KASHMIR

1. Char Chinar Dal lake - Sunset on Dal is a bliss... only seeing is believing when everything turns to Golden, indulge in the view of carved/decorated houseboats at the perimeter of lake and spoil yourself with the cool breeze and sound of Shikara moving in water in the evening or night to enjoy the spectacular Himalayan view surrounding the lake... don't missout on Shikara at Dal.

Dal lake is in Srinagar. This urban lake is second largest lake in the state. It is named ''Jewel in the crown of Kashmir". It is commercial lake for fishing and water plant harvesting. It holds lots of scenic view of Bollywood movies, get yourself clicked like a kashmiri on lake or just enjoy the view. Nice lake and nice place to visit. The lake is vast with lots of Shikaras and House boats available in it. And also nice climate for boating.

Dal Lake is marked by an island which houses ancient and beautiful Chinar trees. The garden is good specially in Summer when the charm of Chinar trees can be felt and enjoyed. It has the biggest floating markets, and u get everything u want there, but need to bargain a lot.

2. Shalimar Bagh Mughal Garden - Shalimar Bagh is a Mughal garden located on the right bank of the Dal Lake in Srinagar. This beautiful garden was built in 1619 by Mughal Emperor Jahangir for his beloved wife Nur Jahan, originally named as ‘Farah Baksh’ (The Delightful). However, today it is famous as the name of Shalimar Bagh ‘The Garden of Love’. Shalimar Garden organizes a light and sound show every evening, during the period of May to October, when tourists flock to the city in large numbers. Shalimar Bagh is the largest in size among all three Mughal Gardens in Srinagar, the other being Nishat Bagh and Chashmeshahi. Covering a total area of approximately 539 m by 182 m, it offers an amazing view of lakes and shallow terraces, Innumerable varieties of flowers that blossom in spring and autumn.

This place is usually known as shalimar bagh and is situated very near to tulip garden,  It is a big garden with a vast variety of trees and flowers. Just enjoy the splendid beauty of all the gardens in srinagar, they are one of kind to enjoy the beauty and the colourful flowers all around.

3. Nishat Bagh Mughal Garden - Nishat Bagh is a terraced Mughal garden built on the eastern side of the Dal Lake, close to Srinagar in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the second largest Mughal garden in the Kashmir Valley. The largest in size is the Shalimar Bagh, which is also located on the bank of the Dal Lake. ‘Nishat Bagh’ is Urdu, which means "Garden of Joy," "Garden of Gladness" and "Garden of Delight." Nishat Bagh located in the Srinagar District is 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from the city centre. One way of visiting the Bagh is through the Dal Lake using the famous "water taxi" of Kashmir, the Shikara.

4. Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden - Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden was opened in 2007, is the largest Tulip Garden in Asia. Your Kashmir vacays are incomplete without a trip to this beautiful garden. This garden is home to several flower species other than tulips like the Daffodils, Hyacinths, Roses, Ranunculi, Muscaria, Iris, etc The Tulip Festival is held at the beginning of spring in Srinagar, between March and May, when the tulip buds are ready to bloom. This festival lasts for fifteen days or a month as different flowers continue to bloom creating a rainbow of colours.

A walk in the Tulip Garden in Kashmir will stay with you longer than you expect.

Open Hours: 9 am to 7 pm Mon-Sun.

Entry Fee: Rs. 50/- for adults and Rs. 25/- for children

5. Hazratbal Shrine

Hazratbal Shrine is the most important Srinagar tourist place to visit as it is flocked by many devotees, irrespective of religion set on the left bank of the Dal Lake. The shrine is considered the holiest Muslim shrine in Kashmir valley. Today, the place is a well known shrine which is visited thousands of people every year. The Hazratbal Shrine takes its name from Kashmiri language where the word ‘Hazrat’ stands for holy and ‘bal’ stands for place. The shrine is considered extremely sacred among the Muslims.

6. Khanqah-e-Moula

The Khanqah-e-Moula became the first mosque and one of the oldest Muslim shrines located on the banks of the river Jhelum in Srinagar and stands atop the ruins of the authentic Kalleshwari Temple. An important religious destination in Srinagar, was initially built in 1395 and later reconstructed in 1732. Believed to contain "the secret of Allah" - the Khanqah-e-Molla is an excellent example of wood architecture that draws inspiration from Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic styles. The two-storied, two-tiered structure of the shrine has gently sloping pyramidal roofs demarcating each tier. The roofs are further accentuated by heavy woodwork adorning the cornices under the eaves.

7. Pathar Masjid

The Pathar Masjid, known locally as Naev Masheed, is an old and one of the largest mosque that was built by Mughal located in the old city of Srinagar. It is located on the left bank of the River Jhelum, just opposite the shrine of Khanqah-e-Moula. This Masjid was built in 1623 under the supervision of Noor Jahan. It is one of the most famous empresses of Mughal. It is located in the middle of Srinagar, the capital city of Jammu & Kashmir. It is 55 m in length and 16 m in width.

The Pathar Masjid looks unique as it has structural designs and patterns. It is famous for its 9 horizontal arches with a bigger one in the centre. It is one of the oldest structures of Mughal. Many tourists visit this place to see the beauty of this masjid. The tourists can visit this Masjid at any time of year. It is open throughout the year.

8. Zero Bridge

The Zero Bridge is an old wooden arch bridge located in the Srinagar city. It crosses the Jhelum river in a roughly North-South direction connecting Sonwar in the north to Rajbagh in the South. This bridge was constructed by deaf contractor and hence was called "Zorr Bridge" (Zorr in Kashmiri means deaf). Later the name modified into Zero Bridge. It is the iconic bridge that was constructed by wooden planks in 1950's and thus is also regarded as the point of the local heritage. The bridge has been given heritage touch. A traditional houseboat design structure has been built near the bridge.

9. Holy Family Catholic Church

Holy Family Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church located at Maulana Azad Road, Srinagar. It was established in 1896 by Msgr. Winkley MHM. Before the Curia moved to Jammu on 23 December 1986, the parish served as a cathedral when the Curia was in Srinagar. Holy Family Catholic Church and All Saints Protestant Church are the 2 most important church buildings for the minority Christian network inside the city.

10. Shankaracharya Temple

The Shankaracharya Temple is also known as the Jyeshteshwara temple or Sulaiman Throne by Muslims and Pas Pahar by Buddhists. It is on top of the Shankaracharya Hill on the Zabarwan Mountain in Srinagar. It is at a height of 1100 ft. above surface level of the main city on the peak of the hill and dedicated to Lord Shiva is thought to be the oldest shrine for worship in the Kashmir valley.

The temple as it is today has undergone many repairs throughout its life. Ever since under the rule of Lalitaditya and then repairs were undertaken by Zain-ul-Abideen after the temple got damaged in an earthquake. The repairs were also carried out during the Governorship of Sheikh Mohi-ud-Din. Maharaja Gulab Singh, a Dogra ruler, who is credited for the stone steps that form a part of the passage to the shrine. In 1925, the electrification of the temple was done.

11. Pari Mahal

Pari Mahal, also known as The Palace of Fairies, is a seven-terraced garden located at the top of Zabarwan mountain range, overlooking the city of Srinagar and the south-west of Dal Lake. The architecture depicts an example of Islamic architecture and patronage of art during the reign of the then Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

The Pari Mahal was built by Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh in the mid-1600s. It served as a library and an abode for him. It was further used as an observatory, useful for teaching astrology and astronomy. It is five-minute drive from Cheshma shahi Garden.

12. Chashme Shahi

Chashme Shahi (the royal spring), is one of the Mughal gardens built in 1632 AD around a spring by Ali Mardan Khan, a governor of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as per the orders of the Emperor, as a gift for his elder son Prince Dara Shikoh. The garden is located in the Zabarwan Range, near Raj Bhawan (Governor‘s house) overlooking Dal Lake in Srinagar. In the east of Chashma Shahi the Pari Mahal (Fairy Palace) lies where Dara Sikoh used to learn astrology. The garden is 108 m long and 38 m wide and is spread over one acre of land. It is the smallest garden among the three Mughal gardens of Srinagar; the Shalimar garden is the largest and the Nishat garden is the second largest. All the three gardens were built at the right bank of the Dal Lake, with Zabarwan mountains (Zabarwan Range) at the backdrop.

13. Gurudwara Chati Patshahi

The Gurudwara Chatti Patshahi, Srinagar is one of the most important Sikh pilgrimage sites in Kashmir. It is situated at the heart of the Srinagar city in Rainawari just outside the Kathi Darwaja of Hari Parbat Fort. This historical Gurudwara is counted as the important tourist’s destination in Srinagar. It is named after the sixth Sikh Guru Shri Gurugobind Singh and situated at the very site where Guru Nanak Ji and Gurugobind Singh ji visited.

14. Hari Parbat

Hari Parbat is a hill overlooking Srinagar, the largest city and summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the site of a fort, built in the Durrani era, and of a Hindu temple, mosques, and a gurdwara. It has the famous Shakti Temple on the western Slope and Muslim shrines of Khwaja Makhdoom Sahib and Akhund Mullah Shah on the southern slope. On the southern side of the outer wall there is a Gurudwara, which commemorates the visit of Guru Hargobind.

The first fortifications on the site were constructed by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1590. He built an outer wall for the fort, and planned a new capital called Nager Nagor to be built within the wall. That project was never completed. The present fort was built in 1808 under the reign of Shuja Shah Durrani.