How to Reach Gulmarg from Mumbai

That rail option is new. Since the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line opened in June 2025, you no longer have to get off at Jammu Tawi and spend eight hours on the highway. This guide on how to reach Gulmarg from Mumbai covers every 2026 route, with kilometres, timings and what each leg costs.

Mumbai to Gulmarg at a Glance

Mumbai to Gulmarg Distance

The figure you see depends on how you measure it. By road it is about 2,270 km, most of it on NH48 to Delhi and NH44 north to Srinagar. By rail, Bandra Terminus to Katra is 2,028 km, and Katra to Srinagar adds roughly 190 km. In a straight line, Mumbai to Gulmarg is about 1,670 km, which is close to what a Mumbai to Srinagar flight covers.

Every route ends on the same last stretch. Gulmarg is 50 km from Srinagar city, 56 km from Srinagar airport and 55 to 60 km from Srinagar's railway station at Nowgam, along the Magam and Tangmarg road.

Mumbai to Gulmarg by Flight

Gulmarg has no airport, so you fly into Srinagar International Airport (SXR), and Mumbai now has two airports with nonstop flights there. From Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM), IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air and SpiceJet fly nonstop in 2 hours 35 minutes to 3 hours. IndiGo also flies from Navi Mumbai (NMI) to Srinagar a few days a week on an early-morning departure, which is handier if you live in Thane, Navi Mumbai or on the Pune side. One-stop itineraries usually connect through Delhi, Amritsar or Chandigarh and take 5 to 8 hours.

Fares swing hard with the season. Outside the holidays a nonstop one-way ticket runs Rs 6,500 to Rs 9,000 if you book three to four weeks out. Over Christmas, New Year and the April to June school break, Rs 14,000 to Rs 18,000 is normal, so book six to eight weeks ahead for a ski trip.

Pick a flight that lands before 2 pm. Srinagar gets winter fog in December and January, and the first arrivals of the day are the ones most likely to be held for an hour or two. An early flight absorbs that delay and still gets you up the hill in daylight, which matters once there is snow above Tangmarg.

Srinagar Airport to Gulmarg: The Last 56 km

From Srinagar airport it is about 56 km to Gulmarg by taxi or shared cab. The road runs through Magam and Tangmarg and takes 1.5 to 2 hours, longer after fresh snow.

• Private taxi from the airport taxi counter. A sedan costs about Rs 2,200 to Rs 2,800 one way and an Innova or similar SUV costs more. Agree the fare before loading bags.

• From Srinagar city or the station. A one-way drop to Gulmarg is about Rs 2,600. Srinagar cabs drop you at your hotel or at the Gulmarg parking area. For sightseeing inside Gulmarg you switch to local union taxis or ponies.

• Shared cabs and buses. Shared sumos and JKRTC buses run from Srinagar city to Tangmarg for Rs 150 to Rs 250 a seat, with another shared ride for the last 13 km. Cheap, but awkward with skis or large suitcases.

• Winter rule. After a snowfall the SDM Gulmarg restricts the Tangmarg to Gulmarg road to vehicles fitted with anti-skid chains. Some winter orders let 4x4s through without them, but recent ones require chains on every vehicle, 4x4s included. Registered vendors fit them at Tangmarg, so plan on that stop even in a pre-booked 4x4.

Plan to ride the Gulmarg Gondola on arrival day? Only the earliest flights, landing in Srinagar by about 9:30 am, leave time before the afternoon boarding cut-off, so for most travellers the morning after is the safer slot. Tickets are sold online only, so book them before you leave Mumbai.

Mumbai to Gulmarg by Train via Katra and the Vande Bharat

Mumbai trains towards Kashmir leave from Bandra Terminus. Gulmarg has no railway station, so for years the advice was to ride to Jammu Tawi and finish with 290 km by cab or bus. That changed when the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link opened for passengers on 7 June 2025. The train now crosses the Chenab bridge into the Kashmir Valley, and since 2 May 2026 the Vande Bharat runs all the way from Jammu Tawi to Srinagar.

For a Mumbai traveller the cleanest chain runs through Katra:

1. Mumbai to Katra. The 12471 Swaraj Express leaves Bandra Terminus at 11:00 on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and reaches Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) at 17:50 the next day, a 30 hour 50 minute run. Sleeper is about Rs 860, 3AC about Rs 2,100 and 2AC about Rs 3,000.

2. Night in Katra. The train arrives after the last Vande Bharat has left for Srinagar, so book a room near the station. Katra is also the base for the Vaishno Devi yatra, so some Mumbai travellers spend a day here on purpose. If that is the plan, the Kashmir and Vaishno Devi tour from Mumbai packages build that night in.

3. Katra to Srinagar. The 26401 Vande Bharat leaves Jammu Tawi at 06:20 and calls at Katra at about 08:10, reaching Srinagar at 11:10. It does not run on Tuesdays. The run from Katra takes about 3 hours, with chair car seats launched at Rs 715 and executive at Rs 1,320.

4. Srinagar station to Gulmarg. Srinagar's station is at Nowgam, 55 to 60 km from Gulmarg. A cab takes about 2 hours and costs about Rs 2,600, so you reach Gulmarg by mid-afternoon on day three.

5. Book both legs on IRCTC together. Vande Bharat seats into the valley sell out in April to June and December to January, so open the booking the day the 60-day window starts.

Expect airport-style bag screening at Katra and Srinagar stations, and keep photo ID in your pocket. Coming via Delhi instead? Our guide to Delhi to Kashmir trains lists the connections from there.

Travelling on a Day the Swaraj Express Doesn't Run

The Swaraj Express does not leave Mumbai on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays. On a Saturday, take the weekly 19027 Vivek Express from Bandra Terminus at 12:00 instead. It reaches Jammu Tawi at about 23:25 on Sunday, and the 26401 Vande Bharat leaves Jammu Tawi for Srinagar at 06:20 the next morning, so all you need is a short night near the station. On a Tuesday or Wednesday, flying to Srinagar or Jammu is simpler than waiting a day for a train.

Fly to Jammu, Then the Vande Bharat

When Srinagar fares jump in December, or fog is grounding flights into the valley, fly Mumbai to Jammu instead and take the 26403 Vande Bharat at 13:20, which reaches Srinagar at about 18:00 and skips Wednesdays. The full 269 km Jammu to Srinagar run takes about 4 hours 50 minutes. Stay the night in Srinagar and drive to Gulmarg the next morning.

Mumbai to Gulmarg by Road

There is no direct bus from Mumbai to Gulmarg, and any listing that suggests one is out of date. Driving is possible but serious: about 2,270 km over four to five days. The usual line is NH48 from Mumbai through Vadodara, Udaipur and Jaipur to Delhi, then NH44 through Ambala, Jalandhar, Pathankot and Jammu, through the Banihal (Navyug) tunnel to Srinagar, and finally Magam and Tangmarg to Gulmarg.

Sensible overnight stops are Udaipur, Delhi, Jalandhar or Pathankot, and Jammu. The Jammu to Srinagar stretch of NH44 can shut for a day or more after heavy snow or landslides, so check the J&K Traffic Police advisory each morning. A road trip makes sense from May to October. In winter, fly or take the train.

How Much Does Mumbai to Gulmarg Cost?

The cheapest way is the train via Katra. The fastest is the flight. Here is what one person spends one way on each, before Gulmarg hotels:

For a family of four the train is still cheaper, by roughly Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 off-peak in 3AC, even after the Katra hotel night and two days of meals. What the flight buys is two extra days in Kashmir. From late October to early November, before the ski rush, nonstop fares sit near the bottom of their range and that difference shrinks.

Which Route Should You Choose?

Mumbai to Gulmarg in One Day

It works by air. Take a nonstop that leaves Mumbai between 6 and 8 am, land in Srinagar before noon, and you can be at your Gulmarg hotel by 3 pm. A sample two-day start looks like this. Day one, fly in and spend the evening at Dal Lake (here is how to reach Dal Lake). Day two, drive up after breakfast and ride the Gondola once you have checked in.

Best Time to Travel from Mumbai to Gulmarg

• December to March. Snow and the ski season. Flights cost the most and fog delays are likeliest, so leave a buffer day before your flight home.

• April to June. Green meadows, Mumbai's school holidays and the busiest trains and flights. Book the Vande Bharat early.

• September to November. Clear skies, autumn colour and the lowest fares from Mumbai.

For month-by-month weather and snowfall, see Gulmarg best time to visit.

Travel Tips for Mumbai Travellers

• Prepaid SIMs from Maharashtra do not work in Jammu and Kashmir. Carry a postpaid connection or buy a local SIM with ID at Srinagar.

• Keep a fleece and gloves in your cabin bag. Srinagar is below zero on winter mornings even when Mumbai is at 30°C.

• Carry a government photo ID. There are checks on the highway and at stations.

• Book your Gondola tickets online before you fly, and your Vande Bharat seats the day booking opens. The Gondola usually shuts for maintenance on the second and fourth Monday of the month, so check your date first.

Plan the Whole Trip from Mumbai

If you would rather not stitch flights, cabs and hotels together yourself, compare Kashmir tour packages from Mumbai, which bundle the Srinagar airport transfer and the Gulmarg leg, or look at current Kashmir trip deals from Mumbai. If Gulmarg is the main stop, browse Gulmarg tour packages.

Planning the rest of Kashmir? See how to reach Kashmir from Mumbai and how to reach Srinagar from Mumbai. Starting somewhere else? Here is how to reach Gulmarg from every gateway, plus the routes from Chennai and from Srinagar. For everything else about the town, see our Gulmarg travel guide.

Edited by TravelTriangle