Chicago Group of Houseboats

What is the Chicago Group of Houseboats, and where is it?

It is a group of heritage houseboats on Dal Lake in Srinagar, run by a family business that also lists shikara rides, airport transfers, travel packages and trekking packages. Its site describes a team of local people and says the family has kept houseboats and shikaras for ten generations, since the late 18th century. That history is the operator's claim and we have not seen it confirmed elsewhere.

The site gives the lake but no ghat, so ask where the boat is moored and how guests reach it. Wikipedia says Dal Lake houseboats are moored mainly along the western edge of the lake, near the lakeside boulevard and Dal Gate, and on small islands, and that they are anchored individually with bridges between neighbouring boats.

Which rooms does Chicago Group of Houseboats offer?

The operator's accommodation page names three room types and keeps the details behind a link for each. The home page says each boat has spacious bedrooms, intricate woodwork and plush carpets. Its room blurb speaks of a queen-sized bed and views of "Chicago's waterfront", which reads like text pasted from another property, so this page does not rely on it: ask for the bed type and size of the room you are quoted.

• Luxurious Room, Deluxe Room and Super Deluxe Room are the three types named; the public pages give no size, bed or price for each, so ask how they differ.
• Air-conditioned rooms exist only for some rooms and on advance booking, says the operator; ask which room type has it and whether you need it in your month.
• Ask whether the three types are on one boat or several, and which one is nearest the dining area and the landing.

What facilities and meals does Chicago Group list?

The site lists these services, and a request for each goes through a quote form. Ask which are in the nightly rate and which are charged on top.

The operator's pages do not name wazwan, the multi-course Kashmiri meal that Wikipedia describes as almost entirely meat-based. If you want it, or if you eat vegetarian food, say so when you book.

Is it suitable for families with children and for special occasions?

The operator calls its boats family-friendly and says it can arrange extra bedding and child-friendly meals on request. It lists honeymoon decoration, candle-light dinners and private shikara rides as add-ons, and says its staff are available around the clock.

A houseboat has steps, narrow walkways and open water at its edge. With small children, ask about railings on the deck and the walkway, and about which room is closest to the dining area. Our Kashmir Family Trip, listed at ₹13,250 for 5 days, is the plan most families start from, and a houseboat night can be added to a custom quote.

Which month suits a Dal Lake houseboat stay?

Do houseboats on Dal Lake pollute it, and how are they regulated?

Sewage from houseboats has long been a cause of pollution in Dal Lake. On 16 April 2026 Kashmir Life reported the Vice Chairman of the Lake Conservation and Management Authority saying that nearly 95 per cent of the houseboats operating on Dal Lake were connected to sewage treatment systems. Ask the Chicago Group whether its boats are among them.

Kashmir Life reported on 8 April 2020 that the Administrative Council had approved guidelines for registering and operating houseboats on Dal and Nigeen lakes, allowing no new houseboat to be built and categorising boats by their facilities. The draft tourist trade rules that Kashmir Observer reported on 6 August 2024 list houseboats as Deluxe and A to D, so you can ask which category a boat holds.

How do you book Chicago Group of Houseboats with Soun Kashmir?

Send your dates, the number of guests and the nights you want through the contact page, by phone or on WhatsApp. Ask the planner to compare the options, explain what each rate includes and confirm the room type before you pay. A planner can add a taxi from the airport and a shikara ride on Dal Lake to the same quote.

Soun Kashmir is an independent travel company and is not part of the Chicago Group, so the stay is confirmed with the operator and its terms apply. To compare a fleet with a long press record, see Butt's Clermont Houseboats; for a restored boat with five bedrooms, see Sukoon Houseboat; for the whole range, see houseboats in Srinagar and the hotels list.

Where do the facts on this page come from?

On 6 November 2026 we read the home, about, accommodation and facilities pages of the Chicago Group of Houseboats website, Wikipedia's articles on Dal Lake and Wazwan, Kashmir Life of 8 April 2020 and 16 April 2026, and Kashmir Observer of 6 August 2024. The site's awards, ratings and review counts are the operator's own statements and are not repeated here. Rooms, rates and meal plans change, so confirm them with the operator when you book.