Tangmarg Kashmir Travel Guide

Tangmarg is a town in Baramulla district, Kashmir Valley. Kashmir Travel Guide is an independent travel guide to Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh, published at kashmirtravelguide.co.in, and this is its entry for Tangmarg.

This Tangmarg travel guide covers the market town at the foot of the Gulmarg road in Baramulla district, about 39 km from Srinagar: why every Gulmarg trip passes through it, the Drung waterfall and the shrine of Baba Reshi nearby, and whether to stay here or up the hill.

Published 20 September 2026Last reviewed 20 September 2026How this entry is checked

Things to do in Tangmarg

Tangmarg is where the plain ends and the climb to Gulmarg begins. It is a sub-divisional town of shops, hotels and taxi stands strung along the road, 13 km below the meadow, and most visitors see it through a car window. It deserves more than that: two of the area's best short outings start here, and in winter the town is where the Gulmarg journey changes gear.

The gateway to Gulmarg

From Tangmarg the road climbs through pine forest in a series of bends to Gulmarg. In summer any car does it in twenty minutes. In heavy snow the police often stop private cars here, and the last stretch is done in local vehicles fitted with chains; there are chain-hire shops and a taxi stand for exactly this. Treat that as the usual practice rather than a rule, and ask at your hotel or the taxi stand what applies on the day. Woollens, boots and snow gear are also hired out here, generally for less than in Gulmarg.

Drung waterfall

About 3 km from the town, the stream that comes off the Gulmarg slopes drops over a rock step at Drung. From March to May it runs full and the valley around it is green; from late December into January, in a cold winter, the fall freezes into a wall of blue-white ice, and that frozen version is the one that fills social media. Tea stalls and gear-hire shops set up near the path in season. There is no hotel at Drung, and the road in is narrow, so go in the morning before the day-trip crowds from Gulmarg arrive.

The shrine of Baba Reshi

About 6 km from Tangmarg, in the forest on the way up to Gulmarg, stands the shrine of Baba Payam-ud-din Reshi, a fifteenth-century mystic of the Rishi order who was born in 1411, gave up a courtier's life under Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, and died here in 1480. The three-storey wooden shrine built over his grave that year is among the oldest in the valley, with carved wood and glasswork inside and a large minaret. It is a working place of worship: dress modestly, cover your head, remove your shoes and ask before photographing inside. Pilgrims come in numbers for the annual urs.

The town itself

Tangmarg's market is the last proper one before Gulmarg, and the place to buy fruit, dry fruit, a phone charger or a kangri in winter. The surrounding villages grow rice and, in a few places, lavender, and the walk out along any lane into the orchards is a pleasant hour.

Best time to visit Tangmarg

Tangmarg is a year-round town, and the season decides which of its outings you get.

• March to May: Drung at full flow, blossom in the villages, the Gulmarg road clear.
• June to September: warm days; the town is a quiet base while Gulmarg is at its busiest.
• October and November: clear air and autumn colour on the climb.
• December to February: snow. The frozen waterfall in a cold January, chains on the road, and the town at its most useful as a base and a supply stop.

Stay in Tangmarg or in Gulmarg?

Gulmarg has the meadow, the Gondola and the snow at its door; Tangmarg has lower prices, more choice of ordinary hotels and restaurants, and no worry about being snowed in. Staying here means a 13 km drive up each morning, which in winter can take an hour with the vehicle change.

For a first visit with the budget for it, stay in Gulmarg. For a longer stay, a family on a budget, or a winter trip when Gulmarg's hotels are full, Tangmarg works well. Book ahead in peak season either way.

How do you get to Tangmarg?

Anyone working out how to reach Tangmarg is really working out how to reach Gulmarg, because the two share one road from Srinagar and Tangmarg is where it starts to climb.

From Srinagar the drive is about 39 km and 40 minutes to an hour: west on the airport road, through Narbal and Magam, then south-west to Tangmarg. The road is good and busy. Gulmarg is 13 km further on.

By air: Srinagar Airport, about 35 km, on the same side of the city. By rail: Srinagar is the practical railhead; Budgam station at Ompora is a little closer to the road. Check current services and continue by road.

Buses and shared taxis run from Srinagar's Batmaloo and Parimpora stands to Tangmarg through the day, and the Tangmarg taxi union runs vehicles up to Gulmarg. With a hired car from Srinagar, confirm whether the fare includes the climb to Gulmarg and what happens if the car is stopped at Tangmarg in snow. If you have not chosen a base, our Srinagar guide covers the options.

What should you know before visiting Tangmarg?

These Tangmarg travel tips are for a town most people pass through, with a particular eye on winter.

• In snow, allow an extra hour for the Gulmarg leg and keep cash for the local vehicle and chains. Rates vary by day and demand; no tariff has been verified for this guide.
• Hire winter gear here if you need it, and check that boots fit and jackets zip before paying.
• Buy fruit, snacks and water in the market; everything costs more up the hill.
• Visit Drung in the morning and Baba Reshi on the way back down.
• Dress modestly for the shrine and carry a scarf.
• Take your litter away, especially from Drung, where the path suffers on busy days.