Baisaran Valley — Attraction in Jammu and Kashmir

We visited during the first week of May 2024.

There are two ways to reach Baisaran Valley: one starts from just opposite Pahalgam Club & Resort (this is much better compared to the other way), and the other starts from the market (avoid this route as it's not recommended). Whichever way you choose, the pony owner may ask you to return via a steeper road that leads to the market or taxi stand.

The Pony Union has incorrectly listed 6 points to cover during the pony ride, but ultimately, all routes lead to Baisaran Valley, which is a table-top area surrounded by mountains and beautiful meadows. The pony ride should cost around Rs. 1000 per horse, with an additional Rs. 100 or more as a tip to the caretaker accompanying you, according to your discretion.

Note: I have not taken videos of the return pony journey, which is much riskier than the onward journey. Many accidents happen on this return route only. EnRoute views & pony ride is experience in itself but not recommended for senior citizens & young children if they’re scared of horse riding.

You may also enjoy activities like Zorbing (Rs. 300/ride), bungee jumping for kids (Rs. 300/child), zip line (Rs. 350/ride), and have snacks like Maggie, tea, coffee, etc. Note: The road to Baisaran Valley is generally muddy, and mud will cover your feet. It is advisable to cover your shoes with rubber covers to avoid muddy feet. (See our photo for reference.)

The horse caretaker will stop at a girl holding a White pigeon or white rabbit 🐇. If you take a photo, they will ask for Rs. 50 to Rs. 100 as a charge. (You can say NO photo if you do not want to get charged.)

It is advisable to carry a water bottle and your snacks if you’re vegetarian.

If you're in Pahalgam for just one night, it's best to prioritize visiting the places mentioned below before considering Baisaran Valley, also known as Mini Switzerland:

Betaab Valley: Surrounded by flowing rivers, mountains, and picturesque landscapes, Betaab Valley offers a serene ambiance. Entry fee to the Betaab Valley is about Rs. 100 for adults and Rs. 30 for children. You can travel by taxi or cab from the Pahalgam taxi union stand.

Chandanwari: Here, you can enjoy playing in the snow. The road from Pahalgam to Chandanwari is fairly flat and easily traveled by car. Taxis or cabs can be hired from Pahalgam for a round trip. It's essential to rent gumboots from nearby stalls as the snow can be slippery.

Aru Valley: The journey from Pahalgam to Aru village, although hilly, can be traveled by car and offers breathtaking views of the valley, beautiful meadows, mountains, and river.

Pahalgam Club & Resort: Relax beside the flowing Lidder River on a wooden deck and enjoy snacks or tea and coffee at the restaurant. Entry to Pahalgam Club & Resort requires a stay booking, but you may request permission to visit.

Note: You must hire a taxi from the Pahalgam taxi stand to travel to Betaab Valley, Chandanwari, and Aru Valley.

If you've already visited these places and have some spare time, you may consider exploring Baisaran Valley. However, please note that access to Baisaran Valley is limited to pony rides or treks, which are not suitable for children or senior citizens. The pony ride to Baisaran Valley involves a tough, steep, and risky climb, and many accidents have occurred due to the steep and dangerous terrain.

We stayed in Pahalgam for 3 nights and visited all the places. If you have any questions or need any advice to make your travel plan, please ask, and I will revert to...

I feel a little bit bad only giving this 3 stars instead of 5, because it truly is a breathtaking place. The views of the surrounding mountains are absolutely stunning, and when you get to the large meadow in Baisaran, it's easy to see why they call this place little Switzerland.

But it is ruined by the sheer number of people trying to make a quick buck off tourists. When you get to the meadow, you will be bombarded by people trying to sell you everything from tea to fridge magnets to hashish. It is very difficult to get a few minutes without someone walking up to you trying to sell you something. The views are further spoiled by an obnoxious zipline running the length of the valley, a trampoline, and racks of Kashmiri clothing everywhere hoping tourists will pay big money for a chintzy photo. Such a shame.

Another downside is that to get up here, you pretty much have to hire a horse. I would have loved to hike up here, but entrance to this area is guarded by a local "union" who make sure that you rent a horse and pay for the services getting up there. It's like a mafia sort of vibe. And they of course try to rip you off on pricing. They say 2500 rupees is the "standard price" for the normal 3 viewpoints, but if I were you, I wouldn't dream of paying more than 2000 rupees. You should be able to get it for around 1500 rupees if you have more than one person in your group, or if you're willing to walk away like I was. You must negotiate yourself, as your local driver for some reason cannot (or will not) assist you in the negotiation process. I had more than one Kashmiri driver explicitly tell me they can't help negotiate with Kashmiri people, so either be prepared to negotiate hard (including threaten to take a cab to the other viewpoints instead) or be prepared to be ripped off.

The horses you will ride are overworked and abused. The only people that speak English are the "fixers" at the bottom of the hill. The guy who comes with you won't speak English and will whip the horse mercilessly. They will also rush you from viewpoint to viewpoint, up and down large hills at high speeds, without any regard for your safety and well-being or the horse's. Spend too long taking photos and they will get annoyed and do all they can to get you moving. They of course only do this so they can maximize the number of people they can take up the mountain in one day. And when you get back down the mountain they will have the audacity to ask for a tip for their terrible service.

The views here are 5-star views. The locals trying to extract money from tourists are what ruin the place. Sonamarg had better views with less of this nonsense (though still some of the nonsense). Baisaran is still probably worth seeing, but be prepared to see the dark side of tourism when...

It’s a nice place to visit. But if u are too old and having any kind of back issue I won’t suggest u to have such expedition. I recomend U to have a raincoat (not a poncho but a two piece raincoat. As poncho will not protect u properly in rain while pony ride. It will help u in entire kashmir. ) and a knee length boot.I have visited almost all of the kashmir in past 10 days so it was not a very mesmerising experience for me. It was as usual as most of the parks and valleys around the kashmir. If u have ever visited the Khajjiar in Dalhousie (HP) then u will find baisaran as the cheap copy of it. Except Khajjiar is on descent while baisaran is on assent. But I recommend u to visit once if u have come all the way to Pahalgam. On the second day of visit of Pahalgam we decided to have some trekking activity so firstly we trek to mamal village and other side of the mountain then come back to out hotel in main market and then decided to trek for baisaran from 1 Pm. Initially we decided to trek to baisaran. People usually go there on pony. View on the way was mesmerising and the road was very crowded yet very calm. Overall u will love it. After 2 km of trek we finally hired pony to reach baisaran because due to rain road was so muddy which does not allow us to continue our journey by foot. Knee deep mud can only be covered on pony there. We have other option to go beyond the barbed wire fencing but we consider it too dangerous so we finally hired a pony. But as we hired pony on the top therefore we get it very less expensive rate as compared to rate of Pahalgam base. Riding a pony on such hight in adverse atmosphere is an adventure in itself. Curves and turns on the way to baisaran will pump ur heart so hard the u can feel it amidst all the chaos and loudness. After 90 minute ride we reached there and enjoyed it for 30 min. Be careful while riding up and down the pony there because the place is so muddy and slippery that u can be injured. Up there U can have photos with rabbit or sheep in Kashmiri attire. U can have zip line and bubble walk as adventure activity or can just sit on the bench and enjoy the view. It will take 1 hour to come...