Kashmir by Road: Distance From Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai and 25 More Cities

Kashmir by road is about 810 km from Delhi, 550 km from Chandigarh, 400 km from Amritsar and 240 km from Jammu to Srinagar, all on NH44 through Jammu, Banihal and Qazigund. From Mumbai it's roughly 2,100 km and from Bengaluru about 2,800 km, so the full table below is the number to plan around before you decide between driving, the train from Katra, the Delhi bus or a flight.

We put this together after a group of guests from Uttar Pradesh drove all the way to Kashmir in their own car this October. Our reel shows them standing by their SUVs at the lakeside while our team welcomes them with shawls, before the sightseeing started.

Watch it on our Instagram: guests from UP who drove their own car to Kashmir (October 2026)

Kashmir distance by road from Indian cities

These are road distances to Lal Chowk, Srinagar, measured on OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) on 26 October 2026 and forced onto NH44 via Qazigund, the way almost everyone drives in. We've rounded them to the nearest 10 km. Your odometer will differ a little depending on where in the city you start.

The last 240 km: Jammu to Srinagar on NH44

Whichever city you start from, every road trip ends on the same stretch. After Jammu you climb through Udhampur, go under the hills in the 9 km Chenani-Nashri tunnel (opened April 2017, and it cuts about two hours off the old road), pass Ramban and Banihal, then cross into the valley through the 8.45 km Banihal-Qazigund twin tunnel, which bypasses the old Jawahar tunnel route. From Qazigund it's flat, fast four-lane road past Anantnag and Pampore into Srinagar.

The Ramban and Banihal section is the slow part. It's where landslides, one-way traffic and winter snow hold cars up, so we tell guests to leave Jammu early and not to plan anything for the evening they arrive. Check the J&K traffic police road advisory the night before. If the highway is shut, nobody gets through, local driver or not.

Driving your own car to Kashmir: what we tell guests

• Split the drive. From Delhi, most people break the 810 km with a night in Jammu, Katra or Pathankot rather than doing it in one go.
• Winter is different. From December, the road from Tangmarg up to Gulmarg and the climb to Sonamarg can need snow chains or a 4x4. Our winter tips post says the same: hire a cab with chains or 4x4 for snowy routes. If your own car is a low hatchback, park it in Srinagar for those days.
• Pahalgam's side valleys use union taxis. For Aru, Betaab and Chandanwari you switch to the local union taxi at Pahalgam, whether you came in your own car or ours. See our day trips from Srinagar page.
• Prepaid SIMs from outside J&K don't work here. Bring a postpaid connection for maps on the way in. More in our SIM guide.
• Carry original ID and the car's papers. There are police checks on the highway, and more of them near border areas.

Our UP guests did exactly this: they drove themselves in and we handled the hotels, sightseeing plan and local help once they arrived. That works well. You get your own car for the long haul and someone local for the parts that are hard to plan from home.

Not driving? The other ways in

• Train: since 6 June 2025, Vande Bharat trains run between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar over the Chenab bridge. The Prime Minister's Office put the trip at about 3 hours. If you're coming by train from elsewhere in India, you can change at Katra instead of driving the last stretch.
• Bus: a sleeper Volvo runs daily between Delhi and Srinagar, leaving Delhi around 4 PM and reaching around 10 AM the next morning. Our Delhi to Srinagar bus post has the details, and our bus reel has the timings.
• Flight: Delhi to Srinagar is about an hour and a half in the air. Our how to reach Kashmir page compares the options.
• Taxi from Jammu: if you come by train to Jammu, a private car takes you the last 240 km. See Jammu to Srinagar taxi.

Frequently asked questions

What is the distance from Delhi to Kashmir by road?

About 810 km from central Delhi to Lal Chowk, Srinagar, on NH44 through Panipat, Ambala, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Jammu and Banihal (OpenStreetMap routing, 26 October 2026). Most people take two days.

How far is Amritsar from Kashmir by road?

About 400 km from Amritsar to Srinagar, joining NH44 at Pathankot. It's one of the shorter drives in, and you can do it in a long day if you start early.

Can I bring my own car to Kashmir?

Yes. Guests drive in from all over India; the group in our reel came from Uttar Pradesh. Carry the car's papers and your original ID, and in winter be ready for chains above Tangmarg and Sonamarg.

Is the Jammu-Srinagar highway open in winter?

It stays open most days, but heavy snow or landslides around Banihal and Ramban can close it for a day or more. Keep a buffer day in your plan and check the road advisory before you leave Jammu.

Plan the Kashmir part with us

Whether you drive in or land at the airport, we can take over in Srinagar. Our cabs start from ₹2,500 a day in an Etios and ₹3,500 a day in an Innova Crysta, and packages start from ₹12,999 per person for Srinagar, ₹16,999 for Gulmarg and ₹19,999 for Pahalgam (2 sharing), with a 20% advance to confirm. We're a local Srinagar team rated 4.9★ from 152 Google reviews, registered with J&K Tourism (JKEA00005366).

WhatsApp us on 7006085655 or call 7006085655 or 9596044418 with your city, dates and whether you're bringing your own car.