# Beginner Ski Packages in Gulmarg ## Which beginner ski package is right for you? All three packages include one-to-one instruction, all equipment and safety gear, hotel with breakfast and dinner, lift passes, daily transport and Srinagar airport transfers. The difference is how far up the mountain you get, and how good you are when you leave. Each one is a Gulmarg beginner ski course with the trip built round it: the same one-to-one instruction, over three, five or seven days. | | 3-Day | 5-Day | 7-Day | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | You'll finish able to | Ski beginner slopes independently | Ski parallel on intermediate terrain | Ski parallel confidently on chairlift terrain | | Terrain covered | Baby Slope, 8-5, Highland Park | + Gondola Phase 1 (Kongdoori) | + chairlift above Kongdoori | | Gondola Phase 1 passes | No | Yes | Yes | | Chairlift passes | No | No | Yes | | Parallel turns | Introduced | Yes | Consolidated on real pitch | | Mountain-safety session | No | No | Yes | | Hotel ski room | Yes | Yes | Yes | | 24/7 hot water, Wi-Fi | No | No | Yes | | One-to-one instructor | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Airport transfers, all gear, lift passes, half board | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short on time? Three days makes you a skier. Want the ski holiday you pictured? Five days gets you onto the Gondola and skiing parallel. Want to leave as a real skier? Seven days. Only Gulmarg Snowkings runs it one-to-one from Day 1 to Day 7. [3-Day Package](https://gulmargsnowkings.com/packages/beginner-ski-packages/), [5-Day Package](https://gulmargsnowkings.com/packages/beginner-ski-packages/), [7-Day Package](https://gulmargsnowkings.com/packages/beginner-ski-packages/) ## Choose your duration - **Duration:** 3 days - **Level:** Beginner - **Discipline:** Ski - **Instruction:** One to one ### Day by day - **Standing, sliding, stopping** Morning starts with boot fitting and a proper equipment check: boot fit, binding release setting, pole length. Then onto the Baby Slope. You'll learn the athletic stance skiing actually needs, how to move around on flat snow, side-stepping and herringbone to climb, and how to fall and get back up without wearing yourself out. The core skill of Day 1 is the snowplough, the wedge shape that lets you control speed and come to a complete stop whenever you want. By the end of the afternoon you'll be sliding the Baby Slope and stopping on command at a point your instructor picks. - **Linking turns** Turning, both directions, in the snowplough. This is the day the sport starts to make sense: you'll learn how pressure and steering change your direction, how to traverse across a slope, and how to use the beginner lift so you spend your energy skiing rather than walking uphill. We move to the 8-5 slope once your stops are reliable. Longer runs, more speed to manage, and the beginnings of slope awareness, reading pitch, judging stopping distance, and the right-of-way rules that keep a busy Gulmarg slope safe. - **Skiing a full run on your own** Highland Park. Longer descents, linked turns from top to bottom, and the first steps toward matching your skis at the end of each turn, the movement that eventually becomes a parallel turn. You'll bring in pole use, work on rhythm rather than one turn at a time, and finish the day skiing the run repeatedly without your instructor needing to talk you down it. ### What's included - Airport pick-up and drop: Srinagar (SXR) to your Gulmarg hotel and back, roughly a 1.5 to 2 hour drive - 3-star or 4-star hotel stay with breakfast and dinner included - Hotel ski room: Yes, a dedicated room at the hotel to dry and store your equipment overnight - Complete ski equipment: skis, boots, poles, fitted to you on arrival - All essential safety gear: helmet, goggles, gloves - Ski pants and jacket - All ski lift passes for the beginner slopes used in this course - One-to-one ski instruction: your own instructor for the full course, not a group of eight sharing one - Daily transport hotel to slopes to hotel - Emergency medical support on call for the duration of your stay ### Not included Airfare to Srinagar, lunch, personal expenses, travel insurance, ski clothing unless added on. GST where applicable - **Duration:** 5 days - **Level:** Beginner - **Discipline:** Ski - **Instruction:** One to one ### Day by day - **Standing, sliding, stopping** Equipment fitting and binding check, then the Baby Slope. Athletic stance, moving on flat snow, side-stepping and herringbone, falling and recovering efficiently, and the snowplough, speed control and a reliable stop on command. - **Linking turns** Snowplough turns in both directions, traversing, and using the beginner lift. Once your stops are dependable we move to the 8-5 slope for longer runs, more speed to manage, and slope awareness: reading pitch, judging stopping distance, right of way. - **Full runs at Highland Park** Longer descents, turns linked top to bottom, and the first work on matching your skis at the end of each turn. Pole use, rhythm, and enough repetition that skiing a full run stops feeling like a series of separate decisions. - **Gondola Phase 1, Kongdoori** Your first mountain day. The Gondola takes you from the Gulmarg base at 2,650 m up to Kongdoori at around 3,100 m, and the descent back down is longer and more varied than anything you have skied so far, changing pitch, changing snow, other skiers to read. The technical work is the stem christie: starting a turn from a wedge and finishing it with both skis matched and on edge. This is the bridge to parallel skiing, and Day 4 is where most people first feel their skis running together instead of fighting each other. - **Parallel turns** Wedge out, parallel in. You'll work on initiating turns with edge and pressure rather than by pushing the tail out, build rhythm through medium-radius turns, and then take it down the full Kongdoori descent repeatedly until it holds up under fatigue, which is the real test of whether a skill has stuck. We finish the day skiing top to bottom together, with your instructor riding behind you rather than in front. ### What's included - Airport pick-up and drop: Srinagar (SXR) both ways - 3-star or 4-star hotel stay with breakfast and dinner included - Hotel ski room: Yes, a dedicated room at the hotel to dry and store your equipment overnight - Complete ski equipment fitted on arrival - All essential safety gear: helmet, goggles, gloves - Ski pants and jacket - All ski lift passes for the beginner and intermediate slopes used in the course - Gondola Phase 1 ski passes: Kongdoori, approx. 3,100 m - One-to-one ski instruction throughout - Daily transport hotel to slopes to hotel - Emergency medical support on call ### Not included Airfare to Srinagar, lunch, personal expenses, travel insurance, ski clothing unless added on. GST where applicable - **Duration:** 7 days - **Level:** Beginner - **Discipline:** Ski - **Instruction:** One to one ### Day by day - **Standing, sliding, stopping** Equipment fitting and binding check. Baby Slope: stance, moving on flat snow, side-stepping and herringbone, falling and recovering, and the snowplough for speed control and a stop on command. - **Linking turns** Snowplough turns both directions, traversing, using the beginner lift. Onto the 8-5 slope for longer runs, more speed to manage, and slope awareness and right of way. - **Full runs at Highland Park** Longer descents, turns linked top to bottom, first work on matching the skis at the end of a turn. Pole use and rhythm. - **Gondola Phase 1, Kongdoori** Base at 2,650 m up to Kongdoori at around 3,100 m. Long descents on varied pitch and varied snow. The stem christie: turn starts from a wedge, finishes matched and on edge. - **Parallel turns** The wedge comes out of the turn initiation. Edge and pressure replace pushing the tail out. Medium-radius turns with rhythm, repeated on the full Kongdoori descent until they survive being tired. - **The chairlift, and steeper snow** The chairlift above Kongdoori opens terrain with more pitch and more variety than the Gondola runs. Here your parallel turns stop being a technique and start being a tool: short-radius turns for control on steeper sections, edge grip on firm morning snow, and your first turns in soft snow off the groomed edge under close instruction. We also run a beginner mountain-safety session on Day 6, what avalanche terrain looks like, why we ski where we ski, how to read a forecast, and where the boundaries are between in-bounds skiing and the backcountry. Our guiding team is certified through AIARE, Avalanche Canada and the Kashmir Avalanche Association, and we think every skier should understand this before they are tempted past a rope line. - **Putting it together** A full mountain day with no new technique introduced, the day everything consolidates. Dynamic parallel turns, varying turn shape and speed to suit terrain rather than skiing one turn for everything, and choosing your own lines. Your instructor will finish with an honest assessment of where you are and what to work on next. ### What's included - Airport pick-up and drop: Srinagar (SXR) both ways - 3-star or 4-star hotel stay with breakfast and dinner included, plus free Wi-Fi and 24/7 hot water - Hotel ski room: Yes, a dedicated room at the hotel to dry and store your equipment overnight - Complete ski equipment fitted on arrival - All essential safety gear: helmet, goggles, gloves - Ski pants and jacket - All ski lift passes for the slopes used in the course - Gondola Phase 1 ski passes: Kongdoori, approx. 3,100 m - Chairlift ski passes: the chairlift above Kongdoori toward Mary's Shoulder - One-to-one ski instruction for all seven days - Daily transport hotel to slopes to hotel - Emergency medical support on call ### Not included Airfare to Srinagar, lunch, personal expenses, travel insurance, ski clothing unless added on. GST where applicable ## What it costs Per person in Indian rupees. The solo column is the price for one person travelling alone; the sharing columns are the price each person pays when two or three share. | Package | Solo | 2 sharing per person | 3 sharing per person | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 3-Day Package 3-star hotel | ₹55,900 | ₹41,000 | ₹36,333 | | 3-Day Package 4-star hotel | ₹79,000 | ₹54,000 | ₹44,333 | | 5-Day Package 3-star hotel | ₹83,500 | ₹53,250 | ₹44,166 | | 5-Day Package 4-star hotel | ₹1,07,500 | ₹68,250 | ₹52,166 | | 7-Day Package 3-star hotel | ₹1,12,100 | ₹72,350 | ₹60,433 | | 7-Day Package 4-star hotel | ₹1,44,100 | ₹92,350 | ₹75,100 | Prices are for the season and can change between seasons. What each price covers, and what it does not, is listed under each duration above. For a quote on your dates, [send us an enquiry](#enquire). ## Take the itinerary with you Every package brochure is on one page as a PDF, with the full itinerary, inclusions and booking conditions. Downloads ## Enquire about beginner ski packages Tell us your dates and what you can ski. We will reply with what the mountain is realistically likely to give you in that window. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can a complete beginner learn to ski in 3 days? Yes. Three days of one-to-one instruction is enough for most adults to ski beginner slopes independently, controlling speed, linking turns, stopping on demand and riding the lifts alone. What three days will not give you is parallel turns or the confidence to handle Gondola terrain; that takes five to seven days. ### Do I need my own ski gear? No. Skis, boots, poles, helmet, goggles, gloves, ski pants and jacket are all included and fitted to you on arrival. Bring thermal base layers and warm socks, those are the two things people regret leaving at home. ### Is the instructor shared with other people? No. This package is one instructor to one student for the whole course. That is the single biggest reason beginners progress faster with us than in a group class. ### What happens if the weather closes in? Gulmarg gets storms, and lifts close. Your instructor will adapt, lower-elevation terrain still skis well in bad visibility, and the Baby Slope and Highland Park stay usable in conditions that shut the Gondola. ### How far is Gulmarg from Srinagar airport? About 50 km, which takes 1.5 to 2 hours depending on road and snow conditions. Your pick-up and drop are included in the package. ### Is skiing in Gulmarg safe? On the beginner slopes this package uses, yes, they are patrolled, in-bounds and well within a beginner's ability with an instructor alongside. We have run guided skiing here since 2006 with zero avalanche accidents among our guided clients, and our backcountry team holds certifications from AIARE, Avalanche Canada and the Kashmir Avalanche Association. Emergency medical support is included for the length of your stay. ### Can I learn parallel turns in 5 days as a complete beginner? Yes, most people can, with one-to-one instruction. Days 1 to 3 build the wedge and speed control; Day 4 introduces the stem christie, where turns finish with the skis matched; Day 5 removes the wedge from the start of the turn. Group classes rarely achieve this in five days because progression moves at the slowest person's pace. ### What is Gondola Phase 1 and do I need a separate ticket? Phase 1 is the lower stage of the Gulmarg Gondola, running from the base at 2,650 m to Kongdoori at around 3,100 m. Your Phase 1 ski passes are included in this package. Phase 2, which continues to Apharwat at roughly 3,980 m, is expert and off-piste terrain and is not part of a beginner course. ### Is 5 days better value than 3? For most people, yes. Three days makes you a skier on beginner slopes. Five days makes you a skier who can use the mountain, which is what most people picture when they imagine a ski holiday. The extra two days are the ones that change what you're capable of. ### How fit do I need to be? Everyday fitness is enough for the first three days. Days 4 and 5 involve longer continuous descents, so reasonable leg strength helps, but the limiting factor for beginners is almost always technique and confidence, not fitness. ### When is the best time to come? Mid-January to mid-March is usually the most reliable window for snow depth and quality in Gulmarg. The season typically runs late December to early April. Message us before booking flights and we'll tell you what the mountain is genuinely doing. ### Is it really possible to master parallel skiing in 7 days? For most reasonably fit adults with one-to-one instruction, yes. The sequence matters: three days of speed control and turn shape on beginner slopes, two days of stem christie and parallel turns on Gondola Phase 1, then two days on chairlift terrain where the technique has to hold up under real pitch. Skipping steps is what makes people plateau, and one-to-one teaching is what stops the schedule slipping. ### What is the chairlift in Gulmarg and where does it go? It runs from Kongdoori, at the top of Gondola Phase 1, up toward Mary's Shoulder. It opens terrain with more pitch and variety than the Kongdoori runs, and it is where our 7-day students spend Days 6 and 7. Your chairlift passes are included. ### Do I need to be fit for a 7-day ski course? Everyday fitness is enough to start, but seven consecutive days on snow is a real physical load. If you can walk uphill for an hour without stopping, you'll be fine. Days 6 and 7 are the tiring ones, that's by design, because skiing well when you're tired is the skill that separates a confident skier from a nervous one. ### Will I ski powder? Some, on Day 6 and 7, off the groomed edge and under close instruction, enough to understand how different it feels. Real Gulmarg powder skiing, in the terrain the resort is famous for, is a guided activity we run separately for skiers who already have parallel turns. This course gets you to the point of being able to book one. ### What if I progress faster or slower than the plan? The day-by-day above is the typical progression, not a fixed script. Because you have your own instructor, the plan adapts to you, some students are on Gondola terrain by Day 3, others need an extra day at Highland Park and still finish the week skiing parallel. Nobody is held back by a group, and nobody is pushed onto terrain they aren't ready for.