Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar, Dras, Leh, Manali, Delhi, Varanasi, 7 week itinerary

[LeslieIsaacs]

Hi all - I'm planning a 7 week backpacking trip with my girlfriend, from 3 September to 19 October, and we've come up with the following: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar, Dras, Ley, Manali, Delhi, Varanasi, Kathmandu. We'll be spending a few days at each place, and in between places, and maybe from Kathmandu it will be just back to Delhi, and home - or maybe there will be time to fly south from Kathmandu to somewhere else, before our 7 weeks is up.
Main question - is our plan the right way round? Or should we do it in the opposite direction - so starting with Delhi to Varanasi to Kathmandu, etc? Thinking about monsoons, festivals, etc.
Any advice appreciated.
Les

 

[Chahal]

Everything looks good to me apart from this bit : Jammu > Srinagar > Drass

That is not the best way to do it in my opinion. Take a flight to Leh instead. The security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is not good atall. There is no point trying to be brave. Jammu is pretty safe but beyond that its not. If you don't have much to do at Jammu then just take a flight from Delhi to Leh and come back by road via Manali route. There is not much to do/see in Jammu anyway. Srinagar is pretty much locked up most of the time due to curfew and there are violent protests here and there.

 

[Admin]

Avoid the Srinagar highway and take Manali route both ways or just take a flight whatever suits you : India travel advice - GOV.UK I agree with whats posted on this page and my advise is to avoid that route altogether.

 

[LeslieIsaacs]

Ah - that's a worry! Has the Jammu to Srinagar route become more difficult in the last year or two? I took the Jammu to Srinagar bus 2 years ago and it was absolutely fine.
I'd rather avoid flying as much as possible, partly for the cost, but also because while I'm in the air I'm not really in India! I like the unpredictable, in-between times (as long as they're safe!).
Thanks for your continued advice.
Les

 

[Admin]

It is a volatile region and best avoided. Things have changed a lot recently.

 

[LeslieIsaacs]

So it looks like we may have to miss out on Srinagar - which would be a huge disappointment.
Is there anyone on this forum who is a tourist and who is, or has recently been, in Srinagar?

 

[iamawriter]

I did a bit of search to get it 'from the horse's mouth' While the media seems to have exaggerated about the dangers. travel agents say all is well. There is a middle path and that is to opt for safe packages that are being offered by travel agents that exclude 'troubled' areas. Having said that there is also a mention made about Separatists not attacking tourists and also tourists attractions such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam are safe havens. I read a review by someone who was there in July and the review does not talk of any encounters with 'troubled' Kashmir.

 

[HK Thaker]

Recently early this month (July), my friend and his group had been to Jammu-Pahelgam. They were going to Amarnath Yatra but due to bad weather had to cancel the trip. From Pahelgam they came to Srinagar, stayed there for 3 days, visited Gulmarg and local sightseeing in Srinagar. They did not encounter any problems. You will have to maintain the visiting timings as advised by the locals. Srinagar seems OK to me.