The unexplored side of Kashmir
Dal Lake is beautiful. The shikaras, the floating gardens, the houseboat sunsets — all real, all worth seeing. But if you've spent your entire Kashmir trip within a few kilometres of the lake, you've seen the brochure, not the place.
The Kashmir most travellers miss begins about 45 minutes from Srinagar.
Doodhpathri: the valley nobody has overcrowded yet
Two hours southwest of Srinagar, Doodhpathri is a high-altitude meadow at 2,730 metres that sees a fraction of the footfall of Gulmarg or Pahalgam. The name translates roughly to "valley of milk" — a reference to the streams that run white with glacial silt.
There are no hotels. Locals set up simple tent camps during the summer months. You arrive with a driver, spend a few hours (or the night in a camp), and leave having seen a Kashmir most visitors never find.
Go between June and September. The wildflowers in July are the kind that make you stop walking.
Yusmarg: the meadow above the forest
Between Srinagar and Doodhpathri, the road passes through a deodar cedar forest — the tall, straight, blue-green variety that covers much of the higher Himalayas. Yusmarg sits at the top of this forest, a wide open meadow ringed by snow peaks.
The village itself is small. There's a JKTDC rest house for those who want to stay overnight. There are no malls, no pony-ride touts, no Bollywood backdrop photographers — yet. Go while that's still true.
"The real Kashmir is not a postcard. It's a meadow nobody has got around to photographing yet."
Naranag: ruins no one visits
On the eastern side of the Kashmir valley, a dirt road leads to Naranag — a set of 8th-century temple ruins at the base of a mountain. There's a small village, a cold stream, and the ruins themselves: carved stone, mostly intact, completely unprotected and almost always empty.
Trekkers use Naranag as a base for the route up to Gangabal Lake. Day visitors are rare. The drive from Srinagar takes about 2.5 hours.
Wular Lake and the villages around it
North of Srinagar, Wular is the largest freshwater lake in Asia — and almost completely absent from standard Kashmir itineraries. The villages on its northern shore are home to Kashmiri fishermen who have worked the lake for generations.
The drive around the lake passes through walnut orchards and apple farms. Stop in season (September to October) and buy directly.
What this requires
These places need a driver who knows them. Many Srinagar drivers will agree to go and then express varying degrees of enthusiasm at the actual location. Ask specifically: "Have you been to Doodhpathri this year?" If the answer is vague, find another driver.
We plan Kashmir trips that go beyond Dal Lake. Talk to a trip expert and we'll design a route that actually shows you the valley.
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