Ladakh
How often do you get the chance to bed down in a genuine, functioning Himalayan royal palace? The six suites of old rooms here have been stylishly…
Must-see hotels in Kashmir & Ladakh
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Ladakh
A fabulous three-storey French-run mansion and palace, once belonging to cousins of the Ladakhi royals. It's at once super comfortable, with memory-foam…
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Ladakh
Run by Buddhist nuns and Dutch volunteers, this wonderful six-room getaway attracts longer-stay guests who want to unwind in a calm, meditative…
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Srinagar
Taking houseboat luxury to a new level, Sukoon is impressive for its levels of service, excellent food, secluded location and fabulous rooftop terrace…
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Srinagar
One of India's friendliest family guesthouses, the Swiss isn't showy but offers high-quality, spacious en suite hotel rooms decorated with plush carpets…
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Leh
Hidden behind a family garden guesthouse that's delightful in itself, this 'secret' eight-room boutique hotel is one of the best choices in Leh, with…
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Ladakh
One of Ladakh's best homestays. The host family is delightful, there's garden seating and the new block of modern rooms comes with attached bathrooms …
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Kashmir & Ladakh
Opened in 2017, well-run and locally owned Hotel the Kargil is easily the best place in town, with supercomfortable beds, stylish modern bathrooms, back…
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Ladakh
A Ladakhi-Italian family has created this delightfully relaxing getaway of eight rooms in the north of the valley whose panoramic views encompass Phyang…
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Srinagar
At the 'corner' of Dal Lake Second Row and the access channel from Ghat 9, 'super deluxe' Young Beauty Star has a superb view of lake life from the front…
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Srinagar
This trio of deluxe boats has a pleasant shared deck and rooftop, and the fourth-generation family-owners are gracious and helpful. In 1975 they hosted…
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Leh
With box-spring mattresses and modern bathrooms, the experience here is more comfortable than many midmarket hotels but retains a family feel, thanks to…
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Kashmir & Ladakh
On the clifftop lawns next to the Amar Mahal and with similarly royal connections, Jammu's most atmospheric and relaxing property is guarded by bronze…
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Leh
Decorated with thangka (Tibetan cloth painting) and Nicholas Roerich prints, this layered collage of wooden balconies and marble floors has proper king…
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Ladakh
Obliging, highly educated owners add a hearty welcome to this superclean house with lots of traditional elements. The four en suite doubles are luxurious,…
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Ladakh
A little like a Ladakhi hacienda, this understated boutique hotel oozes designer minimalist style. The 21 rooms are brought to life with locally styled…
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Leh
Leh abounds with new hotels, but the award-winning Gomang stands out for the loving care of its management, the gliding service and the attention to…
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Srinagar
Set amid the manicured lawns of a rose garden, Green Acre's centrepiece is a 1942 classic-Raj mansion with a perfect reading perch on the 1st-floor common…
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Ladakh
Accessed through a pleasant garden restaurant (mains ₹120 to ₹150) directly behind the bus stop, the Dragon Hotel's new en suite rooms are clean, spacious…
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Kashmir & Ladakh
Jan Palace's spacious rooms remain among the brightest and most reliably clean in central Kargil. Bedrooms offer little decorative style, but modern…
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Ladakh
Set around a small garden that blooms beautifully in late July, 10 tents are each equipped with full-sized double beds, en suite toilets and washing…
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Kashmir & Ladakh
Central Jammu’s most stylish and attentively businesslike hotel has a glass elevator, a fine North Indian restaurant, a 24-hour coffee shop and a bar –…
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Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley
Gulmarg's only true luxury resort is almost intimidating in its grandeur, the public areas feeling like an emir's palace reinvented with a 21st-century…
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Kashmir & Ladakh
Managed with considerable love and flair by a charming French woman, the five-room Shanti Guesthouse is one of Zanskar's most appealing places to stay. It…
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Leh
Central, yet set around a peaceful garden-courtyard with seating beneath apricot trees, this long-standing favourite has old-fashioned but well-maintained…
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Srinagar
Reached from a lakeshore path by a plank-and-stilt walkway, John Friends' signature attraction is its apple-tree garden and direct access to backwater…
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Srinagar
Super-friendly family owners have seven boats ranging from super deluxe to 'D' class, meaning there's something here for every budget. The boats lie…
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Kashmir & Ladakh
The Omasila has a peaceful location 2km from Padum at the base of Pibiting's temple hillock: great if you're driving but somewhat isolated if you're on…
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Ladakh
Thoroughly traditional but markedly more comfortable than many homestays, Gyab-Thago's rooms are airy and clean, sharing a spick-and-span bathroom. Meals…
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Leh
There’s a great spirit to the traditional main house, open year-round and topped with a prayer room and lovely rooftop panoramas. A more modern hotel…
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Ladakh
Hard to find, despite numerous signs, this three-roomed guesthouse is 10 minutes' steep walk down from Likir Gompa, or a longer drive via a dirt access…
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Kashmir & Ladakh
Six attractively furnished rooms share a bathroom that's better than most in rural homes. Much of the appeal is that charming owner Gulam Ali is about the…
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Srinagar
This 1910 former Maharaja’s palace is set in hectares of manicured lawns with many historical heirlooms dotted about the suave interior. Only suites…
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Leh
Apart from the parasol tables out the front, you might think you'd arrived at a colourful Tibetan monastery as you enter this photogenic two-storey feast…
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Ladakh
Monastery-run and good-value, Chamba Hotel has spacious and comfortable rooms with unfussy modern bathrooms, making it a good base for seeing regional…
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Leh
Backing onto the timeless Maney Tsermo stupas, this delightful budget guesthouse is run by ever-laughing Dolkar. She lives in the new annexe, where three…
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Kashmir & Ladakh
A professional lobby leads to fresh rooms that have high ceilings and relatively stylish white, olive and purple colour schemes. The quieter rooms face…
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Leh
Lost in the birdsong of an overgrown orchard of apple, apricot and poplar trees, the resort's 20 rooms come in pairs within well-spaced bungalows, each…
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Srinagar
From the minute you pass through the entryway under wooden butterfly wings, you know you are on a very different kind of houseboat. Each room is unique,…
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Leh
This outwardly unremarkable family home is a great choice thanks to spacious, sparkling-clean rooms, parasol tables on the flower-edged lawn and a small…
