Verinag Valley is a lush green, untouched location found somewhere in the south of Srinagar on the way towards Jammu. Therefore, for many tourists, this place becomes a unique destination to explore the natural beauty of the region around Jammu before reaching on towards the more alpine, luxurious vegetation located in the north of the state. Combine this with the many tourist destinations to visit and exciting activities to do in Verinag; it is no surprise that in spite of being such a little-known place, away from the flashing glamour of larger Kashmiri hill stations – true travel enthusiasts never question the value of this little visit.
Verinag Valley can be combined with many other trips – you can go to Anantnag City, Kokernag, Achabal Gardens or even straight to Srinagar. The credit for making these places so picture-perfect goes to none other than Mughal King Jahangir – about whom we will talk in detail later.
Famous Tourist Places & Activities that you Must add to Your Verinag Trip
1. Verinag spring
It is not a secret that Jahangir was completely in love with Kashmir. He spent quite a considerable amount of time exploring the state and came across many brilliant locations which he converted into monuments and gardens. Verinag Spring is a fascinating source of clear, holy water that emperor Jahangir converted into an arcade and reservoir. The spring, therefore, is covered on all sides by beautiful walls dating back to his period, char famous even today because of their scriptures. There are steps leading down to the spring which is mostly not open to visitors. If you hire a local guide, you might have a chance to know the meaning of the scriptures yourself!
Entry fee: 15 INR per person (total 25 INR per person entry)
Opening and closing timings: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Time taken to visit: 3 hours
2. Verinag Mughal Gardens & Arcade
Jahangir did not stop by simply making the spring aesthetic. He also looked at the beautiful Verinag Valley all around and decided that it would be a perfect spot to build a garden that he would admire forever. The Verinag Mughal gardens are so underrated – the less number of visitors and wide range of ornamental vegetation make it not only one of the most popular places to visit in Verinag but rather all of Kashmir. In fact, some visitors have claimed that these Mughal gardens are equal if not better to the gardens of Srinagar.
Entry fee: 10 INR per person (total 25 INR per person entry)
Opening and closing timings: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Time taken to visit: 3 hours
3. Go on a long evening walks to Jawahar Tunnel
This evening stroll will not be a simple work but an entire experience in itself. While we call it an evening stroll, this work is quite a lonely one and will bring you to several stages of its fulfilment – several patches of forest, a few moderately difficult climbs, watching the doleful sunset the overhead snow peaks afire, and finally the famous Omoh Village. This village is beautiful in itself and has friendly inhabitants living in it who will welcome you for delicious snacks at any roadside stall. But most importantly, this is where you will be able to set eyes on one of the most underrated places to visit in Verinag, the Omoh Village Mughal Caravansarai. The destination of our walk, the Jawahar tunnel is a viewpoint where cars coming towards the Verinag valley from Jammu often stop.
Entry fee: no entry fee
Opening and closing timings: open 24 hours
Time taken to visit: 3 to 4 hours
4. Visit river Jhelum at its Birthplace
If there is one mighty river that can be called the mother of the whole of Kashmir, that river originates right here, above Verinag. This means when you come to this place as a tourist you cannot only see the birthplace of river Jhelum but can also track its course as it becomes a mighty river from a tiny, trickling stream. Spending time on the banks of river Jhelum in the Verinag Valley is one of the most rewarding things to do in Verinag for visitors, especially those who have come with a family of excited kiddos!
Entry fee: no entry fee
Opening and closing timings: open 24 hours
Time taken to visit: 2 hours
5. Vyatastha Spring
There is no end to the number of holy springs that dot almost every Valley of Kashmir. The Vyatastha is located a bit away from the main hill station and it takes interested visitors about 100 INR simply to reach the location. The set location is definitely worth the effort, as it takes you on a beautiful auto ride through the gently waving fields and finally asks you to walk through the last bit so that you can enjoy the atmosphere to its fullest. Don’t you think Vyatastha is a beautiful name? You will be surprised to know that the ancient name for Jhelum was Vitasta.
Entry fee: 20 INR per person
Opening and closing timings: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Time taken to visit: 2 hours
Frequently Asked Questions?
A. It takes approximately 4 to 5 hours to reach Verinag Valley from Jammu.
A. It will take 3 to 4 days to explore Verinag properly.
A. Jahangir’s son Shah Jahan also made a few contributions to the Mughal gardens of Verinag. Primarily he is famous for adding his characteristic Baradaris and Hammams to this location as well!
Conclusion
Kashmiri travel packages, on request of clients like you, are often made to include smaller destinations like Verinag and Kokernag in big trips that span across major hill stations of this state. This is done very easily and simply by our trained travel agents whose first concern is always to make sure that our clients fulfil all their dreams on any vacation that we help them plan! Verinag travel packages can be stretched to a few extra days to include aimless walks, picnic days, refreshing staycations etc. So make sure you contact your travel agent about that as well!
