The Happy Valley, Super Switzerland of Asia, Mughal Emperor's dreamgarden and Emerald amongst the white pearls of the Himalaya are only a few of the many appellations given to the valley of Kashmir, over the countries. The Mughal king Jehangir, moved to such an ecstasy by the beauty of Kashmir exclaimed, "if there is a Paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here". He was doubtlessly, enthralled by the valley's lust greenery, its abundance of flowers and fruits, its shimmering springs and translucent lakes. Unlike the other Himalayan regions, Kashmir has been an traveler's paradise and holiday resort for a long time, probably one of the oldest on the earth.

Cities in Kashmir

• Srinagar - The summer capital of the state, set around famous Dal Lake, with its floating houseboats.
  
  
• Jammu - The winter capital. Gulmarg - decent skiing and the World's highest gondola.
  
  
• Leh - The jumping off point for treks and adventures around Ladakh.
  
  
• Pahalgam - A calm and serene place offering multiple trekking routes. Starting point of Amarnath Yatra
  
  
• Patnitop - A small hill station in Jammu
  
  
• Udhampur

Major Tourist Attraction in Kashmir

• Sonamarg
  Location: 81-km From Srinagar, Kashmir Region, J&K
  Altitude: 2,740m
  Also Known As: Sonmarg
  Best Time To Visit: May To September, November To February
  
  
• Patnitop
  Located at a suitable height and surrounded by trees Patinitop is a peaceful and quiet place in the Jammu region. Its at a distance of four hours from Katra. We can also visit Sanasar which resembles Patnitop. Sanasar is on a higher location. While going towards Sanasar, Mathatop/Nathatop are the places to visit. Patnitop also offers some trekking routes. Patnitop is 112 kms away from Jammu. Its at a height of 2024 meters across the Jammu Srinagar highway.
  
  
• Srinagar
  Location: Kashmir Region, J&K
  Main Attractions: Canals, Houseboats & Mughal Gardens
  Significance: Capital Of J&K.
  Best Time To Visit: June To Early November, December To February
  
  
• Gulmurg
  Location: 56-km South West Of Srinagar, Kashmir Region, J&K
  Main Attractions: Alpather Lake, Golf Courses & Skiing
  Altitude: 2,730m
  Best Time To Visit: May To September, November To February
  
  
• Jammu
  Location: 305-km From Srinagar, J&K
  Significance: The Second Largest Town In The State Of Jammu & Kashmir.
  Languages Spoken: Dogri, Hindi, English, Urdu, Kashmiri & Punjabi.
  Best Time To Visit: October To April
  
  
• Pahalgam
  Location: 95-km From Srinagar, Kashmir Region, J&K
  Altitude: 2,130m
  Main Attractions: Mamaleshwara, Baisaran, Tulian Lake, Aru
  Best Time To Visit: May To September, November To February
  
  
• Ladakh
  Location: Northern Most Part Of J&K
  Altitude: 9,000m
  Also Known As: The Moonland, Little Tibet, The Last Shangri La
  Significance: The Remotest Region Of India.
  
  
• Leh
  Location: Northern Most Part Of J&K
  Altitude: 9,000m
  Also Known As: The Moonland, Little Tibet, The Last Shangri La
  Significance: The Remotest Region Of India.
  
  
• Vaishno Devi
  The sacred cave shrine of Vaishno devi is 13kms from Katra nestling on the top of Trikuta Hills. Vaishno devi is the mother goddess in its three forms Mahakali,Mahalaxmi,and Mahasaraswati. Its at a distance of 61 kms from jammu,and the cave is 30 metre long and one and a half metres high. Pilgrims enter in small groups thorugh narrow opening walk thorugh ice cold waters to reach the shrine. According to legend,the mother goddess hid in the cave while escaping a demon,whom she ultimately killed. Now due to the heavy rush of devotees to the shrine an artifical cave has also been built near the old natural cave.
  
  
• Sanasar
  Location: Northern Most Part Of J&K
  Altitude: 9,000m
  Also Known As: The Moonland, Little Tibet, The Last Shangri La
  Significance: The Remotest Region Of India.
  
  
• Zanskar
  Location: Northern Most Part Of J&K
  Altitude: 9,000m
  Also Known As: The Moonland, Little Tibet, The Last Shangri La
  Significance: The Remotest Region Of India.

How to Reach in Kashmir

• By Plane
  Flights operate to Srinagar and Leh. Try Indian Airline, Jet Airways and Air Deccan
  
  
• By Train
  The last stop on the railway line north is Udhampur, where you can catch onward buses and hire sumos. However it is better to get down in Jammu and catch a taxi from there as these are more readily available.
  
  The Kashmir Railway is a railway line being built in India to connect the state of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. The Project officially coded USBRL (Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Railway Link) starts from the city of Udhampur, 55 kilometres (34 mi) north of Jammu, and travels for 290 kilometres (180 mi) to the city of Baramulla on the northwestern edge of the Kashmir Valley. The route crosses major earthquake zones, and is subjected to extreme temperatures of cold and heat, as well as inhospitable terrain, making it an extremely challenging engineering project.
  
  
• By Bus
  There are two ways to get in by land - via Jammu and up to Srinagar or via Manali in Himachal Pradesh and up to Leh.