Gulmarg – Full Circuit Tour Package – Deluxe

Gulmarg – Full Circuit Tour Packages – Deluxe – 02 nights/03 days

Please notice differences to Comfort in green color. 

You want to climb a real mountain instead of working through a mountain of work?

There is a solution for you with seven letters: Gulmarg.

Go for a hike and enjoy the fantastic view!

Day 1 – Srinagar to Gulmarg, Roaming Around

We recommend you to plan to arrive at Srinagar International Airport (SXR) in the morning so that you can make the most out of your day.

At Srinagar airport you will be picked up by a taxi which will bring you to the Hotel Heevan Retreat in Gulmarg. Your trip to get there will take about 1.5 hrs (55 km). The first hour will be on the highway, pretty much straightforward. However, the last about half hour is just the opposite. Should you be hungry after exiting the airport, you may request your driver to either make a short detour, for example to the “14^th Avenue” restaurant. To get there, cross the Hyderpora Flyover, then continue for about 1 km and find it on the right side, or stop at “The Caliph”, on the National Highway 44 (NH44) which you are driving by automatically on your trip (turning left at Hyderpora Flyover, go straightforward for about 2 km, and find the restaurant on the right side). Another possibility is the “Bon Vivant (Café and Restaurant)”  after passing the town of Magam on the Srinagar-Tangmarg road. Tangmarg will be the last village before you enter the forest, you will notice it as there will be a check-post (your driver will pay for this road tax). The road starting from here will be coined with lots of hairpin bends. If you get carsick quickly, you may want to sit in the front. There are not many locations on this curvy road which lend themselves to stopping and taking photos, since the route is prone to accidents. We recommend to stop at a hairpin bend very close to the top with a little hut (a small restaurant) next to it. Its flat roof is a great place for enjoying the stunning view. Beware during the winter: It may be a little slippery! About 10 more minutes to drive until you would reach your hotel the Hotel Heevan Retreat. Upon arrival, kindly check-in and make yourself comfortable: A welcome drink and a snack will await you. Once you are ready your hotel will arrange a snowmobile/ATV (seasonal) to pick you up from your hotel. You will have a 15 minutes ride and come back afterwards to your hotel. Depending on the time, you may want to continue to be outside for a little stroll. For a shorter walk you could go downhill toward the Gulmarg Gondola, then continue to the “Ice Skating Hall” and then back to your hotel. This will cover a distance of around 1.7km, click here for a map overview. If you have a bit more time and energy available we can recommend to you the following round-trip: walk toward the so called “Government Ski Shop” pass it a little track downhill and proceed toward “St.Mary Church”. Then you walk cross-country toward the other side until you reach again the main “Gulmarg Road”. From there walk back toward the “Ice Skating Hall”, then back to your hotel to cover a distance of about 4km. A rough overview you find here.

After getting some fresh air you may want to think about your dinner. Take a seat at Hotel Heevan Retreat dining hall and enjoy your complementary dinner.

Have a good night’s rest!

Day 02: Gulmarg – Let’s summit 

Note: This day is matching in general with Trip 4 mentioned within Day 02 at Budget category.

We hope you have had a good sleep and are ready to get strengthened by a good breakfast in your hotel. Today would be the start of your big climb.

In general your suggested hike will start from Gulmarg to Kangdori/Kongdoori (Phase 1) and with the Gondola to Apharwat (Phase 2) and back to Gulmarg. We calculated a length of about 3km and an altitude difference of about 400m. This would be a beginner hiking level. You can find a rough overview here. However, you could also decide to hike up all the way to the very top: Apharwat (Phase 2). You would need to tell your hotel in this case so that they can arrange accordingly.

Note: Please do not forget to drink enough (water)! Though at certain spots there may be some “walk-around” sellers available, do carry a bottle with you in your backpack.

After having your breakfast, get your belongings for the next couple of hours packed. Your hotel will provide you with the three way ticket which is valid from Phase 1 to Phase 2 and back to Gulmarg. 

Just a general information regarding the timings of the gondola: Phase 1 during Summer – 9am to 5pm, during Winter 10am to 4pm and Phase 2 – during Summer 10am to 4pm, during Winter 10:30am to 03:30pm.

Once you’re ready, your starting point will be outside your hotel downhill the winding path toward the power grid station. You would pass the grid station and follow the path. Depending on your fitness and walking speed, expect around 1-2 hrs of a hike toward Kangdori Gondola station (Phase 1). 

The track is winding most of the time uphill and you should be able to see the gondola cabins every now and then until you once cross the gondola lines: congrats if you managed so far! Take a break, you deserve it. From here it is only a short distance left but again a quite steep one until you would reach the Kangdori Gondola station – welcome, you managed hopefully well!

If you should arrive around lunch time, or if you are hungry we would recommend you to walk up to the mountainside (about 200 meters) where you will be able to see some tea & snack stalls/restaurants. You could just choose one of the stalls, take a seat outside and order yourself a drink/snack. Enjoy the beautiful nature and fresh air.

Otherwise there is also a restaurant at the ground floor inside the main building of the Kangdori Gondola station. Especially if the weather is rainy this would be a good option. After your lunch time during the summer season you could choose the option below and hike up to Apharwat (Phase 2) – of course this is much dependent on your fitness. 

If you did not choose the option above, you would walk toward the entry of the Gondola leading to Phase 2: enjoy the amazing view over the usually snow capped mountains. Upon reaching the summit, beware that there is something called “altitude sickness”. If you would feel a headache, dizziness or feel like vomiting, we would highly recommend you to return rather quickly to the Gondola to bring you back to Kangdori station and then to Gulmarg.

Otherwise Apharwat in general invites you to enjoy the gorgeous view and if you intend to walk a bit – which you can do of course – do it slowly.

Whenever you feel ready to go back, enter the Apharwat gondola station, show to the gondola staff your ticket and board it back toward Gulmarg.

During summer, you can again request a pony for instance to bring you back to your hotel, or even ride an ATV or wooden sledge during the winter. And of course, if you feel still ready for another “hike”, you can stroll back to your hotel, too.

Dinner will be served again at your hotel’s restaurant: Bon appetit!

If the weather is good and the sky cloudless, please step out into the dark after your dinner to observe the stunning starry sky – without any so called light pollution which we experience so much of in our big cities nowadays. Maybe you’re even able to notice some stellar constellations, alternatively try counting the stars, or spot a falling star; Amazing, as we wish your dreams to be tonight!

Day 03: Gulmarg to Srinagar

Your last day on 2600m height above sea level. We hope you’ve had a good night’s rest. Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast: get ready for your last adventure – a one hour horse or sledge ride (seasonal).

Your hotel will arrange a horse/sledge with guide to pick you up directly at your hotel. From there you may direct a certain route or request your guide to choose one. After one hour you would reach again your hotel to get ready for your return trip to Srinagar.

When you’re ready to leave, check out of your hotel and the taxi will take you back to Srinagar Airport. If you plan to have a meal at one of the restaurants on the way, please be prepared to pay the taxi driver for the waiting time. As mentioned at the beginning this could be for example the “14^th Avenue” restaurant, “The Caliph”, or the “Bon Vivant (Café and Restaurant) in Srinagar etc.

Your driver will drop you at the airport – but we hope you will not forget  the splendid memories you have of your trip with Sontrips :).

We hope you have had a pleasant and relaxing stay – share your memories with your loved ones, and recommend us please.