How to reach Pahalgam

From the airport

Srinagar International Airport (SXR), also called Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport, has direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and several other Indian cities. Taxis are readily available at the airport, and the drive to Pahalgam is about 95 km, 2.5 to 3 hours via Pampore and Anantnag. In the busy months, April to June and the weeks of the Amarnath Yatra, it is worth booking a taxi ahead. The airport is an Air Force base with a civilian enclave and extra security checks, so allow plenty of time for your flight home. Jammu Airport (IXJ) is the fallback if Srinagar flights are full, but it adds a full day on the mountain highway.

From the railway station

There is no direct train from Delhi to the Kashmir valley: change at Jammu Tawi or Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. The closest station to Pahalgam is Anantnag (ANT), about 50 km and 1.5 hours away. It is served by the unreserved Katra–Budgam train, which runs every day except Sunday, and by several unreserved local trains a day in each direction between Baramulla, Srinagar and Banihal; Srinagar to Anantnag takes about an hour. An Anantnag stop for one pair of the Jammu–Srinagar Vande Bharat trains was approved in August 2026 but had not started when this was written, so check before booking. The station is about 4 km west of town; take a taxi straight on to Pahalgam, or into town for a shared jeep.

Alternatively, take the Vande Bharat from Jammu Tawi (it also stops at Katra) to Srinagar, about 5 hours. From Srinagar station at Nowgam, Pahalgam is about 90 km, 2.5 to 3 hours by taxi.

By road

Pahalgam lies in the upper Lidder valley, about 95 km by road east of Srinagar. From Srinagar, follow NH44, the Jammu highway, south across the flat valley floor through Pampore and Awantipora to Khanabal on the edge of Anantnag: about 53 to 55 km, roughly 1.5 hours. At Khanabal turn off on to NH501, the Pahalgam road. Its last 43 to 45 km pass Mattan and Aishmuqam, then follow the Lidder river up through villages and pine forest to Pahalgam, taking 1 to 1.5 hours. Allow 2.5 to 3 hours from Srinagar in all, more in peak-season traffic.

From Jammu, NH44 runs north through Udhampur, Ramban, Banihal and the Navyug tunnel to Qazigund, then on to Khanabal: about 250 km and 7 to 8 hours to Pahalgam. The Ramban and Banihal stretch is the weak link; landslides after heavy rain closed the highway for days in April 2026 and again in late July and early August 2026, and heavy snow can close it in winter. The valley road to Pahalgam also gets heavy snow in January, and the narrow side roads beyond Pahalgam to Aru and Chandanwari can be blocked by snow from about January to early March.

By bus

Without a taxi, most people use shared Sumos and jeeps, which leave when full rather than to a timetable. Take one from Srinagar to Anantnag (about 1.5 hours) and change there for Pahalgam (1 to 1.5 hours). Travellers report Anantnag vehicles leaving from more than one Srinagar stand, including Pantha Chowk and Dal Gate, so ask your hotel which is running. Because vehicles wait to fill, leave Srinagar by late morning to reach Pahalgam in daylight.

State-run and private buses also run to Pahalgam from Srinagar, Anantnag and Jammu, with more in summer and during the yatra; timings change with the season, so check locally the day before. From Jammu, shared vehicles bound for Srinagar will drop you at Khanabal, on the edge of Anantnag, in about 7 hours, where you change for Pahalgam.

Local transfers

Pahalgam's taxi union keeps local trips to Aru, Betaab Valley and Chandanwari for its own vehicles, so a taxi from Srinagar or Jammu will usually leave you in Pahalgam. For Aru (12 km, about 30 minutes) or Chandanwari (16 km), hire a union taxi at the stand in town; shared cabs to Aru sometimes leave from near the Tourist Reception Centre. From Srinagar through Pahalgam to Aru is about 105 km and 4 hours by road.

Distances from major points

• Srinagar airport to Pahalgam: about 95 km
• Srinagar to Anantnag (Khanabal): about 53 to 55 km
• Anantnag to Pahalgam: about 43 to 45 km
• Anantnag railway station to Pahalgam: about 50 km
• Srinagar railway station (Nowgam) to Pahalgam: about 90 km
• Jammu to Pahalgam, via Udhampur, Banihal, Qazigund and Anantnag: about 250 km
• Pahalgam to Aru: about 12 km
• Pahalgam to Chandanwari: about 16 km

Good to know

Pahalgam is the base for Aru, Chandanwari and the Amarnath Yatra, and a good place to sleep before treks that start at Aru, such as Tarsar Marsar or the Kolahoi Glacier. It has hotels in every range, and JKTDC runs tourist bungalows and huts that can be booked through its portal or at a Tourist Reception Centre; the yatra fills beds in July and August, so book early.

Pahalgam has bank ATMs, so draw cash here before heading further up the valley. Prepaid SIM cards issued outside Jammu and Kashmir do not work here; postpaid connections do, but expect patchy signal once you leave town. Carry photo ID for security checks. Some meadows and viewpoints around Pahalgam were closed for security reasons after April 2025 and have reopened in stages (Aru in September 2025), so check the current status of any day trip locally.

Safety

Keep a spare day either side of a trek, because a landslide or heavy snow on the Jammu highway can stop traffic for a day or more. During the Amarnath Yatra in July and August, expect convoys, security checks and afternoon cut-off times for traffic leaving Pahalgam and passing the Navyug tunnel, and plan to arrive before dark. Pahalgam sits at about 2,200 m, but treks from Aru climb to nearly 4,000 m, so take the first days gently. Check J&K Traffic Police road updates before setting out.

Travel tips

• Plan buffer time for road delays, especially in monsoon and winter.
• Start early for long drives to avoid night stretches on mountain roads.
• Keep offline maps and cash as backup in low-network zones.
• If you are continuing to high altitude areas, acclimatize and hydrate well.