Kashmiri wazwan feast
The wazwan is Kashmir's traditional multi-course feast, rich, slow-cooked and largely meat-based, built around dishes such as rogan josh, yakhni and gushtaba, Kashmiri pulao and lotus-stem nadru, finished with saffron-scented kahwa tea.
- Vegetarian version available on request
- Can be arranged at a houseboat or restaurant setting
- No payment to start planning
- Best season
- Winter (Kashmir's snow season)
- Price
- Quoted per person
- Route
- Srinagar
Reviewed by Experience My India Editorial Team · Updated 1 Sept 2026
- If you want to buy saffron or walnuts to take home, a government emporium is the safer source to avoid counterfeit products.
- Best booked as a dedicated evening rather than fitted around a full day of sightseeing, given the pace and number of courses.
The wazwan is Kashmir's traditional multi-course feast, rich, slow-cooked and largely meat-based, built around dishes such as rogan josh, yakhni and gushtaba, Kashmiri pulao and lotus-stem nadru, finished with saffron-scented kahwa tea. It is a set-piece meal best booked as its own evening rather than squeezed between sightseeing.
What a wazwan is
Kashmiri food is rich, slow-cooked and meat-heavy, built around the multi-course wazwan feast. Signature dishes include rogan josh (lamb on the bone in a deep red chilli and fennel gravy), yakhni (a yoghurt-based curry) and gushtaba (pounded meatballs in a yoghurt gravy), served alongside Kashmiri pulao, saffron rice topped with pomegranate and nuts, and nadru, a preparation using lotus stem. Flaky sheermal bread accompanies the meal, and it traditionally finishes with a cup of kahwa, saffron-scented green tea.
Seating
Guests are typically seated together around shared dishes, often on a houseboat or in a traditional Kashmiri setting.
Courses arrive in sequence
Dishes are brought out over the course of the meal rather than laid out all at once; pace is unhurried.
Rice and bread throughout
Kashmiri pulao and sheermal bread accompany the meat courses.
Kahwa to finish
The meal traditionally closes with a cup of saffron-scented kahwa tea.
Experience My India quotes this trip per person in INR after confirming your dates, hotel category and group size. The written quote names every hotel and inclusion, and nothing is charged until you approve it.
What’s included
Inclusions are itemised on your written quote.
What’s not included
- Flights and hotel
- Alcohol
- Transfers to the feast venue unless arranged with your itinerary
Srinagar, Kashmir
- This is a substantial, largely meat-based feast; tell us in advance if you need a vegetarian version, which is available but changes the character of the meal significantly.
- Best booked as a dedicated evening rather than fitted around a full day of sightseeing, given the pace and number of courses.
Best season and starting point
Available year-round in Srinagar; particularly memorable on a houseboat on Dal Lake in the evening. Winter (Kashmir's snow season) and the summer high season both suit it, since the meal is indoors.
Honest cautions
- If you want to buy saffron or walnuts to take home, a government emporium is the safer source to avoid counterfeit products.
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What our guests say
Elena Fischer
Berlin, Germany · Couple · Verified trip
5/54 days agoBooking was easy and the communication was clear at every step. No hard selling, no last-minute shop stops, just a full day of the things we actually came to see.
via Tripadvisor
Rohit Verma
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh · Couple · Verified trip
5/51 month agoWe have used a lot of tour companies over the years and this was among the best organised. Every hotel was as described, every transfer on time, and one phone call fixed the single hiccup within minutes.
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Ben Anderson
Austin, USA · Couple · Verified trip
4/51 month agoVery good day out. Guide was knowledgeable and the driver excellent. The only reason it is not five stars is that the lunch break felt too long when we would rather have seen one more site.
via Google
Julien Moreau
Paris, France · Couple · Verified trip
4/52 months agoReally enjoyable day. The guide was knowledgeable and funny. It did run about forty minutes over, which mattered because we had a train to catch, but they got us there with minutes to spare.
via Google
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellation terms are confirmed with your written quote
- No payment is taken until you approve the itinerary.
Is the wazwan always meat-based?
Traditionally yes, but a vegetarian version can be arranged with advance notice, substituting vegetable and paneer preparations for the meat courses.
How many courses are there?
It varies by host and occasion; expect several distinct meat preparations alongside rice, bread and tea, confirmed on your quote.
Is it very spicy?
Rich and warming rather than uniformly hot; rogan josh has a deep red colour from Kashmiri chilli but is not the fieriest regional cuisine in India.
Where is it usually served?
Often at a houseboat, restaurant or private home in Srinagar; the exact venue is confirmed on booking.
Can it be paired with a Dal Lake shikara ride?
Yes, ask us to combine it with our Kashmir shikara and houseboat stay experience.
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