How to Reach the Mughal Gardens: Complete Travel Guide

Srinagar is globally renowned for its enchanting Mughal Gardens, incredibly manicured terraced landscapes cascading down the Zabarwan mountain range toward the tranquil shores of Dal Lake. The most prominent gardens are Shalimar Bagh, Nishat Bagh, and Chashma Shahi.

Unlike distant alpine destinations, these historical gardens are located right within the boundaries of Srinagar city. Therefore, reaching them is incredibly easy and serves as the cornerstone of typical local sightseeing.

Here is how you can easily make your way to the Mughal Gardens from within Srinagar.

Reaching the Gardens by Local Taxi/Auto Rickshaw

The road running parallel to the eastern edge of Dal Lake (Foresehore Road / Boulevard Road) strings all the major Mughal gardens together.

• Auto Rickshaws: They are ubiquitous in Srinagar. You can easily hail an auto-rickshaw from Lal Chowk, Dal Gate, or outside your hotel and hire them for a point-to-point drop or negotiate a half-day tour of all three gardens. It is highly convenient and quick.
• Private City Taxis: If you have hired a private car for your Kashmir tour, your driver will simply execute a dedicated half-day localized itinerary called the 'Srinagar Local Sightseeing Tour.' The route sequentially covers Chashma Shahi on the hill, followed by Nishat Bagh, and ending at Shalimar Bagh further down the Boulevard.
• Distance Insight: From the main Dal Gate, Nishat Bagh is about 11 km away, and Shalimar Bagh is roughly 15 km away. The drive is spectacular, hugging the vast expanse of the lake.

Reaching the Gardens by Public Transport

If you are a solo traveler or a backpacker wanting to experience how the locals commute, public transport is exceptionally cheap.

• Mini-Buses: Local passenger mini-buses (locally termed "matadors") ply constantly along Boulevard Road. You can simply hop onto a bus heading towards Harwan or Hazratbal from Dal Gate; it will drop you right outside the grand gates of Nishat Bagh or Shalimar Bagh for a meager fare.

The Unique Route: Arriving by Shikara

For an unforgettable, purely romantic experience, you can arrive at the gardens just as the emperors originally intended—by water.

• The Experience: You can hire a traditional Shikara (wooden boat) from any of the numerous ghats along Dal Lake. Instruct the boatman you wish to visit the gardens. Keep in mind, this is an incredibly slow and leisurely transit method compared to the road, essentially taking up an entire afternoon.
• Garden Channels: In historical times, the Dal Lake waters connected directly into a central canal running to the pavilions of Shalimar Bagh. While modern roads have somewhat separated the lake from the garden structures, taking a boat across the massive lake to alight at the shores near Nishat or Shalimar is deeply atmospheric.

Transportation Tips

• Timing is Everything: The narrow Boulevard road connecting the gardens gets painfully congested with tourist traffic during the peak summer months (May & June) and especially on weekends. It is highly advisable to start your garden tour early in the morning.
• Traffic Diversions: During the famous Tulip Festival at the nearby Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden (April), traffic around this entire belt is heavily restricted and made one-way to control the massive influx of visitors.