Places to Visit in Anantnag

Anantnag is one of the best places to visit in Kashmir. It is close to Srinagar and you can reach many places in Kashmir from Anantnag. Anantnag is situated at the place where three rivers meet. These three rivers are Arapath, Sandran, and Brengi. Anantnag is full of scenic tourist places and wonderful natural landscapes of Kashmir Valley. Tourists and trekkers visit Anantnag for trekking and sightseeing. There are green gardens and parks, historic places, ancient temples, river streams, scenic valleys, and glaciers in Anantnag. You can visit Anantnag on your trip to Kashmir. Explore any of our Kashmir tour packages if you want to visit Anantnag. You can also contact us for Anantnag sightseeing tours.

1. Martand Sun Temple

Martand Sun Temple is one of the spectacular sun temples in Kashmir. The wonderful ruins of this ancient sun temple are still worth visiting. You can walk among the ruins and see the magnificent pillars, stunning carvings on stone, and the architectural beauty of this place. A ruler of Kashmir called Lalitaditya built the 8th-century temple. The entrance, courtyards, intricately carved deities on stone, decorated pillars, and sculptures will remind you of the bygone days of Kashmir when it was still a prosperous kingdom of Hindu kings.

2. Amarnath Cave

Amarnath Cave is one of the most famous Hindu pilgrimage centers in Kashmir. This natural cave has a shiv linga which is formed entirely of ice. Lakhs of pilgrims visit Amarnath Cave every year and the Amarnath Yatra is one of the supreme Hindu events. Pilgrims trek mountain terrains and brave rough weather to reach Amarnath Cave. According to Hindu legends, Amarnath Cave is almost 5000 years old and is also the place where Lord Shiva revealed his secret of immortality to Goddess Parvati. Amarnath Cave is open only during July and August.

3. Aru Valley

Aru Valley is in Anantnag and this is one of the most beautiful places to visit. It is a place of incredible natural beauty. It offers magnificent views of Himalayan mountain ranges, pine forests, and green meadows. Aru Village is a small village located in Aru Valley. Aru Valley is the starting point for treks to Kolahoi Glacier and Tarsar Marsar Lakes. There are many homestays and guesthouses in Aru Valley to stay in.

4. Kishtwar National Park

Kishtwar National Park is one of the best places in Anantnag to spot Kashmir wildlife. You can spot brown bears and black bears and many other animals found here. The area around Kishtwar National Park is famous for its saffron cultivation. The terrain and dense forests of Kishtwar National Park have such wildlife as musk deer and many birds.

5. Aishmuqam Shrine

Aishmuqam Shrine is a holy Sufi shrine that you can visit on your trip to Anantnag. It was constructed in fond memory of Sheikh Zain-ud-din. The famous song sung by Adnan Sami in the movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan was shot in this shrine. There is a cave where the Sufi saint is said to have preached about Allah. You can visit Aishmuqam Shrine on your way to Pahalgam.

6. Manasbal Lake

Kashmir is a land of lakes, and Manasbal Lake is one of the most scenic lakes in Kashmir. The name is taken from Mansarovar Lake in Tibet. It is close to Anantnag and its sparkling waters are a great place for bird watching. Manasbal Lake has some beautiful places on its banks. You can visit the Mughal garden called Garoka and also the ruins of Manasbal Temple on its banks. Some Buddhist shrines are in ruins now that you can visit near Manasbal Lake. Manasbal Lake is also considered to be the deepest lake in India.

7. Masjid Baba Dawood Khaki

The mosque known as Masjid Baba Dawood Khaki was built 600 years ago. It is one of the oldest mosques that you can visit in Anantnag. Hazrat Sheikh Baba Dawood Khaki was a prominent Muslim scholar in Anantnag, and this mosque is built in his memory. He was also the main Qazi in this region.

8. Ziarat Baba Hyder Reshi Shrine

Ziarat Baba Hyder Reshi Shrine is among the famous Muslim shrines that you can visit in Anantnag. This shrine is also called by the names of Harda Reshi or Reshi Molu. Ziarat Baba Hyder Reshi was a local Muslim saint, who was buried here in this mosque along with his 21 disciples. The shrine is considered very holy and people of different religions visit this shrine to pay their respects to the Muslim saint.

9. Bandipore

Bandipore is a small town near Anantnag with incredible natural beauty. It is on the banks of the Wular Lake and is famous for its terraced Mughal gardens. Bandipore is close to trekking destinations like Lolab Valley. Trekking, fishing, and mountaineering are the best activities that you can do here. You can visit green alpine meadows like Langmarg or go on a trek to Mount Harmukh. Bandipore is also the place where you will find Darul Uloom Raheemiyyah in Bandipore, the largest Islamic institution in Kashmir.

10. Wular Lake

Wular Lake is in Anantnag and is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia. It is a very scenic lake where you can go boating, water skiing, and other water sports. Wular Lake is a natural lake that was formed due to the earth’s volcanic activity. Wular Lake is a wetland area where you can watch many bird species like the Himalayan Golden Eagle, Hoopoe, Himalayan Monal Pheasant, etc. You can go for houseboat rides and cruise along the lake. Sunrise and sunsets are most beautiful when seen on this lake.

11. Betaab Valley

Betaab Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in Kashmir. The valley became famous due to the movie Betaab. Many scenes of this movie were shot here in Betaab Valley. The green meadows, views of Himalayan mountain peaks, and river streams flowing through the valley make it very scenic. You can do horse riding here and go on treks. Lidder river flows through Betaab Valley and you can walk along the river banks and admire the landscape.

12. Parihaspora

Parihaspora is an ancient town that you can visit on your trip to Anantnag. It was the old capital of Kashmir in the 8th century. The town has many ruins of ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples. These ruins are archaeological sites. You can see some of the ruins excavated here in Srinagar Museum. A visit to Parihaspora will remind you of the golden time of Kashmir in ancient times.

13. Kokernag Botanical Garden

Kokernag Botanical Garden is near Anantnag. You can go here on a day trip and spend some time in peace and relaxation. Kokernag Botanical Garden is full of lush greenery. There are tall chinar trees, rose flowers, and water streams that make this a very beautiful place. Nearby there is a trout fish farm where you can learn how to trout fish are bred.

14. Sheshnag Lake

Sheshnag Lake is in Anantnag and is an alpine lake. You can reach Sheshnag Lake after a trek. The Sheshnag Lake trek is one of the best treks in Kashmir. Sheshnag Lake is associated with the mythological legend of Hindus. It is believed that the lake is the abode of Sheshnag, the king of all snakes. Brown trout and many other fishes are found in this lake. You can camp here on the banks of the lake and view the majestic landscape of mountains, glaciers, and grasslands.

15. Kherbawani Asthapan

Kherbawani Asthapan is a holy Hindu place in Anantnag where you can visit a natural spring. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Bhawani and there is a Shivlinga also near the small pond. Kherbawani Asthapan is a quiet place with plenty of scenic beauty and peaceful surroundings. You can spend some time in peace and meditation at Kherbawani Asthapan.

16. Verinag

Verinag is a small town near Anantnag which is famous for its spring and Mughal gardens. It is the major source of the Jhelum river. Verinag spring is a pond of water that never gets dry at all. The spring is surrounded by Mughal gardens which were developed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Verinag is a must-visit place when you are on your trip to Anantnag.

17. Achabal

Achabal is a very beautiful place that you can visit in Anantnag. It is famous for its freshwater spring and Achabal Gardens. Mughals developed Achabal Gardens. The gardens are terraced gardens with water fountains and cascading waterfalls. The tall chinar and deodar trees surround the garden making it even more scenic. There are pavilions to sit and admire the greenery.

18. Tulian Lake

Tulian Lake is one of the best lakes you can visit in Anantnag. It is a natural lake with blue waters and is surrounded by towering mountains. You can reach Tulian Lake after a 2-day trek. Tulian Lake trek is one of the most famous treks in Kashmir. You can also hire ponies if you want to reach Tulian Lake by horse ride. Tulian Lake is frozen for most of the year, but during summer the lake is free of snow.

19. Baisaran

Baisaran Valley is one of the beautiful places you can visit in Anantnag. Because of its green meadows, pine forests, and views of snow-capped Himalayan mountains, Baisaran is a very scenic place to visit in Kashmir. Baisaran is on the way to Tulain Lake and you can camp here. You can do many adventurous activities in Baisaran Valley like horse riding, trekking, zorbing, zip-lining, etc.

20. Mamaleshwar Temple

Mamaleshwar Temple is also called Mamal Temple. This temple is in Anantnag and is a Shiva temple. This temple is very old and was built 1600 years ago. Mamaleshwar Temple is on the Lidder river and its ruins are still intact. The temple is believed to be the place where Lord Shiva cut off the head of his son Ganesha. King Jayasimha built Mamaleshwar Temple. The temple is still very popular with tourists.

21. Marsar Lake

Marsar Lake is one of the beautiful lakes that you can visit near Anantnag. This alpine lake has the most spellbinding landscapes. Marsar Lake is close to Tarsar Lake and together, these twin lakes are called Tarsar-Marsar Lakes. You can reach Marsar Lake by a trek. The tarsar-Marsar Lake trek is considered to be one of the best treks in Kashmir.