to their peak. In winters, Pahalgam doesn’t get as cold as Gulmarg or Sonmarg. But, snowfall does happen from December – February. So, if you are on a trip to Kashmir in the winters to enjoy the winter wonderland that the whole landscape turns into, then you can as well include Pahalgam. We visited here in the second week of April, which is almost the transition time from spring to summer. The tulips were in bloom. And the valley was almost in it’s full bloom. So, we enjoyed the summer activities. And the natural beauty of Kashmir Valley.

Srinagar to Pahalgam Road trip

The distance from Srinagar to Pahalgam is around 80km. But you can cover it in around 2 hours. Since most of the route is hilly terrains. And even if it were not, I will any day prefer to slow travel on this route. For, as you leave Srinagar and move towards Pahalgam, the scene becomes so beautiful. That you feel like stopping every few miles and clicking some beautiful pictures. The Lidder river flows along the route all the way to Pahalgam, making the journey all the more dreamy. So, do enjoy this trip as much as you can. It is definitely one of the most scenic routes you will take in your Kashmir trip.

 

We started post breakfast from our hotel, Walisons Hotel, Srinagar, around 9:30am in the morning. And reached our hotel in Pahalgam, the Oswal Cottage, by 1:00pm in the noon. There after, we had our lunch. And then spent rest of the day enjoying in Bisaran Valley. The road conditions were overall good. Special thanks to the efforts of government and military in keeping these roads in excellent condition. Since, the landslides and hails in monsoon season mostly cause damage to these roads every year.

Related read:

How safe it is to visit Kashmir

All you need to know about a Shikara Ride in Dal Lake in Srinagar

Is it worth staying in a houseboat on Dal Lake

Tips on planning a trip to these must see valleys of Pahalgam

1. Pack a mix of summer and winter cloths if you are visiting in spring season (April-May) like us. Since the day temperature is comfortable to warm, the nights still get cold.
2. Keep some snacks to eat or munchies for the kids. As when you are out exploring places, chances are lunch time might not get honoured. I also carry this portable rice cooker with me whenever I travel. Morning, I cook little rice for my younger daughter in it. (She is too fussy sometimes and doesn’t want to eat anything else). This way, I am able to pack her rice and give her a meal at the right time.
3. Wear comfortable walking shoes
4. In Pahalgam, outside vehicles will not take you to the site seeing. You must go to the taxi stand in Pahalgam and hire a local taxi from there.

Summary of our Kashmir Trip with family and kids

We visited Pahalgam as a part of our Kashmir Trip with family and kids. Here’s our complete 9 days Kashmir trip itinerary with kids. And here’s our complete guide to Kashmir with all that you need to know when planning a trip to Kashmir including the cost breakup. After reaching Kashmir, we spent the initial couple of days in Srinagar, visiting the Tulip Gardens of Kashmir, other local sites in Srinagar and taking a shikara ride on the Dal Lake. Post this, we came to Pahalgam and spent another couple of days here. Before moving on to Gulmarg to enjoy the Gulmarg Gondola Ride, play in snow and have a wonderful winter experience in the otherwise summer month! From Gulmarg, we went back to Srinagar, spending a couple of days on a houseboat on Dal Lake. And doing a day trip to Doodhpathri before winding up the trip.

 

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