New Year week is the crowded version of Gulmarg. If you want snow more than a party, the middle of the month is calmer and slightly less sure. Either way, ask about heating and about whether the meadow road has been open that week.
Usually open
- Srinagar
- Gulmarg, with increasing confidence late in the month
- Winterised hotels
Usually shut or a bad bet
- Sonamarg
- Gurez
- Garden colour
- High treks
Weather
Cold. Snow likely at Gulmarg as the month goes on, unpredictable in the first week. City snow is a bonus, not a plan.
What to wear
Full winter kit if Gulmarg is included. City shoes that handle frost. Gloves in the luggage, not bought in a panic from the only stall open.
Where to base yourself
The winter itinerary. Keep Pahalgam off the headline.