Places to visit in Jammu & Kashmir (India) [Beautiful + Pleasing 2018]

In this post, I am going to tell you about most (beautiful and pleasing) "places you can visit in Jammu & Kashmir" during this summer vacation.

Places to visit in Jammu & Kashmir during summer.

1.Pangong lake (Pangong Tso)

Credits: Pangong lake (India)

Pangong lake is a must consider a place to visit in Jammu and Kashmir. It is endorheic in the Himalayas situated at the height of 4,350 m. It extends from India to China. In winters the lake completely freezes.

The climate at Pangong Tso

In this part of Jammu and Kashmir, the climate is kind, wind mild summer and very cold winters. In winters it is very cold at the lake so, summer is the best time to take a tour of the Pangong lake as in summers temperature is mild and the surroundings of lake enhance its beauty. In summers the maximum temperature of the Pangong lake is around forty degree (40°C) and minimum temperature goes to five degrees (5°C). 

In the region of Pangong Tso, the winter extends from October to February. The maximum temperature in winters goes around twenty-four degree (24°C) and the minimum temperature is around minus fourteen degrees (-14°C).

The route to Pangong Tso

(From Leh) Pangong Tso can be reached after five hours of driving from Leh, The most of the road is rough. From Leh once pass through Changla pass then through Tangste. There is a regular bus service provided by state road transport corporation. Taxies are also available at Leh for Pangong Lake. Cars, Bikes, and Jeeps are also available at a cheap price but make sure to keep extra fuel because near Pangong Lake petrol stations are not available.

2.Nubra Valley

Credits: Nubra Valley (India)

Beautiful surrounds of Nubra Valley make it like you are taking a tour of peaceful paradise that's what thousands of another tourist say without visiting Nubra Valley, our list of "places to visit in Jammu and Kashmir" is incomplete. Nubra Valley is a tri-armed valley located at the north-east of Ladakh valley. Local scholars say that its original name was Ldumra which means the "Valley of flowers". Since 1 April 2017 Indian citizens are also required to get an Inner Line Permit to visit the valley.

The climate at Nubra Valley

Due to high raised sea level, this part of Jammu and Kashmir remains generally cold. In summers Nubra valley is cold but friendly and in winters it is very cold and dry. In summers the temperature ranges between thirty degrees (30°C max) to four degrees (4°C min). Due to above-mentioned reasons, summer is the best time to visit places like Nubra valley in Jammu and Kashmir. Also in the month of June the leading festival, Hemis festival is held which you shouldn't want to miss.

The Route to Nubra Valley

The main route by which you can reach to the to the Nubra valley is Khardung La Pass which is opened throughout the year. An alternative path to reach Nubra was opened back in 2008, crosses the Wari La from Sakti to the eastern part of Khardung La, connection to the main Nubra road system via Agham and Khalsar along with Shyok River.

3.Magnetic Hill

Credits: Magnetic Hill (India)

Magnet hill (Cyclops hill) is still attracting peoples with its unsolved mysteries many adventures peoples visit this hill if they ever come to take a "visit to Jammu and Kashmir". Magnetic hill defies the gravity and makes an illusion to human eyes. There is a signboard who invite people to see the magic of nature. Magic is that is you place your vehicle neutral on the marked box you will see that vehicle start moving uphill at speed of 10-20 km per hour. That is the magic of Magnetic hill which confused the scientists all over the world. Not only the vehicles touching the ground also the flying machines within the radius of Magnetic hill feels the same phenomenon. The only way to escape this phenomenon is to cross the aircraft at high speed and height from the Magnetic Hill.

The climate at the Magnetic Hill

As like other two places it also gets very cold in winters, but in summers the climate is cold but not very cold. So June and July are the best months to visit places in Jammu and Kashmir this year.

The route to the Magnetic Hill

(From Leh) Magnetic hill is around 30 km away from Leh. You will easily get a taxi that will drop you at the Magnetic Hill.

4.Lamayuru Monastery

Credits: Lamayuru Monastery (India)

It is situated Srinagar-Leh highway at the height of 3510 meters. Calling the tourist all around from the world to take a look at its beauty. Inside this temple, the murals, frescoes and the image of Buddha have created a peaceful atmosphere. The annual Masked Festival is the main festival of Lamayuru. The monastery is consist of 5 buildings at starting and 4 more buildings are situated at the corner. In past, there were up to 400 monks and now only 100 are residing in the monastery.

The climate at Lamayuru Monastery

During winter cold is unbearable almost all trekking routes remain closed in winters and because of cold, you can't enjoy the surroundings that's why tourist don't prefer to visit Jammu and Kashmir in winters. The best time to explore Lamayuru is during April-June. During this time the weather is cooler than the other parts of the country making a great chance to visit Jammu and Kashmir. In summers temperature hardly cross 25°C at Lamayuru Monastery.

The route to Lamayuru Monastery

The monastery is 127 km away from Leh. You can easily reach monastery via road by bus or jeep.

Timing: It remains open all days from 06:00 am to 06:00 pm. The entry fee to the monastery is INR 30 per person.

5.Zanskar Valley

Credits: Zanskar Valley (India)

Zanskar Range is the mountain range which separates Ladakh and Zanskar. The average height of Zanskar Range is 6000 meters. The highest peaks of Himachal lies in Zanskar Range. This is the unavoidable spot for adventure seekers. The tourism also helped local people economically as children get an education, the new restaurant was opened and tourism becomes a profitable business in Zanskar Valley. Zanskar river has two main branches, one is Doda which have a source near Pensi La and flows south-eastwards to reach Padum and second one is made by Kargyag River and has a source near Shingo La.

The climate at Zanskar Valley

Winters are cruel at Zanskar but summers are sweet and cold. The best time to visit Zanskar Valley is in the months of June, July, August, and September because other then these months there is heavy snowfall and roads are almost blocked.

The route to Zanskar Valley

It is located at the distance of about 464 km from Leh. You can reach valley by road in 10-11 hours. Buses are also available from Leh which can drop you at the valley

Now we are entering to last three picks of our list "Places to visit in Jammu and Kashmir"

6.Hemis National Park

Credits: Hemis National Park (India)

Hemis is one of the high altitude National Parks in India. The park is named after the popular Hemis Monastery. Around the globe, it is recognized for very rare species. The Snow Leopards are the main reason of attraction for tourists. It is believed to that Hemis Park have the highest density of them in a protected area and also it the largest National Park of Jammu and Kashmir and also of India. The park is the home of many species, flora, including mammals. On it's North it is bounded by the banks of Indus River.

The climate at Hemis National Park

The best time to visit Hemis National Park is mid-June to mid-October during these months all trekking routes are opened to welcome you and the weather is also favorable. But if you want to observe Snow Leopards then the ideal time is in winters.

The route to Hemis National Park

Two main routes to reach Hemis National Park are Srinagar via Kargil on the Srinagar-Leh Highway and from Manali via Sarchu and Dharchu on Manali-Leh Highway. On both these routes, you have to pass high passes and roads are also tricky too. You can also hire a taxi to Leh which can also drop you to Hemis National Park.

7.Moonland

Credits: Moonland (India)

Lamayuru is popularly known as moonland by the locals due to its strange land surface. This great geographic features of this land attract many tourists every year. The Lamayuru Monastery surface is unmatched with other regions of Ladakh with broken mud cliffs and clear blue sky it creates an atmosphere like the lunar surface. It makes a powerful impact on first-time viewers. It is also said that during full moon night the land becomes exotic.

Climate at Moonland

During winter cold is unbearable almost all trekking routes remain closed in winters and because of cold, you can't enjoy the surrounding of Jammu and Kashmir. Best time to visit moonland is from May - September.

 Route to Moonland

On popular Leh-Srinagar highway is where the Moonland located in Lamayuru. It is around 100 km from Leh. You can easily reach the destination by bus, jeep or bike. You can also enjoy the beautiful landscape during the journey.

8. Drass Valley

Credits: Drass Valley (India)

Drass valley is in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir between zoji la pass and Kargil town. It is also known as the "The Gateway to Ladakh".  Drass is also known as the memorial for Kargil war.

Drass is recognized as the base for three-day long sure valley trek. The tourist of Drass should visit a Memorial which is built to pray for those who lost their lives in Indo-Pak war.

Best time to visit Drass Valley

The best time to visit Drass Valley is during the months of May-September. During this time Drass valley's beauty gets enhanced. Tourist suggests visiting Drass valley in these months.

The route to Grass Valley

It is 60 km from Ladakh and it starts from the footsteps of zoji la pass. You can easily reach Drass valley by buses.