How to Reach Srinagar from Mumbai

That rail link is the big change. For years every guide, ours included, told Mumbai travellers to ride to Jammu and finish with eight hours on the highway. You no longer have to. This guide on how to reach Srinagar from Mumbai covers each 2026 option with train numbers, timings, fares and distances, so you can pick one and book it today.

Mumbai to Srinagar Route at a Glance

Mumbai to Srinagar Distance

You will see several different figures quoted for this trip, and they are all measuring different things. The 1,670 km figure is the straight-line distance, roughly what a flight covers. The road distance is about 2,150 km, almost all of it on two highways. The rail distance depends on where you change trains.

Searching for the Kashmir to Mumbai distance for a return trip? The numbers are the same in reverse. Most people treat Srinagar as the end point because it is where the airport and the valley's main railway station are.

Mumbai to Srinagar by Train

Mumbai's trains to Kashmir leave from Bandra Terminus, and the Vande Bharat now carries you over the Pir Panjal into Srinagar. The whole journey is by rail, with one change and one night's halt.

Is There a Direct Train from Mumbai to Srinagar?

No. As of October 2026 no train runs from Mumbai to Srinagar without a change. The Srinagar line is worked by Vande Bharat trains that start at Jammu Tawi, so every Mumbai traveller changes either at Katra or at Jammu Tawi. What has gone is the road leg. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link opened for passengers in June 2025, and since spring 2026 the Vande Bharat runs the full 269 km from Jammu Tawi to Srinagar. A train from Mumbai to Jammu followed by a bus is now the slow, old way of doing this trip.

How to Reach Srinagar from Mumbai by Train, Step by Step

1. Book both legs together on IRCTC. Reservations open 60 days ahead. Vande Bharat seats into the valley sell out first in April to June and December to January, so book on the day the window opens.

2. Board the 12471 Swaraj Express at Bandra Terminus. It leaves at 11:00 on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and stops at Borivali at 11:22, which is handier if you live in the northern suburbs.

3. Reach Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) at 17:50 the next day. The run is 30 hours 50 minutes and 2,028 km. The last Vande Bharat to Srinagar has already passed Katra by then.

4. Spend the night in Katra. Book a room within walking distance of the station. Basic rooms cost about Rs 800 to Rs 1,500. If you want to visit Vaishno Devi, this is where you add a day.

5. Take the 26401 Vande Bharat from Katra at 08:10. It calls at Reasi and Banihal and reaches Srinagar at 11:10, three hours and 191 km later. It does not run on Tuesdays.

6. Clear the station checks at Katra and Srinagar. Expect airport-style baggage screening and keep a government photo ID handy. Reach Katra station 45 minutes early.

7. Take a cab from Srinagar station (Nowgam) to your hotel. Dal Gate is about 14 km away by road. You will be checked in by lunchtime on day three.

Leg 1: Trains from Mumbai to Katra and Jammu Tawi

Leg 2: Vande Bharat to Srinagar

Both trains carry chair car (CC) and executive (EC) coaches only. There is no pantry car, so meals are an add-on when you book. Between Katra and Srinagar they stop at Reasi (the 26401) and Banihal.

Which Day Should You Leave Mumbai?

The Swaraj Express runs four days a week and the morning Vande Bharat skips Tuesdays, so your departure day decides the connection. Here is how each one plays out.

The Saturday plan is the tightest. You get only about six hours between arriving at Jammu Tawi and boarding at 06:20, so book a room close to the station rather than hoping to doze in the waiting hall. On a Tuesday or Wednesday no train suits a Mumbai start, and flying is simpler than waiting.

Mumbai to Srinagar Train Ticket Price

These are the base fares per person in October 2026, general quota, from Indian Railways data. Tatkal and dynamic pricing can push them higher close to the travel date.

Put together, a sleeper berth plus a Vande Bharat chair car seat takes you from Mumbai to Srinagar for about Rs 1,570 in tickets. A 3AC berth with a chair car seat comes to about Rs 2,875, and 2AC with executive class about Rs 4,405. Vande Bharat fares rise by Rs 150 to Rs 200 if you choose the meal option.

The Ride into the Valley: Chenab Bridge and the Pir Panjal

The three hours from Katra are the best part of the whole trip, so ask for a window seat when you book. Between Katra and Reasi the train crosses the Anji Khad bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge. Soon after Reasi comes the Chenab bridge, whose deck sits 359 metres above the river. Past Banihal the line dives into the 11 km Pir Panjal tunnel and comes out in the Kashmir Valley near Qazigund, with paddy fields and poplars where the Jammu hills were a few minutes earlier. Much of the route runs through tunnels, so the views come in bursts. Keep your camera ready.

Mumbai to Srinagar by Flight

Flying is the right call for most trips of under a week, because it saves you two full days each way. Mumbai now has two airports with nonstop flights to Srinagar International Airport (SXR).

Fares swing hard with the season. Outside the holidays, a nonstop one-way ticket costs 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 those dates.

Take a flight that lands before 2 pm. Srinagar gets fog in December and January, and morning flights are the most likely to be held for an hour or two. Landing early still leaves you time to reach your houseboat in daylight. On the way home, Srinagar airport runs extra security checks at the entry gate, so arrive 2.5 to 3 hours before departure.

Fly to Jammu, Then Take the Vande Bharat

When Srinagar fares jump in December, or fog is grounding flights into the valley, fly from Mumbai to Jammu instead and take the 26403 Vande Bharat from Jammu Tawi at 13:20. It reaches Srinagar at 18:05 and does not run on Wednesdays. Valley fog holds flights far more often than it holds this train.

Srinagar Airport to the City

Srinagar airport is in Budgam district, about 12 to 14 km from Dal Gate. A taxi takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic at Rambagh. Use the prepaid taxi counter outside arrivals, which posts fixed fares by area, or a hotel pickup. If you are heading on to Pahalgam, see how to reach Pahalgam from Srinagar.

Mumbai to Srinagar by Road

Driving from Mumbai to Srinagar is a serious undertaking: about 2,150 km and 38 to 42 hours at the wheel, which works out to four or five days with sensible stops. The route follows National Highway 48 from Mumbai through Vadodara, Udaipur and Jaipur to Delhi, then National Highway 44 north through Ambala, Jalandhar, Pathankot and Jammu.

The last 270 km from Jammu are the slowest. NH44 now uses the 9.2 km Chenani-Nashri tunnel, which bypasses Patnitop, and the 8.5 km Banihal-Qazigund tunnel, which has taken most traffic off the old Jawahar Tunnel. Good overnight stops are Udaipur, Delhi, Jalandhar or Pathankot, and Jammu.

Drive between May and October. From December to February the Jammu to Srinagar stretch can shut for a day or more after heavy snow or landslides, so check the J&K Traffic Police advisory each morning before leaving Jammu. Indian citizens do not need a permit to drive to Srinagar.

Mumbai to Srinagar by Bus

There is no direct bus from Mumbai to Srinagar. If a listing shows one, it is a combination of two or more services. The workable plan is to reach Delhi first, then take one of the daily overnight sleeper buses from Kashmiri Gate ISBT to Srinagar's TRC Road, which take about 19 to 21 hours and cost about Rs 2,100 to Rs 2,300. Coming from Jammu instead? JKRTC and private buses leave Jammu for Srinagar every morning.

All told, the bus takes longer and usually costs more than the train via Katra. Use it as a backup when trains are full.

Mumbai to Srinagar Trip Cost by Budget

Here is what one person spends one way, before hotels in Srinagar.

For a family of four travelling off-peak, the train in 3AC still saves several thousand rupees over flying, even after the Katra hotel and two days of meals. What the flight buys you is two more days in Kashmir. In late October and early November, before the winter rush, nonstop fares sit near the bottom of their range and that gap narrows.

Which Route Should You Choose?

Srinagar to Mumbai: The Return Journey

Going home by rail works the same way in reverse, with a night halt before the long train. Take the 26402 Vande Bharat from Srinagar at 14:00 (not on Tuesdays) down to Katra and stay the night. Next morning, the 12472 Swaraj Express leaves Katra at 09:40 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and reaches Bandra Terminus at 16:10 the following day. From Jammu Tawi, the 19028 leaves at 05:45 on Mondays and reaches Bandra Terminus at 15:00 on Tuesday. A morning 26404 Vande Bharat also leaves Srinagar at 08:00 (not on Wednesdays) and reaches Jammu Tawi at 12:45, handy for an afternoon flight out of Jammu.

Best Time to Travel from Mumbai to Srinagar

April to June is the busiest stretch, with Mumbai's school holidays, the Tulip Garden (open for about four weeks from late March to mid or late April) and the highest flight fares. December to February brings snow, the most fog delays and expensive Christmas and New Year flights. September to November has clear skies, chinar colour and the lowest fares of the year. For month-by-month weather, see the best time to visit Srinagar.

Travel Tips for Mumbai Travellers

Prepaid SIM cards issued outside Jammu and Kashmir do not work there. Carry a postpaid connection, or buy a local SIM with ID in Srinagar.

Keep a fleece in your cabin bag. Srinagar mornings drop below zero in winter while Mumbai sits at 30 degrees.

Carry a government photo ID on you at all times. It is checked at stations, on the highway and at the airport gate.

Download IRCTC and your airline's app before you leave, and save PDFs of tickets. Mobile data can be patchy in the tunnels and at Banihal.

Checked by Our Kashmir Travel Desk

Train timings and fares on this page were checked against Indian Railways timetable data on 22 October 2026, and flight details against current airline schedules.

Plan Your Srinagar Trip from Mumbai

If you would rather not stitch trains, flights and transfers together yourself, compare Kashmir tour packages from Mumbai, which include the Srinagar airport pickup, or the Kashmir tour from Mumbai with airfare. Combining the shrine with the valley? The Kashmir and Vaishno Devi tour from Mumbai builds in the night at Katra. You can also browse Srinagar tour packages.

Once you are there, our Srinagar travel guide and list of places to visit in Srinagar cover the rest, including how to reach Dal Lake. Heading beyond the city? See how to reach Kashmir from Mumbai, Mumbai to Gulmarg and Mumbai to Jammu. Travelling via the capital? Read the Delhi to Srinagar route and our guide to trains to Kashmir.

Edited by TravelTriangle