How to reach Srinagar

From the airport

Srinagar International Airport (SXR) is at Humhama in Budgam district, about 12 to 14 km south of the city centre. Flights come from Delhi (about 1 hour 30 minutes) and other cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, some via Jammu. A prepaid taxi counter sits just outside arrivals: pay the fixed fare there and you are given a registered taxi. The drive to Lal Chowk or Dal Lake takes 25 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic. A government-run airport bus also links the terminal with the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) in the city.

Flying out, allow about an hour from the city to the terminal: vehicles and bags are screened at an outer checkpoint before you reach the building, and queues build when several flights leave close together. Keep your ticket and photo ID to hand.

From the railway station

Srinagar's station (code SINA) is at Nowgam on the southern edge of the city, about 8 to 10 km from the centre. Since June 2025 the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla line, over the Chenab bridge, has linked it to the rest of India's network, but there is still no through train from Delhi: take a train to Jammu Tawi or Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, then change to one of the two Vande Bharat trains a day from Jammu Tawi to Srinagar (each runs six days a week). They stop at Udhampur, Katra and Banihal and take about 4 hours 50 minutes from Jammu, or about 3 hours from Katra. Both have chair-car seats only and fill up in season, so book as soon as your dates are fixed. Unreserved trains also run from Katra and from Banihal.

From Srinagar station, allow 20 to 35 minutes by taxi or auto-rickshaw to Lal Chowk or Dal Lake.

By road

The main road in is NH44 from Jammu, about 250 km. It runs from Jammu through Nagrota to Udhampur (about 65 to 70 km), passes under the Patnitop ridge in the 9 km Chenani–Nashri tunnel and drops to Ramban on the Chenab (about 55 km), then climbs to Banihal (about 35 to 40 km). From Banihal the 8.5 km Navyug tunnel takes you under the Pir Panjal to Qazigund (about 20 km), and the last 70 km or so cross the flat valley floor past Khanabal (for Anantnag), Awantipora and the saffron fields of Pampore into Srinagar. By car allow 6 to 8 hours.

The valley stretch is fast four-lane road, but between Ramban and Banihal there are still narrow, single-lane sections with widening work under way, and this is where most hold-ups happen.

In summer the Mughal Road from Jammu via Rajouri, Bufliaz, the Pir Ki Gali pass (about 3,500 m) and Shopian is a scenic alternative, but snow shuts it every winter. From Ladakh, NH1 comes in from Leh via Kargil, Drass, the Zojila pass and Sonamarg (about 420 to 435 km). Zojila closes for part of every winter, often for three months or more, and the Zojila tunnel is still under construction.

By bus

The state-run Jammu & Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC, formerly JKSRTC) and private operators run buses from Jammu's General Bus Stand to the TRC bus stand, Srinagar's main terminal; allow most of a day. Private sleeper and Volvo buses also run through from Delhi, taking close to a full day. Shared Tata Sumo taxis are quicker: they leave from Jammu's General Bus Stand and from near Jammu Tawi station when full, and take about 7 to 10 hours. In summer, once Zojila is open, buses also run between Srinagar and Leh, often over two days with a night in Kargil.

Local transfers

From Srinagar, allow about 3 hours by road to Shitkadi, 4 km short of Sonamarg, for the Kashmir Lakes trek, and about 4 hours to Aru, beyond Pahalgam, for Tarsar Marsar, so reach Srinagar by a morning flight or train, or better the evening before. Travelling on your own, shared taxis leave when full, earliest in the morning: for Anantnag, where you change for Pahalgam and Aru, from Pantha Chowk or the stand near the TRC; for Kangan roughly hourly, with shared vehicles on to Sonamarg until late afternoon. Auto-rickshaws cover short hops in town; agree the fare first.

Distances from major points

• Srinagar airport to Lal Chowk or Dal Lake: about 13 to 16 km
• Srinagar railway station (Nowgam) to Lal Chowk: about 10 km
• Jammu to Udhampur: about 65 to 70 km
• Udhampur to Ramban (through the Chenani–Nashri tunnel): about 55 km
• Ramban to Banihal: about 35 to 40 km
• Banihal to Qazigund (through the Navyug tunnel): about 20 km
• Qazigund to Srinagar: about 70 km
• Srinagar to Kangan: about 36 km
• Srinagar to Sonamarg via Kangan: about 80 km
• Srinagar to Anantnag: about 53 km
• Srinagar to Pahalgam via Anantnag: about 95 km (Aru is about 12 km further)
• Srinagar to Gulmarg: about 50 to 56 km
• Srinagar to Leh via Kargil and Zojila: about 420 to 435 km

Good to know

Srinagar is the gateway for Kashmir treks and worth a day of its own for Dal and Nigeen lakes, the Mughal gardens and the old city. For the night before a trek, stay on a houseboat on Dal or Nigeen Lake that is registered with the J&K Tourism Department (ask to see the registration before booking), or in a hotel near the Boulevard along Dal Lake, close to the TRC and handy for an early start.

Prepaid mobile connections from outside Jammu and Kashmir generally do not work here, while postpaid ones do, so check with your provider before you travel. Carry photo ID (passport, Aadhaar or driving licence) for hotel and houseboat check-in, and pick up cash, medicines and any last items in Srinagar before the drive to the trailhead.

Safety

Keep a spare day before your trek starts and another before your flight home. Heavy snow between December and February can cancel flights and close the Jammu road, as in January 2026, and rain brings landslides and falling stones between Ramban and Banihal, where the traffic police advise against driving at night. During the Amarnath Yatra in July and August they also set cut-off times: in 2026 no tourist vehicle could cross the Navyug tunnel towards Kashmir after 3 pm. Check the J&K Traffic Police advisory on the morning you drive. At about 1,585 m, Srinagar poses no altitude problem.

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.