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Gulmarg Tourism

Gulmarg

Gulmarg - As Beautiful As Its Name

Gulmarg over the years has become the prime destination for promoting tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a panoramic hill station situated at an altitude of 2690 m above sea level amidst the pine cover in the basin of Pir Pranjal basin . The name 'Gulmarg' means 'meadow of flowers' and without a doubt the town is an out of the world beauty, but if you visit Gulmarg in the peak tourist season, the probability is that you will not see even a single flower, the entire area will be covered with thick layers of snow. As a matter of fact, this probably is the reason, so many tourist come here. And with a world class skiing facilities the city is also becoming famous among the foreign tourists. Its proximity to Srinagar also proves to be a boon. Another height of celebration in Gulmarg along with its other tags - highest road, highest war zone, highest tea stall, is the highest green Golf Course in the world.

Attractions - Nature At Its Best

Gulmarg has become one of the favorite destinations of tourist to Jammu and Kashmir. As the city changes color from green to white, the main attractions of the town also changes. The skiing and golf becomes the top most charms of the city.

Golf Courses

Golf course at Gulmarg has earned it another distinction, the town with the highest green top golf course in the world. The golf course was built in 1904 by the British and is situated at an altitude of 2650 m. The golf course offers temporary memberships too, along with good golf sets, so even if you forget to bring along your kit, don't lose heart. Just pop on the site and get ready for a scintillating round of puts.

Gondola Lift

Gondola lift is a kind of a lift, which is popularly known as cable car. The lift in Gulmohar extends till the top of Aphrawat peak to an elevation of 3980 m giving absolutely breathtaking views of Gulmohar and nearby areas. The Gondola lift also connects to the ski resort making it the highest ski resort served by lift in the entire world.

Skiing

Skiing is what now days defines Gulmarg. The town has the best skiing resort in the entire country. Once winters set in, the entire landscape of the town changes. The bright green slopes of summers now become the shinning white skiing tracks, beckoning professional as well as amatuer skiers. The vast snow slopes becomes the perfect locations for indulging in hail skiing from the mountaintop.

Alpather Lake

The mesmerizing Alpather Lake is around 13 km away from Gulmarg. Spending a family time by the side of the lake is definitely going to be a great experience, but for youngster reaching the place itself is going to be wonderful. The lake is situated at the foot of Apharwat peaks at a height and to reach there, trekking becomes a great option. One can also take a ride on the horse back to the lake. The main feature of the lake is, it remains frozen till the month of June, and even after that you can see ice caps floating in the lake.

Where To Put up

The city sees a lot of tourist throughout the year and to accommodate them all, Gulmarg has lot of budget and world-class hotels. Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Development Corporation also has small cottages on offer, which you will have to book well in advance during the tourist season. Other good hotel that you can safely bet on is Hotel Highland Park.

Getting There

By Air

The closest airport to Gulmarg is at Srinagar. Srinagar receives a flight from Delhi everyday. Srinagar is well connected to all the major airports in India. From airport, you will have ample of option to come to Gulmarg.

By Road

State road transport corporation of Jammu and Kashmir operates both luxury and normal coaches to and from Srinagar to Gulmarg.

Local Transport

Public transport is the main player in local transportation apart from taxis. To go to mountainous region of the town, you can hire a horse or take a ride scenic ride in a cable car.