Kashmir is the state also referred to as the ‘Paradise on Earth,’ home to most of the unique tourist attractions like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Srinagar, and more. Honeymooners, holidaymakers, and adventure seekers from around the globe and the country visit Kashmir. Travelers planning a trip to Kashmir often wonder how to reach Kashmir; however, the beautiful valley is connected with the rest of the country via air, road, and train. Here is complete information on how to reach Kashmir by road, air, and train.
Kashmir By Air:
To fly into Kashmir, use the Srinagar Airport (15 km away), which is well linked to main Indian cities. IndiGo, GoAir, Jet Airways, and Air India operate regular flights for Delhi, Goa, Jammu, Leh, Mumbai, and Bangalore. During the Kashmir snow season, the views from the airplane are breathtaking. So, if you want to see that, choose air to make way to Kashmir. After arriving at the airport, tourists can hire taxis to reach various cities & towns in Kashmir.
- Aerodrome Airport in Srinagar.
Kashmir By Rail:
The Jammu-Tawi Station is well-connected to all the major cities in the country, such as Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Trivandrum, and more. Your further expedition up North will be by bus, taxi, or bike. Another option to reach Srinagar is Banihal railway station, which is accessible from Jammu by road. Banihal railway station has good rail connectivity with Srinagar, but it is operational only during the summer season.
Kashmir By Road:
The National Highway 1A connects the different cities of Kashmir and the rest of India. The state road transport corporation buses connect to the neighboring states of Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, and more. However, some of the points are a bit hard to access. To reach the areas, one can hire jeeps and other vehicles, but they are expensive.
Way to Kashmir
Delhi to Kashmir By Air
Srinagar Airport is the primary airport of Kashmir, which is situated 15 km from the city. Delhi is well-connected with Srinagar by flight. Several airlines, including IndiGo, Air Asia, Spice Jet, and Vistara, operate regular flights for Srinagar from Delhi.
Delhi to Kashmir by Train
The nearest major railhead is the Jammu Tawi railway station, located 330 km from Kashmir. Several trains connected Jammu with the national capital. The most popular trains are SVDK Vande Bharat Express, Rajdhani Express, Duronto Express, Shri Shakti Express, Jhelum Express, and Uttar S Kranti Express.
From Jammu Tawi railway station, tourists can hire a taxi or board a government-run or private bus to Srinagar.
Delhi to Kashmir by Bus
Srinagar is situated 794 km from Delhi and is well connected by a road network. National Highway 44 connects Srinagar to the national capital. Tourists can also board a bus or hire a taxi from Delhi.
Tourists can also board a bus for Jammu and take a night halt. Then board a private or government bus for the onward journey. The Jawahar Tunnel connects Jammu from the valley and offers breathtaking views.
A number of Jammu &Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) buses, as well as deluxe and semi-deluxe private buses, ply regularly from Delhi.
Delhi to Kashmir by Car
The shortest distance (by Road) between Kashmir and Delhi is 684 km.
Route: Delhi – Murthal – Karnal – Ambala – Ludhiana – Jalandhar – Pathankot – Jammu – Udhampur – Patnitop – Banihal – Anantnag – Srinagar.
Tourists can self-drive from Delhi via Ambala, Ludhiana Jalandhar, Jammu, and Udhampur. It will take almost 16-17 hours to reach Srinagar from Delhi. It is highly recommendable to take a night halt at Jammu.
Road Conditions
- NH 44 connects Delhi and Srinagar. The road conditions are extremely good in Jammu.
- From Udhampur, the hilly road starts, and the patch till Chenani Nashri Tunnel is rough, and tourists can experience a bumpy ride.
- Most of the route from Ramban to Verinag is narrow. This is a rough patch, and speed will be decreased due to bad road conditions.
- From Qazigund to Srinagar, the roads are in excellent condition, and the scenic beauty adds charm to the road trip.
Places to visit En-route Delhi to Kashmir
- Karna Lake, Karnal
- Brahma Sarovar, Kurukshetra
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum, Ludhiana
- Devi Talab Mandir, Jalandhar
- Raghunath Temple, Jammu
- Bahu Fort, Jammu
- Amar Mahal Palace Museum, Jammu
- Sanasar Lake, Udhampur
Places to Eat en-route Delhi to Kashmir
- Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba, Murthal
- Gulshan Dhaba, Murthal
- Neelkanth Star, Karnal
- Haveli, Ambala
- Eagle Motel, Rajpura
- Haveli, Jalandhar