When to go
Kashmir and Jammu are worth visiting in every season. Ladakh’s high passes and lakes are best from late May to September. Here is our month-by-month view.
January
Deep winter and powder snow
Gulmarg’s ski season is at its best. Srinagar is cold and quiet, with snow on the houseboat roofs. Ladakh is for snow-leopard expeditions only.
Snow-leopard season in Ladakh
Journeys for JanuaryFebruary
Snow, silence and winter festivals
Excellent snow in Gulmarg and crisp, clear days in Srinagar. Losar, the Ladakhi new year, may fall now or in December.
Losar (date varies)
Journeys for FebruaryMarch
The first blossom
Almond trees flower in Srinagar and the tulip garden prepares to open. Late-season skiing continues in Gulmarg.
Navroz · Almond blossom
Journeys for MarchApril
Tulips and spring meadows
The tulip garden blooms and orchards turn white with apple and cherry blossom. Pahalgam and Yusmarg open up for the season.
Tulip Festival, Srinagar
Journeys for AprilMay
Valleys in full green
Every Kashmiri meadow is open and the roads to Ladakh begin to clear. A wonderful month for families.
Ladakh flights and roads reopen
Journeys for MayJune
Ladakh opens its doors
Zoji La and the Manali road are usually open. Ladakh’s season begins in earnest, while Kashmir is warm and green.
Hemis Festival (often June/July)
Journeys for JuneJuly
High summer in the mountains
The best month for Ladakh, the Great Lakes trek and Gurez. Kashmir is busy — book houseboats early.
Hemis Festival · Amarnath Yatra
Journeys for JulyAugust
Peak trekking season
Ladakh’s lakes and passes are at their most accessible. Expect warm days in Kashmir and some monsoon rain in Jammu.
Ladakh Festival preparations
Journeys for AugustSeptember
Golden light and clear skies
Crowds thin, the air clears and Ladakh holds its colourful festival. One of our favourite months anywhere in the region.
Ladakh Festival
Journeys for SeptemberOctober
The chinars turn
Autumn arrives — gold poplars in Ladakh, copper chinars in Kashmir, and the saffron harvest beginning at Pampore.
Saffron harvest · Navratri at Vaishno Devi
Journeys for OctoberNovember
Autumn fire and first snow
The last of the chinar colour, crisp mornings and often the first snowfall in Gulmarg. Ladakh begins to close for winter.
Diwali
Journeys for NovemberDecember
Winter returns
Snow comes to Gulmarg and the ski season opens. Jammu’s mild winter is ideal for pilgrimage and heritage.
Ski season opens · Losar (date varies)
Journeys for DecemberAverage daytime temperatures
Indicative highs in °C. Nights are much colder at altitude, especially in Ladakh.
| Place | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Srinagar | 5° | 8° | 14° | 19° | 24° | 29° | 31° | 30° | 27° | 22° | 15° | 8° |
| Gulmarg | -1° | 0° | 4° | 9° | 14° | 19° | 22° | 21° | 18° | 13° | 7° | 2° |
| Pahalgam | 3° | 5° | 10° | 15° | 20° | 24° | 26° | 25° | 22° | 17° | 11° | 5° |
| Leh | -3° | 0° | 6° | 12° | 17° | 22° | 25° | 24° | 20° | 13° | 6° | 0° |
| Pangong | -12° | -9° | -4° | 2° | 8° | 13° | 16° | 15° | 11° | 4° | -3° | -9° |
| Jammu | 19° | 22° | 27° | 33° | 38° | 39° | 35° | 34° | 33° | 31° | 26° | 21° |
Tell us how you’d like to travel, and we’ll shape the rest
Every CNE journey is private and planned from scratch with one of our specialists in Srinagar, Leh or Jammu. There’s no obligation and no fee to start.