Pahalgam & Lidder Valley

Pahalgam ('village of shepherds') sits at 2,740 metres at the confluence of the Lidder and Sheshnag rivers, 95 km from Srinagar. The town is famous for two things: it is the standard base for the annual Amarnath Yatra (the 32-km uphill pilgrimage to the Amarnath Cave Shrine, July-August), and it is one of the most photogenic hill towns in Kashmir, ringed by deodar forests, snow-capped Pir Panjal peaks, and the trout-filled Lidder river. From Pahalgam itself, the standard day-tour visits Aru Valley (12 km, a quiet meadow), Betaab Valley (15 km, named for the 1983 Bollywood hit filmed here), and Chandanwari (16 km, the official Amarnath Yatra starting point). The Mamleshwar Temple in Pahalgam is a small 12th-century Shiva shrine. Trout fishing in the Lidder requires a permit from the Fisheries Department. The town is uniformly cool (10-25 °C) in summer; winter temperatures drop below freezing and accommodation drops to a small handful of hotels that stay open year-round.