The shikara is the flat-bottomed wooden boat that has worked Dal Lake for generations, and a ride on one is the single most characteristic thing you can do in Srinagar. You sit low on cushioned seats under a canopy while the boatman poles you out past the houseboats, the floating gardens and the lotus beds, with the Zabarwan hills rising behind. It is unhurried by design, and it is the best vantage point there is on the life of the lake.
We run two lengths on Dal Lake. Both are booked per shikara rather than per person, so the price covers your whole group up to the boat’s capacity.
A short circuit out from the ghat and back, taking in the houseboat rows and the near stretch of the lake. Long enough to get out on the water and see Dal from the middle of it, and the easy option if you are fitting it around other plans or travelling with small children.
The fuller ride, and the one we recommend. An hour gets you past the houseboats and out into the interior of the lake — the floating vegetable gardens, the lotus beds in season, the waterborne handicraft and flower sellers, and out towards Char Chinar island. It is the difference between seeing Dal and actually spending time on it.
Rides depart from the ghats along the Boulevard on Dal Lake in Srinagar. If you are staying on a houseboat, the shikara can collect you from the boat itself. We can also arrange transport from anywhere in the city — see our cab booking options, or read more about the city on our Srinagar guide.