Plan your trip · Gulmarg
What's on in Gulmarg
Gulmarg's calendar is set more by snow than by festivals. Here are the events and seasons worth planning around.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Gulmarg right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.
The year in Gulmarg
Gulmarg's calendar runs through most of the year, with the busiest weeks in the clear, comfortable months and a quieter stretch in the heaviest rain. Broadly, Oct – Mar and Jul – Sep and Apr – Jun is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.
Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.
Signature to Gulmarg
Ski season and the gondola
🗓️ December–MarchThe Gulmarg gondola runs to Apharwat and the bowl below it is the reason serious skiers come to India.
Planning: Avalanche closures are common and legitimate; take the patrol's word for it.
Nationwide
Diwali
🗓️ October–NovemberThe biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.
Holi
🗓️ MarchColoured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.
Navratri and Dussehra
🗓️ September–OctoberNine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.
Eid al-Fitr
🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each yearThe end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.
Makar Sankranti and Pongal
🗓️ mid-JanuaryThe harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Ski season (December to March)
The main event in Gulmarg is the snow itself. The ski season usually runs from December to March, peaking in January and February. It draws skiers and snowboarders from across India and abroad, and hotels near the Gulmarg Gondola fill early. Around Christmas and New Year, rooms are at their most expensive and gondola tickets sell out fast.
Khelo India Winter Games
Gulmarg hosts the snow events of the Khelo India Winter Games, India's national winter sports competition. In 2026 the Gulmarg leg ran from 23 to 26 February, with alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, ski mountaineering and snowboarding. Dates are announced each winter and depend on snow. During the games, some slopes are closed to the public and hotels are busier.
Christmas at St Mary's
St Mary's Church does not hold regular services, but the season around Christmas brings visitors to the little stone church in the snow. If you are in Gulmarg over Christmas, ask locally whether anything is planned that year.
Summer golf
The Gulmarg Golf Course opens in the summer season, and tournaments are held on it from time to time. Visitors can usually book a round and hire clubs.
Valley festivals
Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha fall around 11 days earlier every year. On Eid, local staff and taxi drivers may take the day off, so book transport ahead. In spring, the tulip garden in Srinagar opens for a few weeks around March and April, and many visitors combine it with snow at the gondola top. In July and August, the Amarnath Yatra adds security and traffic on the valley's highways, though not on the Gulmarg road.
Checking dates
Ski events, competitions and festivals are weather-dependent here. Confirm dates close to your trip, and check the gondola's status on the official site before you drive up. See the best time to visit for season-by-season detail.
Questions
Gulmarg — FAQ
When is the Gulmarg ski season?
Usually December to March, with the best snow in January and February. Exact dates depend on snowfall each year.
When were the Khelo India Winter Games held in Gulmarg in 2026?
The Gulmarg leg ran from 23 to 26 February 2026, with alpine and Nordic skiing, ski mountaineering and snowboarding.
Is Gulmarg busy at New Year?
Very. Hotels and gondola tickets sell out weeks ahead, so book early if you want snow for New Year.