There's a lot to do in Gulmarg apart from the Gondola, and our 4 July 2026 reel shows one side of it. A guest in a red dress and a wide sun hat walks a narrow path through waist-high purple lupins, with pine trees behind her and the open meadow beyond. The on-screen lines say it plainly: "People skipped Gulmarg just because the Gondola wasn't running. But they had no idea this side of Gulmarg even existed." That summer the Gondola really had stopped. It broke down on 25 May 2026 with more than 300 people in the cabins (everyone was rescued) and it didn't run again until 25 June. Guests who cancelled Gulmarg missed the meadow, the flowers, the old church, the temple on the hill and the pony track to Khilanmarg. None of those needs a cable car ticket.
Watch it on our Instagram: our guest walking through the lupin fields of Gulmarg, beyond the Gondola (4 July 2026)
One honest thing first. Lupins are a summer flower. Gulmarg's tourism office says they bloom in June and July, so if you're reading this in October you won't see the purple slopes from the reel. You'll get a different Gulmarg, and we cover that below.
Things to do in Gulmarg at a glance
| What | Where | When it works | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow walk and lupin patches | Edges of the golf course, near St Mary's Church, Highland Park | Walk any time it's dry; lupins June and July | Free |
| St Mary's Church | Beside the golf course | All year (seen from outside) | Free |
| Maharani Temple | On a small hillock above the meadow | All year | Free |
| Khilanmarg on a pony or on foot | Above the main meadow | Summer and autumn; snow in winter | Union rate at the stand |
| ATV ride | On the meadow | When the stand is running | Operator's rate |
| Drung waterfall and Tangmarg | Below Gulmarg, on the way up | All year; the fall freezes in deep winter | Free |
| Snow play and beginner skiing | Slopes around the meadow | Once proper snow settles, usually from December | Ask the instructor or hire shop |
Things to do in Gulmarg apart from the Gondola
Walk the meadow the way our guest did
The reel never leaves the ground. It's a footpath, a flower slope and a clearing with pines all round, and that's most of what Gulmarg is when you get out of the car and walk. In season, the lupins grow in patches around the boundary of the golf course, near St Mary's Church and at Highland Park, which is what Gulmarg's Assistant Director of Tourism told Rising Kashmir. Stay on the paths. Most of the reel is shot from the footpath, and that's how we'd ask you to take your photos too.
St Mary's Church and the golf course
St Mary's is a small grey-stone church from 1902 with a green roof, sitting next to the Gulmarg Golf Course. It was shut for years and reopened in 2003. The golf course itself goes back to the British years, when it started as a six-hole course in 1890, and today it's an 18-hole course. Even if you don't play, the walk along its edge is one of the easiest flat walks in Gulmarg, and it's where many of the lupins grow.
Maharani Temple on the hill
The red-roofed Maharani Temple, a Shiva temple, was built in 1915 for Maharani Mohini Bai Sisodia, wife of Maharaja Hari Singh. It stands on a hillock you can see from most of the meadow. The climb is short. Go up for the view back over Gulmarg, then walk down to the church.
Khilanmarg by pony, or on your own feet
Khilanmarg is the smaller meadow above Gulmarg. You can walk it or take a pony with a pony wallah leading. The pony union at the stand sets the rate, and it changes, so we don't print one. Our pony ride guide explains how the Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg stands work. Agree the price and where the ride ends before you get on.
An ATV ride on the meadow
ATVs run on the meadow when the stand is taking riders. The operator decides the turn length, the rate and if you need a driving licence that day, and you pay them directly. Read our ATV ride in Gulmarg page before you go. If they don't give you a helmet, don't ride.
Drung waterfall, Baba Reshi and Tangmarg on the way
Tangmarg is the town about 13 km below Gulmarg, and the road up starts there. Drung village is about 3 km from Tangmarg. Its waterfall today is mostly water let out from a small hydel dam above, so don't expect a wild river, but it freezes into ice in deep winter and that's when most people stop. The Ziarat of Baba Reshi, the shrine of the Sufi saint Baba Payam-ud-Din, is also in this area. We wrote about staying down here in our Tangmarg stay near Gulmarg post, built on our 24 September cottage collab with @thecheesecottage.tangmarg.
Things to do in Gulmarg in October
October is quiet in Gulmarg. The lupins are long gone and the grass on the meadow turns golden brown. This week the first snow came to the top: on 13 and 14 October 2026 fresh snow fell on the higher reaches of Gulmarg, including Mount Afarwat where Gondola Phase 2 ends (we covered it in our first snowfall in Kashmir 2026 post).
- Walk to the church and the temple. The same loop as summer, without the crowds.
- Take a pony to Khilanmarg if the stand is running, for a closer look at the snow line.
- Dress for cold. Mornings and evenings are cold up here in October, and colder still if you go up the Gondola. A warm jacket, a cap and proper shoes, not the summer dress from the reel.
- Keep the Gondola flexible. It does close at short notice: it was shut for maintenance on 12 October 2026. Phase 2 also stops for wind and snow.
Couples who want a slow October day up here should read our Gulmarg in October for couples guide.
Gulmarg without the Gondola in winter
Once the snow settles, usually from December, the meadow becomes the activity. You'll find sledges, snow play, and beginner ski lessons on the gentle slopes near the base. Our 17 September reel of the first snow on Gulmarg Phase 2 was the first sign of it this year, and our Gulmarg snowfall post explains what early snow means for a trip.
After heavy snow, ordinary cars are sometimes stopped at Tangmarg and you go up in a 4x4 from the Tangmarg union. Those are union rates, not ours: roughly ₹2,500 to ₹3,500 for a return trip, and snow chains for your own car roughly ₹800 to ₹1,200. Check the rate at the stand on the day.
Gulmarg in 1 day: how we'd plan it
- Leave Srinagar after breakfast. The drive goes through Tangmarg and up through the pine forest. If you want Drung, stop on the way up while you're fresh.
- Book the Gondola only if you want it. Buy tickets only on the official J&K Cable Car Corporation portal, etickets.jammukashmircablecar.com, and check the fare there. Don't buy from touts. Tell us your slot and we'll time the car to it.
- Walk the meadow loop. Go from the church and the golf course up to the Maharani Temple. It needs an hour or two at an easy pace.
- Add one paid thing, not three. Pick a pony to Khilanmarg, an ATV ride, or the Gondola. Doing all three in one day means rushing all three.
- Head down before dark. The forest road is slower at night, and in winter it can ice over.
Our same-day Srinagar to Gulmarg return cab is ₹2,500 in a Toyota Etios or Swift Dzire and ₹3,500 in an Innova Crysta (2026), with tolls and parking included. Gondola tickets, ponies and ATVs are extra and are paid at the counter or the stand. Fares by car type are on our Srinagar to Gulmarg taxi fare page. If you'd rather sleep up there, our Gulmarg 4D/3N package is ₹16,999 per person (2 sharing, 5% GST included). For the wider picture, see our Gulmarg travel guide and Kashmir tourist places for 2026.
Should you still take the Gondola?
If it's running and the top is clear, yes. Phase 1 to Kongdoori and Phase 2 towards Apharwat give you a view you can't get from the meadow. Our Gulmarg Gondola Phase 2 guide covers what the top is like. Just don't make it the only reason you go. The reel was made for the guests who cancelled Gulmarg in June because the cable car was shut. This side of Gulmarg was there the whole time.
FAQ
Can I see lupins in Gulmarg in October?
No. Lupins bloom in June and July. In October the meadow grass is golden brown and the peaks above may already have snow.
Is Gulmarg worth visiting if the Gondola is closed?
Yes, for a day. The meadow walk, St Mary's Church, the Maharani Temple and Khilanmarg don't depend on the Gondola. If the Gondola was your only reason to go, check its status on the cable car corporation's site the evening before.
Is one day enough for Gulmarg?
For the meadow, the church, the temple and one ride, yes, as a day trip from Srinagar. Stay a night if you're skiing or have an early Gondola slot.
Plan your Gulmarg day with us
Tell us your date and what you want to do up there: the meadow walk, a pony to Khilanmarg, the Gondola, or a mix. We'll plan the car and the timing around it. Call or WhatsApp 70060 85655 (or 95960 44418), or message us on WhatsApp. We're registered with J&K Tourism (JKEA00005366). Watch the walk that started this post: this side of Gulmarg, 4 July 2026.
