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White Water Rafting on the Lidder
Pahalgam
(4.4)out of 5
30 minutes – 2 hours
₹ 1,200/person
Book Now — White Water Rafting on the LidderKashmir valley
Things to do in Kashmir, and when each one is worth doing
Shikara rides, the Gulmarg Gondola, skiing, trekking, rafting, paragliding, camping, angling and golf — with the season each one actually runs in, how long it takes, and who it suits.
Kashmir experiences & Adventures
Kashmir offers an incredible blend of tranquil leisure and high-octane adventure across its world-famous valleys, lakes, and snow-capped peaks. Whether you are visiting during the vibrant summer bloom or the powdery winter season, the region caters perfectly to luxury vacationers, cultural explorers, and adrenaline seekers alike.
Kashmir Activities
3photos
Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden
Srinagar
(4.3)out of 5
1 – 2 hours
4photos
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What we Give
Best Activities per Month
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Travellers Gallery
What Travellers say about us
We booked the gondola tickets through Sartaj the night before and walked straight past a queue that must have been an hour long. Small thing, but it saved us most of a morning in Gulmarg.
Arjun Mehta
6-day Kashmir trip, March
The shikara at sunset was the part we still talk about. We were told to go out at five rather than four, and the light on the way back was worth every bit of the wait.
Priya Nair
Honeymoon, May
My parents are in their seventies. We were told plainly which bits they should skip — Phase 2 of the gondola in particular — instead of being sold the full package. That honesty is why I would book again.
Rahul Deshpande
Family trip with parents, June
First time on snow for both of us. The instructor started us on the Kongdoori slopes and by day three we were getting down without falling. Kit was decent and it all turned up on time.
Sneha Iyer
Ski week, February
Every fare was written down before we left Srinagar, and nothing changed on the ground. After the stories I had heard about add-ons in Pahalgam, that alone made the trip.
Imran Qureshi
8-day valley circuit, September
I wanted golden hour at the chinars and got taken to a spot I would never have found. The driver knew exactly how long the light would hold and had us there twenty minutes early.
Meera Krishnan
Photography trip, October
Weather turned on day three and the guide called it before we committed to the pass. We lost half a day and gained a much better one. Good judgement, not a sales pitch.
Vikram Sethi
Trek to the Great Lakes, July
We were warned the tulips might be past their best that late and offered a different week. They were right, we moved, and the garden was full when we got there.
Ananya Bose
Tulip Festival weekend, April
Before you book
Kashmir experience questions
If you only do three, make them a sunset shikara ride on Dal Lake, the Gulmarg Gondola, and a walk or pony ride in the Pahalgam valleys. Those three are what most people picture when they picture Kashmir, they need no fitness, and they run in almost every season. Everything else — skiing, rafting, trekking, paragliding — is worth adding when the season and your appetite line up.
Shikara rides and Gondola Phase 1 run year round. Skiing is December to March, with the deepest snow in January and February. Rafting, trekking, camping, angling and golf are broadly April to September, with the high trek routes open only from June to September. Gondola Phase 2 and paragliding are called on the day, because both depend on weather rather than the calendar.
Shikara rides, Gondola Phase 1, the Mughal gardens, Betaab and Aru valley drives, and golf are all low-exertion and involve no climbing. The short rafting stretch on the Lidder takes children with a guide. What to think twice about is Gondola Phase 2, which puts you at around 3,980 m where breathlessness is common, and any trek longer than a couple of hours.
The Gondola is the one to book ahead — tickets are sold online and the on-site counter queue in peak season can cost you a morning. Angling permits are also limited and worth arranging before you travel. Shikara rides, pony rides and ski rental are all arranged on the spot, and rafting is usually walk-up outside the busiest weeks.
Sightseeing, transfers and entry to the gardens are normally included. Ticketed activities are usually not — the Gondola, shikara hours beyond the first, pony rides, ski rental, rafting and paragliding are typically paid on the ground. Any honest quote will name these as exclusions rather than hide them, and we list them line by line before you pay anything.
Six days and five nights is enough for the shikara, the Gondola, a Pahalgam valley day and a Srinagar sightseeing day without rushing. Add a day if you want to ski or raft, because both eat a full morning. Eight days lets you add Sonamarg and still keep a spare day for the weather to turn, which in Kashmir it will.
The organised ones are run to a standard: rafting operators supply helmets and life jackets with a guide in every raft, paragliding is tandem-only with certified pilots, and ski instruction on the Kongdoori slopes is taught from zero. The real risks are altitude on Apharwat, cold snowmelt water, and weather that changes fast on the high trek routes — all of which are managed by going with a guide rather than alone.
Still have a question? Ask Sartaj directly — born and raised in Kashmir, 20 years of planning these trips.