Yusmarg or Yousmarg is a quaint hill station located at a distance of around 50 KM from Srinagar, in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Nestled within the Pir Panjal Range of the mighty Himalayas, Yusmarg is a paradise for nature lovers. Far away from the crowd of tourists in Srinagar, it provides you the perfect solitude in the lap of nature. Here, among the verdant meadows, tall mountains, green forests of lofty pine & fir trees and the fierce Doodh Ganga River, you would love ‘doing nothing’ but to enjoy the beauty around.
Yusmarg literally means ‘The Meadow of Jesus’ in Kashmiri language (Yus = ‘Jesus’, marg = ‘meadow’). It is believed that Jesus had visited the valley and stayed here for some time.
I have written a separate blog on how to plan for a trip to the Kashmir Valley. It has the details of the important places to visit, how to reach, best time to visit, local Kashmiri food, hotels & restaurants, restriction on using Mobile SIM cards and many other topics. That article will guide you to plan a visit to the majestic valley on your own, and you will find it here: Kashmir Travel Guide.
Our Itinerary:
We visited Yusmarg on the Day 6 of our 8 nights / 9 days of Kashmir trip during the summer of 2023, where our itinerary was:
- Day 1: Catch early morning flight from Kolkata and reach Srinagar via Delhi. In the evening, Shikara ride in the Dal Lake to visit Open Lake, Lotus Lake, Meena Bazar Floating Market, followed by shopping at Lal Chowk. Overnight at Srinagar.
- Day 2 – Day trip to Sonmarg. Horse ride to Thajiwas Glacier. Due to lack of time, we couldn’t visit Kheer Bhavani temple on the way back to Srinagar. Overnight at Srinagar.
- Day 3 – Check-out from Srinagar hotel and visit Doodhpathri. Then travel to Gulmarg. Walk around Gulmarg town. Overnight at Gulmarg.
- Day 4 – Gandola ride (Phase 1 and Phase 2) in Gulmarg. Return to Srinagar by evening. Overnight at Srinagar.
- Day 5 – Srinagar Local sightseeing – Shankaracharya Temple, Four Mughal Gardens (Chashma Shahi, Pari Mahal, Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh), Hazrat Bal Dargah, Jamia Masjid, Shikara ride in Dal Lake to visit the Char Chinar Island. Overnight at Srinagar.
- Day 6 – Check-out from Srinagar hotel and visit Yusmarg and Charar-e-Sharif. Then travel to Pahalgam. Overnight at Pahalgam.
- Day 7 – Local sightseeing in Pahalgam – Aru Valley, Betaab Valley, Chandanwari. We didn’t go to Baisaran Valley as we felt that the horse ride is risky. Overnight at Pahalgam.
- Day 8 – Visit Pahalgam Golf Course. Then travel from Pahalgam to Srinagar. On the way, visit: Apple Orchard, Martand Sun Temple, Awantipora ruins, Cricket bat factory and Kesar shops of Pampore. Overnight at Srinagar.
- Day 9 – Check-out from Srinagar hotel and return to Kolkata.
Reaching Yusmarg:
Usually tourists make a day trip from Srinagar to Yusmarg. But to better utilise our time, we had planned to travel from Srinagar to Yusmarg, and then to Pahalgam on the same day; and spend the next 2 nights in Pahalgam.
It had rained the whole of last night in Srinagar, and in the morning of Day 6 it was drizzling. Hoping that the rain will eventually stop midway, we started our journey around 8.30 AM. But instead, it got heavier.
On the way, we had a brief halt at the Charar-e-Sharief, a Sufi Muslim shrine situated in the town of Charari Sharief. Dedicated to the Sufi saint Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani, it is one of the oldest shrines in the Kashmir Valley.
From Charari Sharief, it is around 15 KM to Yusmarg. The landscape changed on the way, with tall pine trees bordering both sides of the road. Soon after the crossing the main entrance gate of Yusmarg Development Authority, we passed a beautiful water body. I am not sure whether it is a lake or a dam. Had it been not raining, we would have definitely stopped here for some time.
We reached Yusmarg around 11.30 AM. But in no way we could leave the car as it was pouring outside. Luckily, the intensity of rain reduced after 15-20 minutes, and we came out of the car.
Things to do in Yusmarg:
There are a few places of interest in Yusmarg:
- A hike to the banks of the Doodh Ganga River
- Nilnag Lake
- Sang-e-Safed valley
- Bargah Valley
- Hajian
Exploring Yusmarg:
Out of the above places, the most popular is the hike to banks of the Doodh Ganga River, due to its proximity to the Parking lot and the ease of the hiking trail.
As soon as we came out of our car, we were circled by the local horsemen, offering us a horse ride to the Doodh Ganga River. But riding a horse doesn’t allow you to enjoy the nature around, as you have to concentrate on controlling your horse. So, we politely refused.
As we entered the main gates, we were greeted by the vast grassland all around and the rustic aroma of the wet soil. Due to the showers, the pastures looked more green and fresh than ever. Horses were grazing around. And we fell in love with the place.
Hiking to Doodh Ganga:
It was drizzling now, and we started walking with our raincoats and umbrellas. The first half of the trail, along the green meadow, was well paved, but was waterlogged at places. We entered the meadow a couple of times, but there were puddles of water all around. We wished it to be a dry sunny day.
On the way, we came across some huts of local Gujjar tribes, who come here in the summer months to graze their sheep and go back to the lower altitude during winter.
As we approached the pine forest, lady luck smiled on us and the rain stopped altogether. We walked downhill along the forest path, over a series of steps. A tributary of the Doodh Ganga River was flowing along us. The steps had become very slippery due to the rain, and we moved ahead with caution.
Further down, we came near the river, and could see its banks. But the concrete steps also ended here, and the remaining path was full of boulders and sludge. So we manoeuvred carefully, as any mis-step would result in injuring ourselves. We did skid a few times, got upright and moved forward slowly. But it became too slushy after that, and we decided not to take any more risk.
It took us around 45 minutes to reach the river. But on a dry day, the time taken would be much less.
We sat on a large rock, and enjoyed the nature around. We could see multiple streams joining with the river. Surrounded by tall alpine trees, the entire surrounding was mystical.
Returning back:
There was literally no one around. We literally lost track of time, until we came back to senses with the rumbling of clouds. With grey clouds hovering above us, we decided to make a move. Climbing up the slippery steps was trickier and we navigated forward with caution.
No sooner than we came out of the forest area and entered the meadow area, it started raining. With the sharp lashes of rain whipping against our faces, we luckily found a cafeteria nearby and took shelter there. The shop was selling basic food items like sandwich, toast, maggi, tea, coffee etc. As it continued to rain outside, we decided to have lunch here and ordered sandwich and tea.
After the rain relented a little, we came back to the parking space. Strangely, there were only a couple more cars here. I failed to understand why the tourists don’t include such a magical place like Yusmarg in their itinerary.
There is another meadow on the other side of the entry gate. But we didn’t venture that way due to the rains. On a dry sunny day, the entire area should have a stunning vista.
Some useful information and tips:
How to reach Yusmarg:
Yusmarg is located at a distance of around 50 KM from Srinagar, in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. The most convenient way to reach Yusmarg from Srinagar is by hiring a car.
What is the best time to visit Yusmarg:
Kashmir is a place which you can visit in all seasons. The summer caters you to a green Kashmir with lots of foliage. Winters welcome you with a blanket of snow. From mid-March to mid-April, the added attraction is the Tulip festival. If you are visiting in October-November, you will be fascinated by the changing colour of the leaves of Chinar tree.
So, you can visit Yusmarg all throughout the year, except during the peak winter months, when the roads are covered with snow. As Yusmarg is still considered an offbeat destination and not visited by many tourists, authorities also do not undertake much effort to clear the thick layers snow on the road.
Where to stay in Yusmarg:
The only place where you can stay in Yusmarg is at the JKTDC (Jammu and Kahsmir Tourist Development Corporation) Tourist Bungalows and Hutments. It is located just across the road from the car parking space. Although we didn’t enter the property, from outside it looked decent.
Details of Car Rental:
We rented a Sedan car from a Srinagar based rental agency – Kashmir Car Rental (+91-88250-62819). As per our itinerary, the rental charges were Rs. 19,800 (Airport pickup on Day 1 to Airport drop on Day 9). That comes to Rs. 2200 per day. Zahoor Bhat (+91 70064 05231) was our driver for the entire trip. A perfect gentleman and guide, our Kashmir trip wouldn’t have been that smooth without Zahoor bhai. He owns the Toyota Etios car, in which he drove us around.
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