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Dachigam National Park

Dachigam National Park

1 dayBest: May–AugForests#wildlife#hangul#safari
1 day May–Aug

Last home of the Hangul deer

Why this weekend?

Hangul spottingMarsar lake trekForest trails
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The day-by-day plan

Day 1Day 1 · The hangul forest
  1. Permit morning
  2. Lower drive
  3. River walk
  4. Watchtower hour
  5. Return

Geography & terrain

Dachigam National Park lies in the Zabarwan range above the Dal lake, 22 km from Srinagar — 141 sq km of the Himalayan valley's forest, its meadows and rivers holding the last hangul deer of the world.

History & culture

The forest was the maharaja's game reserve of the 1910s before its 1981 declaration as a national park — the hangul's protection becoming the park's central story; Dachigam's meadows and its position above the Dal have since made the park the Kashmir wildlife gate of the Srinagar circuit.

Where to stay

Budget

₹1,500–3,500/night

Mid-range

₹3,500–7,000/night

Comfort

₹7,000+/night

Things to do

Hangul meadows
🌟

Hangul meadows

Forest roads
🌟

Forest roads

River water
🏖️

River water

High pastures
🌟

High pastures

Zabarwan walls
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Zabarwan walls

Eat & drink

  • Rogan josh (wazwan style)
  • Rista and yakhni
  • Kashmiri kahwa
  • Kheer

Getting there

Fly
Srinagar (SXR) / Jammu (IXJ)
Train
Jammu Tawi junction; Vande Bharat connects Srinagar
Road from Jammu
Srinagar 300 km / 8 hr
Getting around
Taxis, shared cabs, local buses

Budget snapshot

Total
₹6,000–12,500 (1 days)
Per day · Stay
₹1,500–7,000/night
Per day · Food
₹600–1,000
Per day · Transport
₹1,200–1,600
Per day · Activities
₹2,500–2,900

Month by month

Jan—
Feb—
Mar—
Apr—
May—
Jun—
Jul—
Aug—
Sep—
Oct—
Nov—
Dec—

Practical info

  • Language: Kashmiri / Hindi / Urdu (English understood in tourist spots)
  • Best window: May–Aug
  • Connectivity: Good in towns; patchy in high valleys
  • UPI/cards widely accepted; keep small cash for hill and market stops

Practical tips

  • The park runs its visits on permits — the Srinagar offices arrange the day
  • The best hangul months run May–Aug — the meadows' grazing season
  • The winter closes the upper reaches — the lower forest stays the winter line

Frequently asked questions

The Zabarwan forest above Srinagar — the world's last hangul deer's refuge.

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The lower-reach drives, the hangul meadows and the river trails.

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A day trip from Srinagar with the park's permits.

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Last home of the Hangul deer

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