Gulmarg in July

The July story

July is a love-it-or-plan-around-it month. The mornings are usually clear and spectacular — mist lifting off the meadow, wildflowers dripping with dew, the kind of soft light that makes phone photos look professional. By 1-2PM, clouds roll in and rain follows. Smart visitors front-load their day: gondola at 8AM, meadow walk by 10, back at the hotel with kahwa by 2PM. The upside of rain is that the waterfalls around Alpather Lake are thundering and the streams crossing the meadow are full and photogenic. Phase 2 of the gondola operates weather-permitting — expect 2-3 closure days per week when visibility drops. The golf course stays open between showers and the wet fairways play completely differently. Hotel rates hold steady at peak summer levels (8,000-18,000) but last-minute cancellations from rain-spooked tourists mean you can negotiate. Bring a proper rain jacket — not an umbrella, which is useless on windy mountain slopes.