Things to Do in Srinagar: 10 Budget Picks
Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use.
Read this before you plan a single activity. Jammu and Kashmir is a security-sensitive, disputed region, and the 22 April 2025 attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam was followed by a brief India-Pakistan military escalation before a May 2025 ceasefire (verify current status). The US State Department currently advises against travel to J&K, excluding Ladakh, and the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to the region, naming Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg directly. Check your own government’s current advisory before booking anything below. That said, the sights on this list are open, and the Valley is functioning and busy under heavy security. Book through a registered operator, stay updated on the situation, and skip anything near the Line of Control or border districts. Everything here is written for a well-planned, precaution-first trip.
Ten things earn a spot on a Srinagar budget itinerary, and eight of them cost ₹30 or less. The list leans lake, garden, and shrine, which suits a slow pace: walk between sights, share a boat instead of booking solo, and save the big spend for one Wazwan dinner rather than every meal.
| Activity | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Shared Dal Lake shikara (1hr) | ₹190-200/person, split |
| Mughal gardens (Shalimar, Nishat, Chashme Shahi) | ₹20-30 each |
| Pari Mahal | ₹20-24 |
| Old city heritage walk, shrines | free |
| Shankaracharya Temple | free |
| Hari Parbat circuit | ₹10-25 |
| Pashmina (genuine) | from ₹8,000 |
What Are the Best Budget Things to Do in Srinagar?
- Ride a shared shikara on Dal Lake: the official tariff runs ₹750-800 an hour; touts on the ghats quote 3-4 times that, so agree the fare through your houseboat or an official counter first, and split the boat to cut the cost per person. The dawn floating vegetable market, roughly 5-7am, adds another ₹1,200-1,500 for a dedicated early shikara if you want to see it up close. To lock in a price ahead of time, browse Dal Lake shikara tours , and check the current official travel advisory before booking, same as anything else here.
- Walk the Mughal gardens circuit: Shalimar Bagh, Nishat Bagh and Chashme Shahi each run ₹20-30, easy to combine in one day by auto-rickshaw, or book a half-day Mughal gardens tour if you’d rather have a guide handle the route and entry queues.
- Climb to Pari Mahal, roughly ₹20-24: the best single panorama over Dal Lake, and it’s open and ticketed today, not the closed ruin some older guides still describe.
- Wander the old city heritage walk, free: Shehr-e-Khaas along the Jhelum’s kadals (bridges), past 40-plus mosques and shrines and dense wooden architecture.
- Visit Hazratbal Shrine’s outer courtyard, free: the white-marble shrine holds the Moi-e-Muqaddas, a relic believed to be a hair of the Prophet, shown only on select occasions. Dress modestly; the inner prayer hall is restricted.
- See Jamia Masjid, free outside prayer times: 378 deodar-wood pillars around a Persian-style courtyard.
- Visit Khanqah of Shah Hamdan, free: an all-wood shrine with no nails and papier-mache interior detail, the Valley’s oldest khanqah.
- Climb Shankaracharya Temple, free: panoramic city and lake views, but it sits in a high-security zone, and phones or cameras are frequently barred at the checkpoint on the way up; leave electronics with your driver and carry photo ID, and confirm the current policy on arrival.
- Do the Hari Parbat pilgrimage circuit, roughly ₹10-25: a fort, a Hindu temple, a Sufi shrine and Sikh gurdwaras share one hill, a genuinely multi-faith stop for almost nothing.
- Shop the old city crafts, from ₹8,000 for real Pashmina: favor fixed-price government emporiums over commission shops a driver steers you toward, ring-test any Pashmina, and never accept Shahtoosh, an endangered-antelope wool that’s illegal to buy or sell.
Never photograph military personnel, police, checkpoints, or bunkers anywhere in Srinagar; it’s a genuinely enforced rule. Ask before photographing locals, especially women.
If you want more sights beyond the city itself, the day trips to Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg are covered in the day trips guide , with the current access caveats noted per site. Pair this list with the hidden gems guide for a quieter, less-touristed extension, or see the full Srinagar guide for when to go and what a day actually costs. For a ready-made schedule, the 2-day itinerary covers items 1 through 4 above, and longer plans add the rest.
Book a shikara price through your houseboat before you ever step near a ghat tout; the ₹750-800 official rate only holds if you agree it before you get in the boat, not after.