Char Chinar on Dal Lake is a small island with a chinar tree at each corner, and the only way there is by shikara. On 28 July our drone reel showed exactly that: a patch of green in open water, the trees close together, a wooden walkway and a few coloured boats tied up at one end, with "Char Chinar, Dal lake" across the screen. Two reels the day before, from the same trip, add a wooden jetty over the lake and the line "Four Chinar trees, One tiny island."
Watch it on our Instagram: drone shot of the Char Chinar island in Dal Lake (28 Jul 2026)
From our 27 Jul 2026 reel (the same drone footage runs in the 28 Jul reel).
Here's how we get guests there, which ghat to board from, what to check before you pay, and why late October is the month we'd pick.
Char Chinar Dal Lake at a glance
| What you want to know | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What it is | A small man-made island in Dal Lake, Srinagar, named for its four chinar trees (char chinar means "four chinars") |
| Other names | Char Chinari, Rupa Lank or Ropa Lank; the Tourism Department's shikara rate card writes "Charchinar (Sonalank)" |
| How to get there | Only by shikara, from a Boulevard Road ghat or straight from your houseboat |
| Which ghats | The Tourism Department's rate card lists Ghats 23, 24 and 25 with the lowest return fare to Char Chinar |
| Best time of day | Early morning for calm water, or late afternoon into sunset (about 5:50 PM on 20 Oct, 5:40 PM by 31 Oct) |
| Best season for colour | Late October into early November, when the chinars turn |
| Our shikara bookings | From ₹800 (2026): sunrise and sunset rides on Dal and Nigeen, including the floating-market tour. Char Chinar is not included; ask us for a separate quote |
What our Char Chinar reels show
All three reels were filmed in late July, so the trees are full green. The 28 July reel opens on a selfie from under a shikara canopy, then lifts into the drone shot: the chinars, a lawn with paths and lamp posts, a small teal-roofed shelter, and boats moored along a walkway. A higher shot shows the island alone in open water, with the hills rising behind the city.
From our 27 Jul 2026 reel.
Our 27 July reel from the stone wall starts with Zahid, founder of Travel Etios Kashmir, sitting on a low stone wall at the water's edge, the lake and mountains behind him, before cutting to the island with the words "Four Chinar trees, One tiny island." The caption makes a point we agree with: people think Char Chinar is hard or expensive to get to, and it isn't. It's one shikara ride.
Hazratbal Shrine across the lake, from our 27 Jul 2026 reel.
The other 27 July reel, from the wooden jetty, uses the same trip: Zahid walks to the end of a wooden jetty, opens his arms to the lake, then sits down at the edge and looks out. Its caption puts it simply: "all it takes is a short shikara ride to reach this beautiful island."
How to reach Char Chinar in Srinagar
There's no road and no bridge. You go by shikara, and you have two ways to start.
From a Boulevard Road ghat
Boulevard Road runs along the lake from Dalgate, and the shikara ghats along it are numbered. The Tourism Department notifies fixed shikara fares, and on its rate card (the June 2023 list, the latest we could find) the cheapest return trip to Char Chinar is from Ghats 23, 24 and 25. Starting from Ghats 18 to 20, Nehru Park or the western Foreshore Road ghat costs more on the same card. Coming by cab, ask the driver to drop you further along the Boulevard, not at the crowded ghats near Dalgate.
From your houseboat
Staying on Dal? The shikara can pick you up at the houseboat steps and save you the walk to a ghat. Our Dal Lake houseboat page explains how the stay and the transfers work.
From our 27 Jul 2026 reel.
What to agree before you push off
Shikaras are priced per boat, not per person. Before you sit down, agree three things with the rower: the route (say "Char Chinar" clearly), how long you'll stay on the island, and the total for the boat. In April 2025 the Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir ordered every shikara to show its registration number and the notified rate card, to carry a life jacket for every passenger (child sizes too), and to be rowed by hand, with motors banned. If a boat won't show its card or quotes you per head, move to the next one. Our Kashmir tourist scams guide covers the other lake tricks.
When to go: late October is our pick
Our reels are from July, when the island is all green shade. In late October the same trees start turning rust and red, and by our autumn calendar they're usually deepest red in early November, with heavy leaf fall soon after. Our guide to chinar leaves in Kashmir has the week-by-week picture and the other chinar spots in Srinagar. Weather is never guaranteed: a cold spell can bring the leaves down sooner.
From our 27 Jul 2026 reel.
Time of day matters. Early morning, the water is usually calmest and there are fewer boats around. Late afternoon gives warm light on the trees and the row back at sunset. In late October the sun sets around 5:50 PM (20 October) and closer to 5:40 PM by the end of the month, and it drops behind the hills a little earlier than that, so leave the ghat by about 4 PM if you want time on the island and the colour on the way back. Mornings and evenings on the water are cold now, so carry a jacket or shawl.
If you're already up before dawn for the Dal Lake floating market, ask us for a quote to add a separate Char Chinar visit that morning. For couples, our sunset shikara ride guide explains how we time the evening version.
A little history: who built Char Chinar
The island is believed to have been built by Murad Bakhsh, a brother of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Its four chinars stand at the corners. It became famous across India in the 1970s, when the song "Accha To Hum Chalte Hain" from Aan Milo Sajna, with Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh, was shot there.
The trees have had a hard time. Waterlogging and the 2014 floods damaged them, and saplings planted as replacements didn't take. In February 2022 two tall, fully grown chinars were transplanted onto the island, which the forest department called the first operation of its kind in Kashmir, and Char Chinar had its four trees again.
A note on names. Dal has two old chinar islands, Rupa Lank (silver) and Sona Lank (gold), and sources don't agree which name belongs to which. The Tourism Department's rate card lists "Charchinar (Sonalank)", while other references call Char Chinar "Rupa Lank". At the ghat, just say Char Chinar or Char Chinari and you'll be understood.
How we'd plan a Char Chinar visit
- Ask us for a Char Chinar quote. The Char Chinar visit is not part of our ₹800 shikara ride; we arrange it separately. Message us with your date and group size and we'll send you a quote before you book. Our regular shikara rides start from ₹800 (2026), covering sunrise and sunset rides on Dal and Nigeen, including the floating-market tour. Details are on our shikara booking page.
- Keep the island stop short. It's a lawn, a few paths and four trees. The ride is half the point.
- For photos, shoot from the boat as you come in, with the trees against the hills behind. Our aerial frames were filmed with a drone.
- Add the old city on another day. Our Srinagar guide built around Qazi Touqeer's home town has an Old City walk and the Jhelum ghats at sunset.
FAQ
Who built Char Chinar in Dal Lake?
It's believed to have been built by Murad Bakhsh, brother of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The four chinars that give it its name were restored in February 2022, when two grown trees were transplanted onto the island.
Is Char Chinar worth visiting in October?
Yes, especially in the last week of October and early November, when the chinars turn red. Go early in the morning or late in the afternoon and carry something warm for the water.
Book a shikara to Char Chinar with us
Send us your dates and where you're staying, and we'll set up a shikara to Char Chinar at the time of day you want, from your houseboat or the right ghat. Call or WhatsApp 70060 85655 (call 7006085655), or try our second line 9596044418. You can also write to enquiry@traveletioskashmir.com. We're a Srinagar agency registered with J&K Tourism (JKEA00005366), rated 4.9★ from 148 Google reviews.
Photos: Travel Etios Kashmir, frames from our own July 2026 reels of Char Chinar, Dal Lake.
