This was supposed to be a slightly longer trip. The idea was simple: leave Delhi, visit Amritsar, experience the Attari-Wagah Border, continue towards Kashmir and spend a few days exploring the valley properly. I was travelling with my brothers, Vaibhav and Yash, and the trip had that familiar feeling of a family road journey where the route matters almost as much as the destination.
But by the time we reached Srinagar, the situation there had changed. Protests had affected several areas, markets were closed, roads were being blocked and many places we had hoped to visit were no longer easy to access. So a trip that could have become a relaxed three or four days in Kashmir turned into a short, intense journey through Amritsar, the border and one brief but unforgettable glimpse of Kashmir.
Leaving Delhi
The journey began on the night of February 27, 2026. After finishing the day, we got ready, packed our things and prepared for the long drive ahead. By around 10:45 PM, we had left Delhi and started moving towards Amritsar.
There is a different feeling to starting a road trip late at night. The city slowly becomes quieter, the roads begin to open up and the excitement of going somewhere far away starts becoming real. We were tired, but there was still that energy that comes only at the beginning of a journey.
On the way, we stopped near Kurukshetra for a short break. After some tea and snacks, we continued again towards Amritsar. The night slowly turned into morning, and the first part of the trip became exactly what road trips often are: long roads, small halts, sleepy conversations and the feeling that the destination is getting closer with every hour.
Reaching Amritsar
By the late morning of February 28, we reached Amritsar. It had taken us almost twelve hours from the time we had left Delhi, and by then we were ready to stop, freshen up and eat something properly.
We booked a hotel near the temple side, kept our bags there and stepped out into the market. Amritsar had that busy old-city energy: narrow streets, food shops, people moving in every direction and the feeling that something interesting was always happening nearby.
After the long drive, even a simple meal felt satisfying. We had parathas in the market and spent some time walking around the area before heading towards the next place we had planned to visit that day.
The Attari-Wagah Border
In the evening, we went towards the Attari-Wagah Border. We reached there at around 4:50 PM, entered the stadium area and found ourselves surrounded by a completely different kind of energy.
The patriotic songs, the crowd, the atmosphere and the sight of the border itself made the moment feel special. On one side was India, and on the other side was Pakistan. The soldiers on both sides were performing their march, and the whole place carried a strong sense of pride and intensity.
It was not just a regular sightseeing spot. Standing there, watching the ceremony and realising that we were actually at the India-Pakistan border, made the experience much more powerful than I had expected.
For some places, photographs are enough to show what they look like. But the feeling at the border was different. It was the sound, the crowd, the slogans, the soldiers and the emotion of being there that made it memorable.
Golden Temple At Night
After returning from the border, we came back towards the city. We were tired and hungry, so we stopped for dinner near the temple side. The food that night was not particularly memorable, but the next part of the evening made up for it.
We went to the Golden Temple and did the parikrama. Because of time, we could not go inside properly, but even walking around the temple at night had a peaceful feeling of its own.
After the loud, energetic atmosphere of the border, the Golden Temple felt calm and steady. The lights, the water, the people walking quietly and the spiritual atmosphere gave the day a beautiful ending.
In a single day, Amritsar had given us two completely different experiences: the pride and energy of the border, and the silence and peace of the Golden Temple.
Leaving For Amritsar
We did not stay in Amritsar for long. Late that night, after getting some rest, we checked out of the hotel, packed our bags again and started the next part of the journey.
This time, the destination was Kashmir.
The mood changed as soon as we left Amritsar behind. The trip was no longer only about a city or a border ceremony. We were now heading towards the mountains, and somewhere in the back of our minds we were already imagining snow, cold air and those views that make Kashmir feel almost unreal in photographs.
We kept moving through the night, slowly getting closer to Jammu and then towards the mountain roads beyond it.
Into The Mountains
On March 1, the road gradually started feeling different. We were moving through the Udhampur side and then further towards Srinagar. The plains had started giving way to mountains, tunnels and changing weather.
Since we were entering Kashmir, we also had to arrange a postpaid SIM card because regular prepaid connections do not work there in the same way. It was one of those small practical things that reminds you that you are entering a different region, even before the scenery fully changes.
The car also needed a quick check on the way, so we stopped at a local mechanic. He helped us without making the situation complicated, and after that we continued towards Srinagar. Small moments like that stay with you during a road trip, because when you are far from home, even basic help feels important.
Later, we stopped for rajma chawal on the way. It was simple, warm and exactly the kind of food that makes sense on a mountain journey.
The First Real View Of Kashmir
One of the most unforgettable moments came after we crossed a tunnel near the Wangund side. When we looked back, the view behind us was difficult to describe properly.
There were snow-covered mountains shining in the distance. The slopes looked bright white, the air felt cleaner and the whole landscape suddenly opened up in a way that made us pause. It was the kind of view that makes you stop talking for a moment.
The roads also surprised me. The highways were wide, smooth and almost empty in stretches. On both sides, there were open fields, mountains and long spaces that made the whole place feel much bigger than anything we had seen earlier on the trip.
That was the moment Kashmir started feeling real.
Until then, we were only travelling towards it. After that view, it felt like we had actually entered the valley.
Srinagar Felt Different
We entered Srinagar at around 3 PM. But the city was not in the normal tourist mood we had imagined.
There was checking at several places. Some roads were blocked, many shops were closed and the presence of police and security forces was visible across different parts of the city.
We came to know that on February 28, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had died after US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and because of that, people in Srinagar had started protesting. The effect was visible across the city. Markets were closed, routes were blocked and even many tourist places were no longer easy to access.
That changed the mood of the trip.
Our plan had been to spend a few days in Kashmir and explore properly, but now even moving around the city was uncertain. We did not know when the main areas would open again or whether the situation would become more restricted by the next day.
Still, we were in Srinagar, and there was one place we could not miss.
Dal Lake
By around 4 PM, we reached Dal Lake.
It was much bigger than I had imagined. The lake stretched out wide in front of us, with the city on one side and mountains in the distance. After the long drive and the tense entry into Srinagar, sitting there for a while felt calming.
The three of us spent some time near the lake, took photographs and simply watched the place around us. It was our first proper Kashmir moment, and because we did not know how much more of the trip we would actually get to experience, it felt even more important.
Dal Lake had a quietness that balanced the rest of the day. The roads, the checking and the uncertainty were still there, but for a little while, we were just three brothers sitting in Kashmir, looking at one of the most famous lakes in India.
The Room We Decided Not To Take
After spending some time around Dal Lake, we started looking for a place to stay. While moving through the city, we met a man who said he could show us a cheaper room. At first, it sounded normal. In tourist places, people often approach travellers with hotel or room options.
But as we followed him through narrow lanes, the situation started feeling uncomfortable. The lanes became smaller, the area felt unfamiliar and he kept insisting that we come further inside to see the room.
Vaibhav and I did not feel right about it. Yash was still willing to check, but both of us kept saying that we should leave. It was not about proving whether the man was good or bad. Sometimes while travelling, you simply get a feeling that a situation is not worth the risk.
So we made an excuse, turned back and left the area.
Once we came out of those lanes, the tension finally started settling down, but the incident stayed in our minds. It reminded us that even in a beautiful place, you still have to trust your instincts and be careful about where you go.
A Big Moment For Vaibhav
In the middle of all this, something genuinely special happened. Vaibhav received the news that he had passed and become a CA.
Suddenly, the trip had a personal milestone inside it. Family members started calling him, and even though the day had been tiring and tense, that news brought a different kind of happiness.
There are some moments that become attached to a place forever. For Vaibhav, Srinagar will probably always carry the memory of that phone call.
The Night In Srinagar
Later, we checked into Hotel Shah Paradise. By then, the day had already taken a lot out of us. We had travelled for hours, entered Srinagar during a tense situation, visited Dal Lake, avoided a place that did not feel safe and then ended the evening with a mix of tiredness and emotion.
I was exhausted and not in the mood to go out again. I simply lay down under the blanket and let the day end quietly.
It was not the kind of Srinagar night we had imagined when we started planning Kashmir, but it was the night we actually got.
Leaving Earlier Than Planned
The next morning, on March 2, we had to make a decision. We had originally hoped to spend more time in Kashmir, but because of the protests and road restrictions, staying longer felt uncertain.
There was also a concern that if more routes got blocked, we might get stuck in Srinagar for longer than planned. So instead of waiting and taking that risk, we decided to leave for Delhi the same day.
It was disappointing, because Kashmir had only just begun for us. We had seen the mountains, the roads and Dal Lake, but there was still so much we had not explored. Gulmarg, Pahalgam, local markets and several other places remained only part of the plan, not part of the experience.
But sometimes a trip does not give you the version you imagined. It gives you the version the road allows.
The Long Road Back
We checked out of the hotel in the morning and started the long return journey towards Delhi. The drive back was tiring, but it also gave us time to slowly come out of Kashmir and process what had happened in just a short time.
Around Chenani, we stopped for food. Later in the night, when we reached the Kurukshetra side, we ate at Sukhan's Star Dhaba. The aloo parathas there were genuinely good, and after such a long day on the road, they felt even better.
We finally reached home at around 1:30 AM. From Srinagar to Delhi, the return journey had taken us roughly seventeen and a half hours.
By then, all of us were completely tired. The trip was over, but it did not feel small. Somehow, in just four days, it had managed to include Amritsar, the border, Kashmir, uncertainty, snow, Dal Lake and one very long road back home.
Looking Back
When I look back at this trip, I don't remember it as a perfect vacation. It was not slow, relaxed or properly planned in the way most Kashmir trips are supposed to be.
But maybe that is why it stands out.
I remember leaving Delhi at night with my brothers. I remember reaching Amritsar after a long drive and feeling the city come alive around us. I remember standing at the Attari-Wagah Border and feeling proud in a way that is hard to explain unless you are actually there.
I remember walking around the Golden Temple at night and feeling the day become peaceful again. I remember the road to Kashmir, the first view of the snow-covered mountains and the moment the valley suddenly appeared around us.
And I remember Dal Lake.
Even though we could not explore Kashmir the way we had imagined, that short time in Srinagar gave the trip its own story. There was beauty, there was tension, there was disappointment and there were moments that only happen when you are travelling with people close to you.
My Experience
This trip reminded me that travelling is not always about covering every famous place. Sometimes you remember the route, the timing, the mood of a city, a decision you had to make or a view that appeared suddenly after a tunnel.
Amritsar gave us energy and emotion. The border gave us pride. The Golden Temple gave us peace. Kashmir gave us a glimpse of something beautiful, even though we could not stay long enough to fully experience it.
Most of all, this was a trip with my brothers. That made even the tiring parts feel like memories worth keeping. The arguments, the sudden decisions, the long drive, the food stops and the small moments between places became part of the story too.
I still feel that Kashmir was left incomplete for us.
And maybe that is the reason I want to go back someday.
We left Delhi thinking we would spend a few days exploring Amritsar and Kashmir.
The trip became shorter than planned, but it still gave us more than enough to remember.
In four days, we saw the energy of Amritsar, the emotion of the India-Pakistan border, the peace of the Golden Temple and the first breathtaking glimpse of Kashmir.
Kashmir, this trip felt incomplete - but maybe that is exactly why I know I'll come back someday.