Climate change is projected to have serious environmental, economic and social impacts on the Kashmir Himalayas, particularly affecting farmers whose livelihoods depend largely on rainfall. The severity of these effects hinge on farmers’ awareness and their ability to adapt to the changing climate. This study explores farmers’ knowledge and perceptions of climate change, as well as the adaptation measures implemented in agriculture. This study employed a random sampling procedure to interview 384 farming households between March and August 2022. The results vividly illustrate that 55% of respondents acknowledge climate change. Awareness levels vary as 40% respondents were found to be fully informed, 28% are somewhat aware and 14% were uninformed. Perception regarding the manifestations of climate change indicates that around 60% of the respondents attribute it to rising temperatures, while others point towards fluctuating precipitation or extreme weather events. Despite a general awareness of contributing factors (52%), a significant majority (54%) attribute climate change due to human activities rather than natural processes. Concern about climate change is pronounced, with 25% expressing extreme worry and 45% showing significant concern. The adaptation scenario of the region indicates that respondents consider improvements in irrigation, crop diversification, conversion of agricultural land to horticulture, shifting towards high value crops and rain water harvesting as viable adaptation strategies to combat climate change. These findings underscore the multifaceted nature of climate change perceptions and the diverse responses it provokes in a region profoundly impacted by environmental changes. This study highlights the need for targeted policy interventions at the farm-household level to enhance farmers’ adaptive capacity in the region.