Tosamaidan Kashmir Travel Guide

Tosamaidan is a hill station in Budgam 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 Tosamaidan.

This Tosamaidan travel guide covers the largest of Budgam's high meadows, beyond Khag about 50 to 70 km from Srinagar: what the meadow is, its fifty years as a firing range, how it compares with Doodhpathri and Yusmarg, and the closure to tourists that still applied in the summer of 2026.

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

Things to do in Tosamaidan

Tosamaidan is a high grassland roughly 5 km long and 2 km wide in the Khag area of Budgam district, at the foot of the Pir Panjal. It is bigger and wilder than the district's two better-known meadows, with no huts, no stalls and no road across it: the approach ends at the meadow's edge near the village of Drang, where the Sukhnag river comes off the range. In summer Gujjar herders bring their flocks up, and their camps are the only settlement.

Walk the meadow

The meadow is the reason to come, and the only thing to do is walk it. Follow the edge of the grass towards the ridge, or the river upstream, and turn back when the ground steepens. Above the meadow the range rises to passes at about 4,000 m, among them Basmai Gali, the old foot route over the mountains to Poonch and the plains; a small lake, Bandsar, lies in the folds below the ridge. These are full-day climbs for the fit and acclimatised, not additions to a picnic.

The history in the ground

Tosamaidan was leased to the army as an artillery firing range in 1964, for fifty years. Villagers campaigned against renewal, the lease ended in 2014, and the meadow was opened to visitors on 30 May 2016 after clearance work. That history is why the meadow has stayed undeveloped, and why local advice to keep to used paths is worth taking. A seven-storey Mughal building called Dam-Dam is believed to have stood here when the pass was a royal route; nothing of it is signposted today.

Tosamaidan, Doodhpathri or Yusmarg?

Doodhpathri has a road to its centre, a stream to picnic beside and huts. Yusmarg has a compact bowl and a lake walk. Tosamaidan has scale and emptiness, a longer drive and nothing laid on. For a first meadow day choose one of the other two; come here for a second, wilder one.

Best time to visit Tosamaidan

The meadow is snowbound from late autumn to late spring. June to September is the season, with July and August the greenest and the wettest; September gives clear days and cold nights. Storms build fast on the range in the afternoon.

Closed to tourists since 2025

Tosamaidan was shut to visitors after the April 2025 attack in Pahalgam. Two surveys of Kashmir's tourist sites, published on 10 and 15 July 2026, still listed it among the places closed to tourists, and a political leader had by then publicly asked the Lieutenant Governor to reopen it. This guide was checked on 20 September 2026 and found no report of a reopening. Confirm with the Budgam district administration before planning a visit.

Day trip or overnight?

When it is open, Tosamaidan is a long day from Srinagar: two to two and a half hours each way and a few hours on the meadow. There is no accommodation at the meadow itself; Khag and the villages below have basic rooms, and camping needs permission. For most visitors the day trip is the right shape.

Photo credit

Hero photograph: Bashir Ahmad Dar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and resized.

How do you get to Tosamaidan?

Working out how to reach Tosamaidan means getting to Khag, the last town, and then covering the final 10 km or so of hill road to the meadow's edge at Drang.

From Srinagar there are two approaches: south-west through Budgam town and on to Khag, or west along the Gulmarg road and south from Magam. Official figures range from about 50 km to 70 km depending on the route and the starting point, and the drive takes two to two and a half hours. The last stretch is a narrow hill road.

By air: Srinagar Airport, about 60 km. By rail: Budgam station at Ompora, on the Kashmir Valley line; check current services and continue by road.

Buses and shared taxis run from Srinagar and Budgam to Khag; onward transport to Drang is local and irregular, so a hired car for the day is the practical choice. If you have not chosen a base, our Srinagar guide covers the options.

What should you know before visiting Tosamaidan?

These Tosamaidan travel tips are for a full day on a high, open meadow with no facilities at all.

• Confirm the meadow is open to tourists before you set out; it has been closed since 2025.
• Carry all food and water for the day, and cash. There is nothing to buy beyond Khag.
• Dress for weather at 3,000 m: a warm layer, a waterproof and shoes with grip, whatever the forecast in Srinagar.
• Keep to used paths and grazing tracks. The meadow was a firing range for fifty years; do not pick up or kick any metal object, and report anything suspicious to the police.
• Give the herders' camps and flocks room, and ask before photographing people.
• Take every wrapper and bottle back with you.