Sweet Escapes · Offbeat places · Bangus Valley
Kupwara districtBangus Valley
Bangus is the biggest meadow most people have never heard of — a bowl of grass about 300 square kilometres across, at roughly 3,000 metres in the Pir Panjal, west of Handwara. The name is Kashmiri: van, forest, and gase, grass. It stayed off the tourist map for years and is only now getting roads.
- From Srinagarabout 100 km; the last stretch is from Handwara
- Altitude3,000 m
- Best timeSummer and early autumn. At 3,000 metres the meadow is under snow for much of the year.
About Bangus Valley
The main valley, Boud Bangus, is a long oval running east to west, with a smaller Lokut Bangus to the north-east. Some fourteen streams cross it and feed the Kamil river. The meadows and slopes carry wildflowers and medicinal plants, and the forests around are home to musk deer, bear and pheasant.
There are three ways in. The shortest and easiest road is from Handwara through Rajwar, about 29 km; the others run from Handwara through Mawar and from Kupwara through Chowkibal, both longer and both beautiful.
Facilities are thin — this is a place for people who want the meadow, not the amenities. Carry what you need for the day.
Adding Bangus Valley to your trip
A long day from Srinagar with a very early start, or better, a night in the Handwara–Kupwara side so the day in the meadow is not spent mostly in the car.
It is not part of the standard 4 nights / 5 days route. We add it as an extra day, or in place of a day you would rather skip, and price the change for your dates — there is no fixed add-on rate.
Ask about Bangus Valley Call 7006488952
Questions about Bangus Valley
How do I reach Bangus Valley?
Drive from Srinagar to Handwara, then about 29 km on through Rajwar — the newest and easiest of the three routes. The whole way is around 100 km.
When is Bangus Valley open?
Summer and early autumn. It sits at about 3,000 metres and is snowbound for much of the year. Ask us for your dates and we will confirm the road.
Can you add Bangus Valley to a Kashmir package?
Yes. None of these places is on the standard 4 nights / 5 days route, so we add it as an extra day, or swap it for a day you would rather skip, and price the change for your dates. Tell us when you write and we plan it in.
Are there hotels in Bangus?
Very little. Accommodation and food are in the towns on the way, such as Zachaldara and Handwara. We plan the day around that.
Other offbeat places
Doodhpathri · Yusmarg · Aharbal · Lolab Valley · Tosamaidan · Naranag · Kokernag · Verinag · Daksum · Gurez Valley
Or see all offbeat places in Kashmir.
Want Bangus Valley in your trip? Tell us your dates.
We'll send back a plan with Bangus Valley in it, and a price, the same day.