Gar Firdaus bar-rue zamin ast, hami asto, hamin asto, hamin ast.
If there is heaven on earth, It is here, it is here … Jehangir
I have been hearing this line since my childhood, that its not a place … its heaven. The older movies of Shammi Kapoor too showed the colorful flowers as well as Kashmiri attire, the beautiful Dal Lake, and the Shikara. So I always wanted to visit this heaven and that happened this year on our first anniversary.
It’s a beautiful place, rich in mountains, clear water gushing down, flowers and garden everywhere. The people there too are very warm and well mannered. Their hospitality is one of the highlights that I remember fondly.
But planning a Kashmir trip is not just about the hotel, cab, and food. There are other expenses that no tour operator tells you or at least gives you the fair idea of the expense.
Hence I am jotting down all the other expenses at the different tourist spots in Kashmir
Garden entry fees
- Kashmir, as you know, is famous for its lush green gardens filled with different species of flowers and plants. It’s also a great place to click pictures and sit under shade to grab a bite. But all these gardens have an entry fee. Below mentioned are the must-visit gardens and the entry fee.
- Nishat Garden – INR 24/-
- Mughal Garden- INR 24/-
- Shalimar Garden – INR 24/-
- Tulip Garden – INR 40/-
- Total cost – INR 112/-
- Nishat Garden also has photographers who can get you clicked in the traditional Kashmir attire. The price for each photograph is INR 100/- ( Small Size) & INR 150/- (Large Size)
- Gulmarg
- Gulmarg is the place where you actually start to see snow peaks and can do a lot of activities related to snow. It’s a 2-hour drive from Srinagar and the cab does not go near the cable ride station. You will be dropped below the peak from where you need to take a guide ( INR 500/- ) along with snow boots & Jackets( INR 300/-). There will be ponies that you can take to reach near the cable ride station. They will also take you to Maharaja Palace & Nagin Valley but we were not that keen to visit these places. Hence we walked along with the guide for 20 min that took us to the station. The cable ride can take you to 2 places, Phase 1 & Phase 2. If you want to see snow and do the activities before the month of May, it is sufficient to visit Phase 1 as there is plenty of snow available. But if you are visiting in mid-May or later, you have to go to Phase 2 as the snow below is depleted till then. So all and all below mentioned are the expenses per person in Gulmarg.
- Guide – INR 500/-
- Boots & Jackets – INR 300/-
- Cable ride Phase 1 – INR 750/-
- Cable ride Phase 2- INR 980/-
- Skiing – INR 1200/-
- Instructor – INR 1200/-
- Sledge ride – INR 3000/-
- Total cost – INR 7930/- per person
- Sonamarg
- Sonamarg is again a beautiful place where you can see the snow peaks, white water, and place where Ram Teri Ganga Maili was shot. But to travel here, you need to take a different cab from the Union that is stationed near the hotel. The cab takes you to 3 locations. You need to take a pony to visit the other 3 locations. So below is the expenses
- Union Cab – INR 3600/-
- Pony – INR 1500/- per person
- Total cost – INR 5100/-
- Pahalgam
- Pahalgam is where you will find those lush green valleys surrounded by pine trees that were an indigenous part of Bollywood in the ’90s. One of the valleys is even named Betab valley after the famous Sunny Deol movie. Its a once in a lifetime experience riding a pony here as the road to the valley is filled with mud, stones and is a mostly uphill climb. But the ponies cover it effortlessly while the guide entertains you with information while keeping a watch on the animals.
- Pony ride – INR 4500/-
- Tips, Tips & Tips
- Wherever you go the hospitality is top notch and is followed by the expectant eyes looking at you for tips. So in the 6 days, we spent in Kashmir, we shelled tips to the waiter, cab driver, guides, etc.
- Total cost – INR 3000/-
So apart from the regular expenditure of hotel, food & travel, you have to shell roughly
INR 21000/-
more which is not covered by any travel portal or agencies.
But apart from the expenses incurred, it’s a magical place and everyone has to visit this heaven on earth at least once.
