The Gulmarg take you on a journey to some of the most picturesque landscapes and make you encounter nature in all its unadulterated glory. Gulmarg, also known as the Valley of Flowers, truly lives up to its name in every aspect. Visitors from all over the world come here to take advantage of some of the best skiing adventures that Gulmarg offer. With its ideal slopes and towering mountain peaks covered in thick blankets of snow.
Each sightseeing place in Gulmarg has a unique tale, from the Strawberry Valley, Alpather Lake, and Tangmarg to Khilanmarg, Drung waterfall, and Ferozepur Nallah. Gulmarg is a feast for the eyes, and an adventurer’s paradise, with breathtaking mountains, fantastic pine woods, gorgeous meadows, and lush valleys. Gulmarg’s Seven Springs, Tangmarg, and Khilanmarg are a few spots where you bask in the natural beauty. Here are some of the best places to visit in Gulmarg:
1. Apharwat Peak
Apharwat Peak, one of the top sites in the Gulmarg and Srinagar area, offers a breathtaking view. The place is remote and only a few kilometres from the Line of Control with Pakistan, at a tremendous height of 4,200 m above mean sea level. It also receives considerable precipitation and is blanketed in thick snow for most of the year. Apharwat is an ideal tourist place, surrounded by gorgeous white meadows and snow-capped mountains. The most popular defining feature of Apharwat is that it is the location of the Gulmarg’s adventure sports activities.
2. Gulmarg Gondola
The Gondola cable car trip, the second-highest and second-longest of its kind on earth, is Gulmarg’s main draw. When planning your travel itinerary, you must not miss this experience because it is so captivating. The journey is divided into two phases, the first taking you from Gulmarg Resort to Kongdoori Station, the centre point, and the second taking you from Kongdoori Mountain to Apharwat Peak. Phase 1 begins at a height of 2,990 metres, and then there is a 400-meter altitude increase. In Phase 2, it ascends another 1,330 vertical metres, bringing you to a total height of about 4,000 m.
3. Strawberry Valley
The luscious green meadows with vivid red fruits dotting the entire area and clear blue skies above are a sight out of a picture book that you will not want to miss. Strawberry Valley in Gulmarg is the best sightseeing place, located “just behind a hill,” as most locals would point out when visiting the area. It largely explains the area’s unspoilt attractiveness, as it is still relatively devoid of tourists. Ripe red strawberries abound, making a trip to the Garden of Eden an exciting experience. Visitors are welcome to stroll among rows of strawberry plantations to take in the area’s vibrant beauty.
4. Khilanmarg
This small valley in Gulmarg is a popular sightseeing place owing to its incomparable natural beauty and some of the most stunning vistas of the highest Himalayan peaks. It is an ideal combination of nature’s abundance and a profusion of adventure activities, making it a popular destination for thousands of people. Khilanmarg is one of the most visited sightseeing places in Gulmarg. It is particularly popular with travellers looking for a destination off the beaten path because it is difficult to get by average vehicles. You can walk the distance from Gulmarg or hire a pony to transport you here.
5. Alpather Lake
This high-altitude lake, located among the twin peaks of the Apharwat Mountains, is one of Gulmarg’s most beautiful sightseeing attractions. It is also known as the Frozen Lake since it is frozen half the year, from November to June. When in Gulmarg, set aside a day in your itinerary for a trip to Alpather Lake, which involves a full day’s trek beginning in Gulmarg and covering a distance of roughly 13 kilometres. The lake is a must-see for trekking enthusiasts, and a one-day journey from Gulmarg to Alpather Lake is required. The trek is moderately arduous, and you need to follow the trail from Gulmarg to Khilanmarg and finally to Apharwat Ridge.
6. Ferozepur Nallah
At the Ferozepur Nallah, spend a pleasant sunny afternoon surrounded by magnificent snow-capped mountains and the splendour of pine forests. The name refers to a mountain stream that flows from the Ferozepur Peak. It is generally known as the Shinmahinyu and is located about 5 kilometres from the town of Gulmarg. It is one of the most popular tourist places in Gulmarg for a quiet and serene day of trout fishing and angling. Water is provided by the stream to many villages in the surrounding area, which also consider the stream holy.
7. Gulmarg Golf Course
Sir Neville Chamberlain established the Gulmarg Golf Course during the British government, and it has been one of the top tourist places to visit in Gulmarg for almost a century. The golf course’s scenic environment, surrounded by numerous alpine flowers, smooth undulated hills, and rich mossy turf, combined with crisp cool weather, is a true golfer’s heaven. Following a renovation by renowned golf architect Peter Thomson, the new course spans 6,760 yards, features 18 holes, and is par 72. It is not just one of the highest golf courses in the world, but it also has India’s longest hole, a par five measuring 610 yards.
