Hotel Royal

Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley


For now the Royal is the best bet amongst Sonamarg Bazaar's cheap crash pads.

While many of the central strip's box-restaurants have spent money tarting up their facades, this place invested more sensibly in maintaining its simple rooms with regularly repainted walls. Crewel work curtains give a slight air of homeliness.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley attractions

1. Thajiwas Valley

1.57 MILES

Five fingers of glacier descend from a fine array of Alpine peaks in the parallel valley behind Sonamarg. The scene is best appreciated from a small…

2. Amarnath Holy Cave

13.5 MILES

Amarnath's natural stone lingam becomes opalescently encrusted with ice and is believed to wax and wane with the phases of the moon. Seen as symbolising…

3. Naranag Shiva temple ruins

18.47 MILES

Naranag has two enigmatic 8th-century Shiva temple ruins in a beautiful valley setting that gives one the impression of having stumbled across a great…

4. Shalimar Bagh

26.26 MILES

Built for Nur Jahan by her husband, Jehangir, Shalimar Bagh is the most famous of Srinagar's Mughal gardens, but it can get very busy. It's 10km beyond…

5. Nishat Bagh

26.64 MILES

Of all Srinagar's Mughal gardens, Nishat Bagh is arguably the most appealing, with beautiful water features that frame a lovely lake panorama. It's on…

6. Cheshmashahi Garden

27.59 MILES

En route to Pari Mahal you'll pass the small Cheshmashahi Garden, folded amid the wooded mountain foothills. Its central feature is a square fountain pool…

7. Botanical Garden

27.61 MILES

Less formal and not quite as busy as many of the older Mughal gardens, the Botanical Gardens have some well-maintained lawns and a wide variety of tree…

8. Tulip Garden

27.67 MILES

Crowds throng Asia’s biggest Tulip Garden, just behind the Botanical Garden, during March and April. Its long, straight rows of blooming tulips (60…