Gulmarg: the gondola, the seasons, and whether to stay the night

What it is

A meadow at around 2,650 metres, ringed by pine and overlooked by Apharwat, which rises another thousand metres behind it. In summer it is grass and wildflowers and one of the highest golf courses in the world. In winter it is a ski resort with some of the most serious off-piste terrain in Asia.

It is the single most visited place in Kashmir after the Dal, which is worth knowing before you go in July.

The gondola

This is why most people come. It runs in two stages: the first to Kongdoori, the second from there up toward Apharwat. The first stage is the easy one and gets you into the pines with a view back over the meadow. The second takes you into genuine high mountain, above the treeline, where the air is thin and the weather does what it likes.

Both stages sell tickets separately and the second one is capacity-limited, so it sells out. Go early — by mid-morning in season the queue is long enough to eat the day.

The second stage closes without warning in high wind, which happens often enough that you should not build the whole trip around it. If it is running and you are there, take it.

By season

Winter, roughly December to March, is snow — deep, reliable, and the reason skiers fly in from elsewhere. If you are not skiing, it is still worth it for the gondola and the sheer quantity of snow, but dress far more seriously than you think you need to.

Spring into early summer is the meadow coming back, wildflowers through May and June, and the pleasantest walking of the year. This is the quiet window.

July and August are peak and crowded. Still beautiful, but you are sharing it.

September and October are, as with most of Kashmir, the best compromise: clear air, long views, and far fewer people.

Day trip, or stay?

From Harwan it is around two hours each way, which makes a comfortable day: leave after an early breakfast, gondola before the queue, walk or ride in the afternoon, back for dinner. That is what most of our guests do and it works.

Staying over makes sense in two cases. If you are skiing, because the lifts open before anyone can drive up from Srinagar. And if you want Apharwat at first light, which is a genuinely different experience from Apharwat at eleven with everyone else.

Otherwise the night is better spent down here. Gulmarg in the evening is a small mountain village with a handful of hotels, and the valley is more interesting.

Things people get wrong

Altitude. You are going from around 1,600 metres to 3,000-plus in a morning. Most people are fine, some get a headache, and almost everyone underestimates the sun up there.

Clothing. Even in summer the top station is cold and windy. In winter, rented gear at the bottom is adequate but basic — bring your own gloves at minimum.

The pony operators and guides can be persistent. Agree a price before anything starts moving, and if you would rather not deal with it, tell us and we will send you with a driver who handles it.