Gulmarg

Gulmarg literally means meadow of flowers. It is a majestic hill station in the district of Baramula of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The hill station, at an altitude of 2730 m, was earlier known as Gaurimarg, where Gauri stands for Goddess Parvati the wife of Lord Shiva. The name Gulmarg was given to this place by the King Yousuf Shah Chak.

Nestled with stunning peaks in the Himalayan ranges, Gulmarg is a spectacular picnic spot attracted by all kinds of tourists with its lush green backdrop, beautiful landscapes, flowering gardens, serene lakes and pleasant climate during the summers and falls.

This imposing hill station was a pleasure resort for kings and royal family members and a summer retreat for the British officers during the British rule in India. Sir Marc Aural Stein, the renowned central Asian explorer made this place as his halting location between the expeditions during early 20th century. History claims that Mughal emperor Jehangir was a frequent visitor to this pleasant environment.

Gulmarg is an eye catching place with picturesque surroundings, beautiful gardens with mind blogging flowers and fragrance. This is one of the best ski resorts in India as it gets heavy snowfall, especially during winter which makes it the best time to book Kashmir tour packages. Some of the highest ski slopes in India lies in the sloppy Himalayan regions in Gulmarg.

Fast Facts

Weather

Summer 10 to 37 C
Winter -8 to 11 C

Best Season

Mar - Oct

Getting to Gulmarg

AIR

Nearest airport to Gulmarg is Srinagar which is 56 km away from Gulmarg. Jeeps and Taxi cabs are available from airport to Gulmarg. Srinagar is well connected to Delhi with daily regular flights. Many other Indian cities are also connected to Srinagar by air.

RAIL

Closest Railhead from Gulmarg is Jammu. Jammu is connected by rail to many cities in India especially direct trains are available from northern cities. Tourists can take trains from Delhi Jammu Rajdhani, Kolkata Himgir Exp, Mumbai Swarak Exp, Chennai Andaman Exp and even from the the southern most Trivandrum Railway station Himsagar Exp.

ROAD

Gulmarg is well linked by bus services from most of the cities in Jammu and Kashmir. State owned buses and Private tourist deluxe luxury buses are also available to reach

Tourist attractions

Gondola Ride

Gulmarg offers the most breathtaking adventure to the tourists through the Cable Car Ride. Operated by Jammu & Kashmir State Cable Car Corporations, the Gondola ride here is acclaimed to be the world's highest one. The ride is separated into two phases, one is from Gulmarg to Kongdoor 8530 ft and the second one is till Apherwat 12293 ft. During the ride, tourists come across the beautiful pine woods, the magnificent view of the lush green hills and picturesque surroundings. After that, the Gondola ride also passes Khilanmarg - a field covered with blooming & colorful flowers.

Snow Sports

Gulmarg is the hot spot for skiing. Popular in India for snow sports, tourists can try out even snowboarding here. In winters, the place is fully covered in a white blanket of snow that turns out to be the skiers paradise. There are natural & untouched slopes that offer a great challenge to the ace skiers. There is the Indian Institute of Skiing & Mountaineering offers ious ski courses for both beginners and professionals. The best time to visit Gulmarg for skiing is from January to March.

Gulmarg Golf Club

Established in the year 1911 by the British, Gulmarg Golf Club is spread across the splendid green grounds. This is the highest green gold course in India offers 18 hole gold course to its guests. One can even get a temporary membership for a day to play golf.

Alpather Lake

13km from Gulmarg, there lies a dazzling and a serene Alpather Lake. Triangular in shape, the lake is surrounded by the picturesque hills fully covered with snow. To add to its beauty, there are splendid gardens besides the lake. Till June, the lake remains completely frozen and after that some floating ice pieces can be seen in the crystal clear water. The place is also popular among trekking lovers. Other than all these attractions, tourists can also enjoy horse riding to the magnificent & Leopards Valley, Strawberry Valley, and ride up to see the frozen lake of Al- Pathar.