Sweet Escapes · Offbeat places · Gurez Valley
Bandipora districtGurez Valley
Gurez is a different Kashmir. Over the Razdan Pass from Bandipora, the road drops into a valley on the Kishanganga where the villages speak Shina, the houses are log and stone, and the pyramid of the Habba Khatoon peak stands over the main town of Dawar. It lies along the old Silk Route to Gilgit, near the Line of Control, and snow closes it to the world for about six months every year.
- From Srinagarabout 123 km, over the Razdan Pass
- Altitude2,400 m
- Best timeLate May to October. Razdan Pass closes under snow from around November to April, and the exact opening date depends on the year’s snowfall.
About Gurez Valley
The valley sits at around 2,400 metres, about 123 km from Srinagar and 86 km from Bandipora. Dawar is the central township; the population of roughly 40,000 is spread across fifteen villages, most of them ethnic Shins with the same language and dress as their kin in Gilgit-Baltistan.
This was the capital of the ancient Dards, and inscriptions in Kharoshthi, Brahmi and Tibetan have been found in the valleys to its north. Nehru and Indira Gandhi visited in the 1940s; the British writer Walter Lawrence thought it would one day rival Pahalgam.
Indian citizens do not need a permit to visit Dawar, but there are army and police checkposts at Tragbal, Razdan Pass and Dawar where you register: carry your original Aadhaar or other government photo ID and several photocopies, which the checkposts keep. Foreign nationals need a permit. Areas beyond Dawar towards Tulail may need further clearance, which we check before you travel.
Adding Gurez Valley to your trip
Not a day trip. The drive over the pass is long and the valley deserves time — plan two nights in Gurez, added to a Srinagar-based trip.
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 Gurez Valley Call 7006488952
Questions about Gurez Valley
Do I need a permit for Gurez Valley?
Indian citizens do not need a permit to visit Dawar, but you register at the army and police checkposts on the way — carry your original government photo ID and a few photocopies, which they keep. Foreign nationals need a permit. Going beyond Dawar towards Tulail may need further clearance; we check before you travel.
When is the road to Gurez open?
Roughly late May to October. Razdan Pass closes under snow from around November to April, and the opening date shifts with each year’s snowfall. Ask us for your dates and we will confirm.
Can you add Gurez to a Kashmir package?
Yes, on request. It needs at least two extra nights because of the drive over Razdan Pass, so we plan it as an extension to a Srinagar-based trip and price it for your dates.
What is there to see in Gurez?
The Kishanganga river running through the valley, the Habba Khatoon peak over Dawar, the log-and-stone villages of the Shina-speaking Dard people, and the drive over Razdan Pass itself. It is a place to slow down rather than tick off.
Other offbeat places
Doodhpathri · Yusmarg · Aharbal · Lolab Valley · Bangus Valley · Tosamaidan · Naranag · Kokernag · Verinag · Daksum
Or see all offbeat places in Kashmir.
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We'll send back a plan with Gurez Valley in it, and a price, the same day.