Srinagar to Yusmarg: Forest, Lake and Shrine · ZoonCabs
Srinagar to Yusmarg is the drive south-west through Charar-i-Sharief to a meadow ringed by pine forest below the Pir Panjal, and this is ZoonCabs's guide to it for the agency planning a day: the road, the shrine en route, Nilnag lake, the round trip and the season.
Yusmarg is about 47 km from Srinagar, south-west through Chadoora, and around two hours door to door. A meadow ringed by pine forest with the Pir Panjal behind it, quieter than Gulmarg and a little further than Doodhpathri, with a pilgrimage town en route that many clients will want to stop at. For an agency it is the other spare-day answer, and the better one for a client who has already seen a meadow and wants a forest.
The road
Out of Srinagar through Chadoora, then south towards the shrine town and on to Yusmarg. The road is good as far as Charar-i-Sharief and narrower after, climbing through villages and then into the forest. The last stretch is pines and the meadow opens at the end. Tempo travellers reach the meadow in season.
Charar-i-Sharief on the way
The shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-din Wali, Kashmir's patron saint, sits in the shrine town on the road to Yusmarg. Many clients, Kashmiri and visiting, will want the stop; it costs half an hour and is worth telling the agency about before the day is planned, because someone who is not told and sees the town go past will ask why. The driver knows the parking and the etiquette.
What the day is
The vehicle stops at the meadow. From there, walks: to Nilnag, a small lake in the forest about four kilometres away, and along the Doodh Ganga stream. Ponies are available for the lake. Two to three hours on the meadow and the lake, lunch carried or booked, and back in Srinagar by evening. It is a full day rather than the half day Doodhpathri can be.
Round trip
About 95 km and around six hours with the shrine stop and the meadow. The Srinagar day trips guide compares it with the rest; the Doodhpathri guide is the other meadow.
Season
May to October. The meadow is at its best in June and July, and September has the clearest light. Snow closes the last stretch in winter, when it is a snow day for the days it is open and not a promise. The winter transport guide covers the cold months.
Vehicle
A sedan for a couple in season, an SUV for a family or the shoulder months, a tempo traveller for a group. The Kashmir cabs page has the classes.
Booking it
An agency books Srinagar to Yusmarg from its ZoonCabs account as a day excursion, or as a day in a longer itinerary with the same driver as the rest of the trip. The figure includes the driver for the day and parking. Rates are shown on registration; the pricing explainer covers what moves them.
Frequently asked questions from agencies
How far is Yusmarg from Srinagar?
About 47 km through Chadoora and past the shrine, around two hours door to door, good road until the shrine and narrower after it through the villages and the forest. A round trip is about 95 km and around six hours with the shrine stop and two or three hours on the meadow and the walk to Nilnag lake.
Should the Charar-i-Sharief shrine be in the Yusmarg day?
Ask the client before the plan is fixed. The shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-din Wali is on the road, costs half an hour, and many clients, Kashmiri and visiting, want it; a client who is not told and sees the town go past will ask why. The driver knows the parking and the etiquette, and the stop fits going in.
Yusmarg or Doodhpathri for a spare day?
Doodhpathri is closer and can be a half day; Yusmarg is a full day with a forest, a lake walk and the shrine en route. Anyone who has already seen a meadow usually prefers Yusmarg.
Related posts
- Srinagar to Doodhpathri: The Meadow Nobody PlansAbout 42 km and under two hours. The meadow, the round trip, the season, and why it rescues a package with a spare day.
- Day trips from Srinagar: the ones worth the driveNine day trips from Srinagar with real driving times, including the three that almost nobody plans and everybody remembers.
- Amarnath Yatra Transport: Routes and RulesThe two roadheads, what pilgrims carry, convoy timings that bind every vehicle on the road, and planning the days. Check the year's notification.
Published · Updated
Work with ZoonCabs
We supply travel agencies, tour operators, hotels and companies. Rates are visible in your account the moment it is verified, with a standing agent discount off every route and your own markup on top. Your brand goes on the voucher; we never sell to your customers.
Travelling yourself? ZoonCabs supplies travel businesses only and does not take bookings from the public. Please book through a travel agency.