The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden is Srinagar's most colourful spring spectacle and Asia's largest tulip garden. Laid out on the terraced Zabarwan foothills between Dal Lake and the Mughal gardens, it opens for only a few weeks each spring, when lakhs of tulips in every shade unfurl in neat, sloping beds against a backdrop of snow-capped peaks. Beyond tulips you will find hyacinths, daffodils and narcissi, tidy walkways and photo-perfect viewpoints over the lake. If your visit lines up with the bloom, this is a stop you will not want to miss.
Best time to visit: The garden is open only for a short season, roughly late March to mid April, timed to the tulip bloom. Exact dates shift a little each year with the weather, so plan an early spring trip and check current bloom timing before you go. Mornings are cooler, brighter and less crowded for photos.
How to reach: The Tulip Garden lies on the Zabarwan foothills near Cheshmashahi, about 8 to 10 km from Srinagar city centre and close to the Mughal gardens. It is a short taxi or auto ride from Dal Lake and central Srinagar. Happy Jacks can add it to a half-day Srinagar gardens tour during the bloom season.