Pahalgam - Tarsar - Marsar

On arrival you will be met at the airport (or the Tourist Reception Centre if you travelled overland) and transferred to the houseboat/hotel for your overnight stay. There will be an afternoon Shikara ride on Dal Lake.

Morning sightseeing of Mughal Gardens and Shankaracharaya temple.Afternoon at leisure and overnight in Srinagar.

An early morning start is imperative as it is a long drive of 105km to Aru, a beautiful lush green pasture with the grand view of the Katrinag Mountains as a backdrop. Afternoon at leisure or a few short walks to stretch the legs for the days ahead. Overnight in tents.

The trail begins with a steep climb to a ride line and then undulates along the true left of the Lidder River, crossing the odd side stream. As we near camp the valley narrows; a foot bridge leading us to our campsite.

A short and easy day today to help with acclimatization, we trek along the true right of the gushing waters of the Lidder River on an undulating, occasionally steep, trail. We cross five tributaries of a side river beside the Gujars encampment and continue with a gentle descent towards a lush green meadow beside the Lidder River for our overnight camp. There is an optional acclimatization side walk to a ride in the afternoon.

An early morning start is imperative as we have a long day ahead of us. Our hike begins upwards and onwards as we head towards Kolahoi Base Camp, passing nomadic shepherds en-route. As we get closer to the glacier the walk becomes a little harder as the terrain becomes rough glacial moraine, but the increasingly spectacular views of the Kolahoi Peak urge us on. In order to gain the best view of Kolahoi we may have to climb a little higher on the ridge opposite. The return walk is easier and quicker as we head back to Lidderwat via Satlanjan, elated from being so close to the majestic peak.

The day's trek starts with a moderate to steep ascent for 1 hour, followed by a level walk for another hour before we break for lunch, beside a gentle stream. We leave the tree line behind here, and ascend gradually for 1 more hour to reach the Shekwas campsite. From here one can get a good view of the surrounding mountains and the path heading up to the Tarsar lake.

A trek to the first of the lakes, Tarsar, is on the agenda today. We trek uphill from the Shekwas campsite, keeping the stream flowing down to our right. The views of the mountains get grander and more snow-clad peaks become visible all around us as we approach the Tarsar Lake. 2 hours of trekking and the beautiful lake reveals itself amidst imposing mountain ridges on 3 sides.

we trek up and over a saddle on a ridge located on the far side of the the lake. Marsar is an hour's trek away from here. After relaxing at the lakes and soaking in the beauty of the surroundings, we turn back towards Zachmargi and then trek down for another 2 to 3 hours to the Sonmus campsite. We are now headed towards the other end of the valley leaving behind the Kolahoi mountain massif.

From Sonemasti, we will start our descent towards Sumbal, where our trek ends. The trek is entirely downhill, criss-crossing water streams along the way. We also pass a number of shepherd huts as we get near Sumbal. Be careful though - a number of shepherd dogs to be encountered along the way. It takes about 3 to 4 hours to reach the upper Sumbal settlement, where we regroup for lunch. A level walk for another hour and we get to the road-head that connects to Srinagar. Transfer your backpacks to the vehicles waiting for us and sit back and enjoy the drive back to Srinagar.

Our representative shall assist you to the airport. If there are few hours to spare (depending upon the time of the flight), we can organize a sightseeing trip in Srinagar.