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Kashmiri wazwan feast

CulinarySrinagar

Photo: Sayantan Sarkar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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.

Reviewed by Experience My India Editorial Team · Updated 1 Sept 2026

Government-approved operatorApproved by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

  • RouteSrinagar
  • Best seasonWinter (Kashmir's snow season)
  • Free cancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
  • Vegetarian version available on request
  • Can be arranged at a houseboat or restaurant setting
  • No payment to start planningYou receive a written quote first; nothing is charged to start planning.

Itinerary

  1. Seating

    Step 1

    • Guests are typically seated together around shared dishes, often on a houseboat or in a traditional Kashmiri setting.

  2. Courses arrive in sequence

    Step 2

    • Dishes are brought out over the course of the meal rather than laid out all at once; pace is unhurried.

  3. Rice and bread throughout

    Step 3

    • Kashmiri pulao and sheermal bread accompany the meat courses.

  4. Kahwa to finish

    Step 4

    • The meal traditionally closes with a cup of saffron-scented kahwa tea.
Rogan Josh is a Kashmiri Dish,Step 1 · Seating
Rogan Josh is a Kashmiri Dish,

For reference only. The final plan is confirmed in your written quote.

Highlights

  • Kashmiri food is rich, slow-cooked and meat-heavy, built around the multi-course wazwan feast.
  • Flaky sheermal bread accompanies the meal, and it traditionally finishes with a cup of kahwa, saffron-scented green tea.
  • 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.

Full description

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.

Includes

Inclusions are itemised on your written quote.

Not included

  • Flights and hotel
  • Alcohol
  • Transfers to the feast venue unless arranged with your itinerary

Price

Experience My India quotes this trip 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.

Important information

Srinagar, Kashmir

Know before you go

  • 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 time and setting

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.

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

  • Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
  • No payment is taken until you approve the itinerary.

Honest cautions

  • If you want to buy saffron or walnuts to take home, a government emporium is the safer source to avoid counterfeit products.

How booking works

  1. Send an enquiry

    Dates, who is travelling and how you like to travel. Two fields to start.

  2. We check availability

    Hotels, guides and permits for your dates, with honest alternatives if something is full.

  3. Price and hotels named

    Every hotel and inclusion is named before you pay anything.

  4. Written quote in INR

    One document, no hidden lines, valid for the dates it quotes.

  5. You approve

    Change anything you like. Nothing is charged until you say yes.

  6. A named specialist runs it

    The same person from first reply to departure, Mon–Sun, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM IST.

Your trip designer

Gurudutt Kaushal

Founder, Experience My India · IIT Jodhpur

Gurudutt Kaushal founded Experience My India and set the two rules every trip here runs on: hotels and guides are named before you pay, and a human replies within four hours. Your itinerary is designed by one of the 35+ destination specialists on his team and checked against our vetting standard.

About GuruduttMeet our founderHow we vet

Trust and protection

  • Ministry of Tourism approved

    Approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

  • Registered business

    GSTIN 09BZFPM8067A1Z9

  • 4.3 / 5 on Tripadvisor

    Independent guest reviews

  • No payment to start

    A written quote first; charged in INR only after you approve.

Why book with Experience My India

  • Government-approved operator

    Approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

  • 500+ vetted local guides

    35+ destination specialists plan every trip by hand.

  • Human help, every day

    Mon–Sun, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM IST · +91 73022 65809

  • No payment until you approve

    You receive a written quote first; nothing is charged to start planning.

How we vet every guide, stay and routeIndia e-Visa: who needs one and how to applyHave a specialist design this trip

Frequently asked questions

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.

Request a quote

Ask for a quote and tell us if you need a vegetarian version.

Ask on WhatsApp
  • No payment to start planning
  • Reply within four hours, 9am-9pm IST
  • Vegetarian version available on request
  • Can be arranged at a houseboat or restaurant setting

Customer reviews

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