Festival Calendar
Festivals in Jammu & Kashmir
15 festivals across Jammu & Kashmir — organized by month
January
Patnitop Winter Carnival
Patnitop
Snow festival at Patnitop with skiing, snowman-building, and cultural programs at this hill station that serves as Jammu's winter retreat at 2,024m.
Sinthan Top Snow Festival
Sinthan Top
Winter celebration at the 3,800m pass connecting Kashmir and Kishtwar with snow trekking, photography contests, and hot kahwa (Kashmiri green tea) stalls.
February
Gulmarg Winter Games
Gulmarg
National-level skiing and snowboarding championships on Gulmarg's slopes, with the Gulmarg gondola — world's second-highest cable car — ferrying spectators to 3,980m.
April
Tulip Festival
Srinagar
Asia's largest tulip garden — 1.5 million tulips in 60+ varieties below the Zabarwan hills.
Pahalgam Spring Festival
Pahalgam
Tourism festival along the Lidder River valley with trout fishing competitions, horse polo, and Kashmiri folk performances amid blooming almond and cherry trees.
Verinag Spring Festival
Verinag
Festival at the octagonal Mughal spring of Verinag — believed source of the Jhelum River — with Kashmiri Sufi music, garden tours, and trout-watching at Kokernag.
May
Tosamaidan Wildflower Season
Tosamaidan
Opening of the Tosamaidan meadow — once an army firing range, now a reclaimed paradise — with wildflower walks, camping, and Gujjar pastoral culture displays.
Bangus Spring Bloom Festival
Bangus Valley
Celebration of the meadow wildflower bloom in the Bangus Valley with camping, folk music, and guided treks through what locals call Mini-Switzerland.
June
Sonamarg Thajiwas Glacier Festival
Sonamarg
Tourism festival at the Thajiwas Glacier featuring pony rides, camping, and cultural programs at this gateway to the Zoji La pass and Ladakh.
Doodhpathri Meadow Festival
Doodhpathri
Spring meadow celebration in the Valley of Milk with guided walks through wildflower carpets, Kashmiri folk music, and picnics along the Shaliganga stream.
Bhaderwah Mela
Bhaderwah
Annual fair in the Mini-Kashmir of Jammu with Dogra folk dances, Gaddhi shepherd gatherings, and saffron field tours in the Bhaderwah Valley.
July
Amarnath Yatra Start
Pahalgam
The annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath ice Shiva lingam at 3,888m begins from Pahalgam via the traditional Chandanwari route, with lakhs of pilgrims passing through.
Yusmarg Shepherd Festival
Yusmarg
Gujjar and Bakerwal shepherd festival in the Meadow of Jesus with traditional milk product competitions, horse races, and nomadic culture showcases.
August
Gurez Cultural Festival
Gurez Valley
Dard-Shin tribal festival in the remote Gurez Valley with traditional Shina music, archery competitions, and Dard cultural performances near Habba Khatoon peak.
October
Kishtwar Saffron Festival
Kishtwar
Festival celebrating Kishtwar's high-altitude saffron harvest with field tours, saffron-infused cuisine, and cultural performances of the Kishtwari folk tradition.