Winter Heats Up Tourism and Traditions

Kashmir's winter season promises adventure, cultural immersion, and economic revival for locals.

- Mohammad Hanief

The mornings in Kashmir now rise through soft veils of fog. Evenings fall earlier, and the crisp wind carries the sharp edge of winter.

Frost glints on rooftops and orchards, turning familiar streets and fields into a shining landscape.

This is the return of a season that has shaped the valley's economy, culture, and way of life for generations.

Winter has always been a time of anticipation here. The cold is hard, but it brings visitors eager to see the valley in its most dramatic form.

Tourism, after a challenging period, has bounced back. Between 2019 and 2024, more than nine million travellers arrived in Jammu and Kashmir, with nearly three million last year alone.

Hotels, guides, taxi drivers, artisans, and countless small businesses rely on this influx to keep their livelihoods alive.

This year, the early chill has brought optimism. Hotels in Srinagar, Tangmarg, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam report steady bookings for December and January.

Gulmarg, with over 1.3 million visitors last year, remains the valley's winter crown jewel. Skiers and snow sports enthusiasts from Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East are drawn to its slopes, chasing early snowfall and the promise of a Himalayan winter.

Srinagar offers a different kind of winter experience.