8 Nights 9 Days Package
See a side of Kashmir that few people from the outside have ever set their eyes upon. These places lie along the Line of Control and adjoining areas which have been largely off limits due to the International Borders and the sensitive local Geo Political situations. But slowly the Government has now opened up the areas and Tourism and other Departments have built infrastructure like Guest Houses so that people can come and enjoy the beauty of these hitherto unseen places for most. So introducing for the first time our Kashmir Villages/Borders Tour. Where you travel mostly in the Kupwara distrcit of kashmir in the North West which borders the Loc and is home to beautiful Valleys such as the Lolab valley and the largest
Alpine Valley in Kashmir, the Bangus Valley. This is also the Home of the Shamsbari Range and you can actually walk along the Kishenganga River and see activities across the Border in areas under Pak administered Kashmir. The same Kishenganga is called the Neelum River once it goes across the Line of Control. Kupwara is a district of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and situated in the extreme North West of the state with the Western part of the District running along the LOC. It has a total area of around 2380 kms and is divided into the following 14 Tehsils :Handwara / Karnah / Kupwara / Lolab / Machil / Ramhall / Qaziabad / Trehgam / Langate / Keran / Lalpora / Kralpora / Dragmulla / Zachaldara.
Kupwara is a beautiful border District with the Kishenganga flowing through it. Its home to many Valleys as well as dense Forests and is home to a variety of Wildlife as well. Since a large part of the District is along the Line of Control Kupwara has never been a part of any Tourist Itinerary and its hidden Gems have been seen by few and far between. We at Mysticmusafir are now trying to open these places to responsible explorers as the concept of Border Tourism now grows. Situated at a distance of 90 kms Kupwara Town is the ideal place to be used as a base to these beautiful hidden Valleys of Kupwara. And many of these Valleys sit at the crossroads of Kashmiri and Pahari culture. In many of the Villages on this circuit the main spoken languages are Pahari and Gojri.
Detailed Itinerary :
Day 1 :
Land in Srinagar, Local sightseeing around the Dal Lake and the many beautiful Gardens of the City. Darshan of the ancient Shankaracharya Temple & birdseye view of the whole Srinagar town.
Evening shikara ride with the mesmerizing golden sunset at Dal jheel.
👋 pertaining to availability of time upon arrival of flights the places in srinagar to explore will be tweaked.
Day 2 :
Srinagar to Uri : First day out of Srinagar you travel to the border Town of Uri. This little Town right at the LOC has become quite well known in the last few years, thanks to the superhit bollywood movie by the same name. The Town is beautiful and sits astride a Mountain as the Jehlum flows by. Civilians are allowed only up till the Uri Bazaar and special permissions are required to move beyond the Bazaar. From Uri you move to a Guest House/Home stay in Kupwara. We will be securing permissions for visiting the forward areas, the Aman setu bridge here.
Day 3 :
We visit Bangus from Kupwara. One of the relatively unknown areas of Kashmir with vast tourism potential is the Valley of Bangus. The Valley which lies at an altitude of around 10,000 ft above sea level, is in the northern part of district Kupwara within the Handwara sub-district. Occupying an area of 300 sq kms the principal Valley locally known as Bod Bangus (Big Bangus) consists of a linear elliptical bowl aligned along the East West axis. The Valley is surrounded by Rajwar and Mawar in the East, Shamsbari and Dajlungun Mountains in the West, Chowkibal and Karnah Gali in the North. A smaller side Valley known as Lokut Bangus (Small Bangus) lies on the north-eastern side of the Main Valley. Both the Valleys comprise level green meadows surrounded by low lying Mountains covered with dense Coniferous forests (Budloo) with a stream flowing through. Back to kupwara guesthouse/homestay for night.
Day 4 :
Kupwara to Keran via Firkin Gali. The Village of Keran is said to have been established by Raja Bahadur Khan in the tenth Century. Also located on the banks of the Kishenganaga River, Keran enjoys a majestic view. To reach Keran Valley one has to Pass through the Firkin Gali. It is 37 kilometers towards West from Kupwara. 89 kilometers from Kralpora and 118 kilometers from the state Capital Srinagar. On the way to Keran the other places of interest are Milyal, Raja Ram Mountains, Firkin Village, Kralpora, Trehgam and the Kheerbhawani Temple at Tikker, Kupwara. On the way one can witness the lush Green forests, Meadows, Streams and also the Ancient Architecture. Overnight stay at Kupwara homestay/guesthouse.
Day 5 :
Kupwara to Tangdhar via Sadhna Pass.It is a forward village along the Line of Control (LoC). With Neelum valley to its north and Leepa to the south, Tangdhar is surrounded by Pakistan administered Kashmir from three sides.Tangdhar is known for its picturesque scenery ,meet with local people to know more about their lifestyle and other things. Overnight stay at tangdhar guesthouse/homestay.
Day 6 :
Tangdar to Tithwal, On the Banks of the tranquil flowing Kishanganga in the Karnow Valley lies the Village of Tithwal. Here you can peacefully admire the calm and tranquil environment, indulgent green forests, that let you enjoy the gifts of Mother nature in all their glory. Tithwal is around 30 kms from Tangdar Town and is of historical importance in the light of its geographical location on the LOC and was being used as crossing / meeting point for the general Public of both the sides of Kashmir. The Road to Tithwal from Tangdhar is a adventurous road which passes through the breathtaking vistas of the Drangyari Meadows and the Sadhna Top which is located at 10,000 feet. Permissions to visit forward areas, Aman setu bridges, and the ancient bhartiya civilizational Sharada maa mandir will be secured from all the various multiple competent authorities. Stay at Tangdaar/Tithwal.
Day 7 :
Tangdar to Machil via Jet Gali. Visit Dudi Village. Machil is a charming Village sheltered in the East of the Kupwara District, Jammu and Kashmir. Covered in a lush green forest it is an ideal destination for slow travellers. Machil has some of the most beautiful and breathtaking Meadows and it is surrounded by the Mountains of Nuwan. Machil consists of 15 Villages and is around 52 kms away from the main town of Kupwara. Machil lies nuzzled in the most north western part of the state of J&K. Stay at Machail Guest house.
Day 8 :
Return to Srinagar from Machil. Return to Srinagar enjoying beautiful landscapes,meadows and lush green forests. Explore all remaining vistas which couldn’t be explored on the first day. Night stay at Srinagar hotel.
Day 9 :
Srinagar Departure to Srinagar Airport to board flight for onward destination.
Trip can be ended on day 8 too if early departure from machail & late departure from srinagar.
Inclusions:
- All Taxi Transfers / Airport Pick Up and Drop / All Night Stays at Government Guest Houses/ Home Stays, Breakfast and Dinner / Guide Charges / All Permits from the DC Office / Police / Army.
- Gurez can be added to the following Itinerary by adding 2 more days. Costs for that would be extra.
Note : Since some of these areas are
sensitive Border areas the Final Authority on all matters is the Army. It may so happen that, in case of some incident on the previous day of arrival or on the same day or some vip movement, they might deny access to certain forward Areas.
