Enquiry to arrival
How Booking Works
We are an agency, not an owner. That shapes how a booking works: you tell us what you need, we check it with the houseboat owner, and you get one written quote you can hold us to.
The four steps
From enquiry to the deck of the boat
No payment is asked for at any point before you have the written quote in your hand.
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Send your enquiry
Give us the dates, the number of adults and children, the grade you have in mind and anything that matters — adjoining rooms, a late arrival, dietary needs, airport pick-up. WhatsApp is the fastest route; email works equally well if you prefer a written trail from the start.
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We check with the owner
We contact the owner of the boat and confirm the rooms are actually free for those nights, what meals they will provide, and how boarding will work. If the boat is taken, we come back with the closest alternatives rather than a silence.
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You receive a written quote
The quote names the boat, the grade, the mooring, the nights, the rooms held, what is included and what is not, the payment terms and how long the figure holds. Nothing is verbal. If something is still uncertain, it says so.
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We arrange the transfer
Once you confirm, we fix the arrival: the taxi if you want one, the ghat, the shikara and the time the owner expects you. You get the owner’s contact and ours, so there is always somebody to call.
The quote
What a quote includes, and what it does not
Every stay is quoted per enquiry, so the only honest list is the one attached to your own dates. These are the lines you can expect to see.
Stated in your quote
- The boat by name, its grade and its mooring
- The nights held and the rooms held
- Which meals, if any, the owner is providing
- The boarding shikara arrangement
- Payment terms, and how long the figure holds
- Our contact and the owner’s contact
Not included unless we say so
- Flights, trains and travel to Srinagar
- Airport or bus stand taxi, unless you ask us to add it
- Shikara rides taken during your stay
- Day trips to Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg or the gardens
- Entry tickets, Gondola tickets and pony charges
- Laundry, phone calls and anything bought on the boat
We never publish a rate. Owners quote per enquiry, and the figure changes with the season, the length of stay and what is included. Ask and we will get you the real number.
Before you travel
Identification and what to bring
Indian guests
Carry an original government photo ID for every adult — Aadhaar, passport, driving licence or voter card. Houseboat owners are required to record guest details, so the ID is checked and noted on arrival. A photograph of the document on your phone is not a substitute.
Foreign guests
Carry your passport and your Indian visa. Owners record passport and visa details for every foreign guest at check-in, and these are submitted as required. Keep the document with you rather than in checked luggage on the day you board.
What to pack for the lake
A warm layer for the evening in every season, because the water cools quickly after sunset. Sunblock and a hat for the deck. Mosquito repellent in the warm months. Any medication you rely on, since the nearest pharmacy is a shikara ride and a walk away.
- Families
- Children usually share the parents’ room, and an extra bed can often be added. Tell us ages and we will ask the owner what is workable before quoting.
- Groups
- For six guests or more we look for one boat with enough bedrooms rather than splitting you across two moorings. Say how many rooms you want.
- Long stays
- For a week or more, ask us to request a longer-stay figure from the owner when we enquire.
- Policies
- Cancellation, refunds, terms and privacy.
Start here
Send the enquiry
Dates and guest numbers are enough to begin. Everything else we can settle in the conversation that follows.
Call or WhatsApp +91 99067 37924, or email bookmyhouseboat0@gmail.com.
Send an enquiry
Tell us the dates and the number of guests. We check availability with the owner and reply with a written quote.
Ready to ask?
Send your dates. We check with the owner and reply with a written quote — rates on request, as always.