This is the month the winter plan was written for. Read Winter: snow and Gulmarg and the skiing note. If you do not like cold, this is not the month to discover that.
Flights and the Gulmarg road both slip after fresh snow. Keep a buffer night in Srinagar if you can. A tight same-day connection is how luggage sleeps in the valley without you.
Usually open
- Srinagar old city, bakeries, shrines
- Gulmarg gondola, when wind and maintenance allow
- Beginner ski slopes and lessons
Usually shut or a bad bet
- Sonamarg meadow road, most years
- Gurez via Razdan
- Upper Pahalgam valleys as a summer-style visit
Weather
Hard frost in the city, serious cold and snow on the meadow. A sunny noon in Srinagar can still sit below comfort if you are standing on a ghat. Gulmarg is a different climate an hour and a half away.
What to wear
A real winter coat, waterproof boots, gloves, a hat, and a layer you can take off indoors. Hotels are heated unevenly. The gondola top is colder than the car park.
Where to base yourself
Srinagar for the city nights, Gulmarg for one or two snow nights. Do not hop further.