Jammu and Kashmir is situated in the northernmost part of the India. Surrounded by mountains all around, this place is also called as ‘second heaven on earth’. Because of its serene and unmatched location and beauty, J&K is an little special as compared to other places when it comes to the tourism. There are lot numbers of places to roam around in Jammu and Kashmir. Although due to presence of tension in this state, tourism sector was badly affected but now things have changed a lot and tourism here is now a booming business. Snow capped mountains; flora and fauna, lakes etc., are some of the things which make this place little different from the other.
Top Tourist places to visit in Jammu and Kashmir(A brief data of top places)
Amar Mahal in Jammu
This palace was the last palace of the royal family living here. This was built by the British and it is a very beautiful place built with high quality red stones and brick.
Mubarak Mandi in Jammu
In this place you will find 19th century architecture in the form a palace. It was the residence of the maharajas of Kashmir, and it is still standing strong.
Pahalgam
This place falls on the road to Srinagar from Jammu and has a natural beauty like river, mountains etc., and presents a good picturesque here. You will see lot of pilgrims heading to Amaranth here. So, a nice place to indulge yourself in the beauty of nature.
Khanqah Shah-i-Hamadan in Srinagar
It is among the most beautiful monument in Srinagar. In ancient time it was a meeting hall, and it has a very good art and architecture.
Dal Lake in Srinagar
This lake is the point of attraction in Srinagar. Crystal clear water and snow capped mountain, this place is truly a thing to keep in memory. There are various lifeboats that are available here and you can hire one to roam around the lake.
Shankaracharya Hill near Dal Lake
Shankaracharya Hill is covered by thick forest and has a lord Shiva temple here. Nice place to visit and indulge yourself in divine beauty.
Shalimar Bagh near Srinagar
Shalimar Bagh is famous for its flower laden gardens and has lots of species of flower here. This garden was built in the times of the Mughal empire.
Gulmarg
Gulmarg is famous for its nature beauty. Surrounded by thick forest and flowers all around, this place presents you the right environment to be in peace. Roam around in the forest to discover the nature’s beauty. Skiing is very famous in Gulmarg.
Sonamarg
This place has great trekking bases and great view deep valleys all around it. Usually this place experiences snow and this is the reason why reason people come here to enjoy the snow.
Amarnath
This shrine place has a cave in which statue of Lord Shiva is formed naturally by snow. And this is the reason why so many pilgrims come every year.
Shargol Gompa
Shargol is famous for its Gompa built here. One monastery is also there, and a nice place for providing calmness to your mind.
Suru Valley
Its a great place to have views of the Nun and Kun mountains and you can also visit to government bungalows built here earlier.
Zanskar
Zanskar is surrounded by snow capped mountains and a good place to do trekking. This place is very cold and therefore avoid coming here in winters.
Leh
This place is very famous for its monasteries and Gompas. There is a Leh palace also and natural beauty of Leh immense.
Stok and Matho south of Leh
Stok is famous for royal family mansion and this mansion have some rooms open for visitors. You can see the treasury of the king and queen here. On the other hand Matho is famous for its natural beauty and various trekking events are organized here.
Phyang near west Leh
This Place is famous for its Gompa and forest covered lands. The natural beauty of this region is also a among the reason why people come here.
Nubra Valley
In this valley you can visit lot number of small villages and zig-zag mountain path. There are various gompas nearby it where you can visit. Natural beauty is what you can see here and nothing more than that. Those who are fond of doing trekking, will find this place very interesting but as such there is no club house for the same, you have to carry your own equipment. A place called as ‘Diksit’ is very famous here and you will enjoy coming to this site.
East of Leh
Places like Shey, Thiksey, Stakna and Hemis are famous in this region. Generally you will see Bhuddhist Gompas and lots of other things related to the Buddhist religion. You can go for other activities like trekking, a walk to the forest etc.
West of Leh
Place like Likir here are famous for their Gompas and they are as old as 1000 years. There are various museums here and you can read about the Buddhist culture. Nice place to give your mind and soul a complete peace. You can even go to monasteries and offer your prayers with the help of monks.
Sham near west of Leh
If time is not an issue then, you can visit this place also. Although there is not much things to roam around, but still the Gompas and natural beauty is what you get here. Guest houses are also plenty in number and they are very cheap and you can get accommodation plus meals at just Rs 300 for one day.
Tips for Journey
Jammu and Kashmir no doubt is a place where you will never get tired or bored. Since this place is a lot more different than any other place, there are certain tips which we have prepared for you. Local language can be an issue but you can easily manage if you can understand the broken Hindi spoke with them. Avoid carrying cash in large amount and prefer to carry change money as much as possible. If you are planning to go with your own vehicle then always fill up your fuel tank because the numbers of petrol stations are very less here. Mobile towers are also very less, so you will go out of connectivity shortly. If you have to call, then use PCO available at major stations. Avoid travelling in nights.