Gulmarg transforms into India's ski capital in winter — but there is far more to it than skiing. Here are the 10 experiences that make a winter trip to Gulmarg truly unforgettable.
In December, January, and February, Gulmarg becomes something altogether dramatic: a vast snowfield at 2,650 metres, ringed by peaks that rise to nearly 5,000 metres, blanketed in up to three metres of powder snow that skiers travel from across the world to experience. But skiing is just the beginning.
1. Skiing on Apharwat Peak
Gulmarg's skiing is world-class by any standard. The runs from Apharwat Peak (Phase 2 Gondola, 3,980m) are long, steep, and blessed with consistent powder snow from December through March. The ski area covers over 800 hectares of terrain. Advanced skiers can access off-piste runs through the Apharwat bowl that rival anything in the European Alps. Beginner packages with ski school and equipment rental are also available.
2. The Gulmarg Gondola in Winter
Rising through frosted pine trees dusted in snow, then emerging above the treeline into a white world where the only sound is the wind — the winter Gondola ride is one of India's most beautiful experiences. At Apharwat Peak on a clear winter day you can see deep into the ranges beyond Kashmir.
3. Sledging for All Ages
You do not need to ski to have fun in Gulmarg's snow. Sledging on traditional wooden sleds or inflatable tubes is available across the meadow and is pure joy for children and adults alike. The slope below the Gondola station is ideal — long enough to gather speed, wide enough to be safe.
4. Snowmobiling Through Pine Forests
Snowmobile tours operate from the main Gulmarg meadow into the surrounding pine forests. The tours are guided and require no experience, taking you through parts of the forest inaccessible on foot in deep snow. Emerging into a clearing with the mountain peaks rising above and total silence around you is genuinely magical.
5. Horse Riding in the Snow
Gulmarg's famous ponies work year-round. Riding through a snow-covered landscape on a sturdy Kashmiri pony is uniquely wonderful. Guided rides take you around the perimeter of the Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve through forests and across open snow fields.
6. The Maharani Temple at Sunrise
The ancient Maharani Temple, perched on a small hill at the edge of the Gulmarg meadow, is magical in winter at sunrise. The snow-covered temple, the rising sun painting the peaks gold and pink, and the complete silence of a Gulmarg morning creates one of the most peaceful moments in Kashmir. Walk there at 7am before the day begins.
7. Snow Photography
Gulmarg in winter is a photographer's paradise. The combination of pure white snow, dark pine forests, and snow-capped peaks creates compositions of striking beauty at every turn. After fresh snowfall, before footprints disturb the surface, the meadow is a perfect white canvas reflecting pale blue sky.
8. Authentic Kashmiri Wazwan Dinner
A Gulmarg winter trip is incomplete without a proper Kashmiri wazwan dinner — the elaborate multi-course feast that is the valley's greatest culinary tradition. Rogan josh, yakhni, tabak maaz, gushtaba — served on communal trami platters. Eat with your hands, eat too much, and do not plan anything athletic immediately afterwards.
9. Frozen Lake Walk
In particularly cold years, the small lake near the centre of the Gulmarg meadow freezes completely and becomes walkable. Strolling across a frozen mountain lake at 2,650 metres, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and pine forests, is an experience that feels genuinely extraordinary.
10. Simply Being There
Sometimes the best thing you can do in Gulmarg is nothing at all. Sit on the steps of your hotel with a cup of Kashmiri kahwa warming your hands, watch the snow gleaming on Apharwat Peak, listen to the silence, and breathe the cleanest air you have ever experienced. Gulmarg in winter has a quality of peace and clarity that is increasingly rare in the modern world. That is what most people come here for — and what they remember long after they leave.