After the Pahalgam terror attack, in which terrorists shot dead 26 people, the government closed 48 tourist sites. Today, 39 of them have been opened. HT performs an immediate scan.
Paysaran, Pahalgam: Closed
On a dirt drive into the picturesque Baisaran Valley, a CRPF officer from Kanyakumari urges a group of six young tourists not to venture beyond a certain point.
Last year, when heavily armed terrorists targeted tourists in the valley, there was no security presence, and it took more than 25 minutes for troops to arrive. Now, the 5-km road from the main city of Pahalgam to the meadow is heavily guarded with more than a dozen CRPF personnel and police personnel around the clock. Security teams are also stationed inside the valley, monitoring closely to prevent tourists from approaching the meadow.
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“It is closed to everyone. Tourists and locals. Our mission is that no one should approach Paisaran unless it is officially opened,” an official from Pahalgam police station said.
“The Army regularly patrols the dense forests surrounding Baisaran Valley and other parts of Pahalgam. Our day starts at 7 am and ends late in the evening. After the attack, this has become our routine,” the official added.
Hundreds of tourists take horseback rides from Pahalgam Valley up to Baisaran Road and many insist on being taken to the valley. Ankush Sharma, who was accompanying five friends, said: “We heard about Baisaran shortly after the attack. Now we want to go there. We are not afraid because security forces are everywhere.” However, he was not allowed to enter the valley.
Pahalgam has weathered the initial shock. Hotels and shops are open again. Ramesh Babu, a tourist from Tamil Nadu, said: “We did not feel any fear here. We are enjoying the place and will stay for one night.” A municipal official said the admission toll in Pahalgam has tripled since the first week of March.
Mushtaq Ahmed Pahalgami, president of the Pahalgami Hotel Association, agrees that tourism is slowly picking up. “No one has come here for months,” he said. “Now 30 to 40 percent of the tourists have returned.” Pony operators say business has picked up. “Since the fall, tourists have started coming back,” said Gul Muhammad, who owns three horses. “Now hundreds come every day.”
A tulip garden was inaugurated in Srinagar on March 16
With 1.8 million tulips in bloom, the opening of the park, the largest in Asia, on March 16, at the foothills of the Zabarwan mountain range and overlooking the serene Dal Lake, marks the arrival of spring in Kashmir.
This is Ravi Kumar’s first trip to the valley. “Due to the Pahalgam attack, there were some concerns, but there was a lot of positive feedback online including people’s response and news about the security measures. We decided to give it a try,” said Kumar, a small businessman from Uttarakhand. He said: “And we do not regret it. This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life.”
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About 252,000 visitors have visited the tulip garden since March 16. “After the attack, the garden became empty and remained that way last year. Despite Pahalgam, people have shown a good response this year,” said Imran Ahmed, the man in charge of the tulip garden, from the floriculture department.
Ahmed added: “The garden is usually open for a month, as the average lifespan of a tulip is 20 days.”
But the added bonus this year is security. At least 20 people patrolled the three gates of the park, which are now closed due to wilting tulips. Ahmed said that security measures were very strong. “There are military intelligence, border guard forces, reserve police forces and police. Many security personnel are roaming the park in civilian clothes to keep visitors safe,” he said. Overall, there were 40 to 50 people from the approach road on the boulevard to the parking lot and then to the park.
Sonmarg remained open
The Indus River divides the green meadows that form Sonmarg, surrounded by snow-capped peaks. After the Pahalgam terror attack, the number of tourist arrivals dwindled considerably, but now hundreds are flocking to this hill station after the opening of the Z-Morh Tunnel in January 2025. Pony operators guide tourists daily to the nearby Thegiwas Glacier via a 5 km trek to a place where two to three feet of snow is covered.
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“In my house, the air conditioners and fans run nonstop, and here I am wearing wool jackets,” said Amit Sircar from Kolkata. “We are not afraid, we have full confidence in the security of our country.”
Police, CRPF and Army’s RR unit were deployed at Sonmarg and Tagwas Glacier. About two dozen CRPF personnel and policemen monitor the movement of tourists at Thaguas Glacier and remain there until all the tourists leave the place. “…There are foolproof security measures not only in Sonmarg but all the adjoining forests and major highways are well protected…” a senior police officer said.
“This is our first time here. We have been planning for years and finally we are here. We have already visited Pahalgam and Gulmarg and now we will spend a night here,” said Sangeeta, a software engineer from Madhya Pradesh.
At the corner of the market at a makeshift stall, Faiz Ahmed, who lives in the nearby village of Gond, rents out rubber boots to tourists. He said: “Since morning, I have rented between 60 and 70 shoes. Last month’s profits were good.” It is certain that the occupancy rate in hotels is still low. “We have an occupancy rate of up to 40 percent,” said Musaib Ahmed, manager of Al-Namro Hotel.
Padamwari, opened on 14 June 2025
Badamwari, or Almond Garden, was among the first batch of tourist attractions to open in June 2025.
The park is located on the slopes of the Koh-e-Maran hill overlooking Srinagar, and is dotted with almond trees that bloomed early this year. “A lot of people, mostly locals and some from other states, were coming before the Pahalgam incident,” said Zahoor Ahmed, an employee who grows flowers at the park. “Then the rhythm stopped completely. Now people are back. There are a lot of security measures this year.”
“We have to report to the police every day any international visitors as well as the number of domestic tourists,” he said. The park is now highly fortified with three or four security vehicles deployed on the approach road and dozens of police personnel and CRPF personnel surrounding the place. At least 10 security personnel patrol the approach road, with a similar number of personnel on the back side, from 9am to 7pm.
A security official deployed outside the park said that individuals were guarding people from inside and outside the place. “We cannot take things for granted,” he said, asking us to remain vigilant.
A tourist from Mumbai came to Badamwari after seeing some pictures on Instagram. “This is my second time visiting Kashmir and I am coming to Badamwari for the first time,” said Sachin, who also came in 2017. “But unfortunately the almond blossom has ended. However, this is a very peaceful, serene and beautiful place to visit.”
Floriculture director Mathura Masoom said the turnout was good this year. She said: “From 18,000 visitors in March of last year, we witnessed more than 100%, recording about 40,000 visitors this March.”
Drang Tangmarg, Baramulla, opens in November 2025
Amidst dense forests and next to the sparkling waters of the Ferozepura stream lies the charming village of Drang, near the famous ski resort of Gulmarg.
036]Tourists are now returning to Drang, but the scene has changed since their last visit. There is now a bulletproof bunker on the edge of the tourist area, near a small village of between 200 and 250 houses. From Tangmarg to Drang, there are at least five teams of four to five personnel each of police and CRPF guarding the road, the gateway to this picturesque destination. Even the 13-km road from Tangmarg to Gulmarg has five checkpoints set up in the neighbourhood. In addition, the stretch has a regular deployment of the Road Opening Party, which remains there from morning until evening.
“We have never seen a place so beautiful. This place is truly like heaven,” said Pawan Jadhav and his wife Astha, both residents of Karnataka state.
The police said that at least six cases have been registered against those who concealed information from foreign visitors through Kashmir under the Foreigners and Immigration Act, 2025. “Every day a lot of intelligence sharing and reviews are being done for the security of tourist destinations,” a senior police officer said.
