110 kms – Approx 4 hours drive. We will pick you up from Srinagar TRC at 1 pm and reach Aru valley base camp at around 5 pm.

Our first-day destination is Aru on the banks of Lidder and Aru Rivers, situated 12 km off Pahalgam. A fairly developed tourist stop, Aru is regarded as the main base for two well-loved treks – the Tarsar Marsar and Kolahoi Glacier Trek, the destination of the latter being the origin of the Lidder-Aru Rivers.

Our representatives will meet you in Srinagar and from there you will take a short 3 to 4 hrs drive to Aru via Pahalgam. From Pahalgam, two routes go towards Aru, one through the village of Anantnag and one through Bijbhera. Bhijbera route is a tourist trail that presents the beautiful rural scenery of Kashmir with apple orchards, apricot, and walnut trees. Since a steady telephonic network cannot be confirmed at Aru, you need to wrap up your communication at Pahalgam itself. At Aru, you will be welcomed at a riverside camping zone, off the touristy hub, by the sweet-flowing Lidder. There are lots of activities around the town at Aru– from trout fishing in Lidder, and the Aru Biosphere Reserve to horseback riding and heliskiing in winter. You can explore and mark these for a later visit because we will be reaching quite late into the dusk around 6 pm.

10 kms trek – Approx 6/7 hours

We head out into the tree cover, visible at a distance from the campsite, leaving behind the green pen pastures. The trek starts with a gradual ascend for 2 to 3 hours through a beautiful pine forest trail. A short level walk along the Lidder river thereafter brings you to a tea stall. Another gradual ascend for 1 hour and you can see the Lidder forest rest house in sight. Cross a bridge and get to the Lidder campsite on the other side of the river.

6 kms trek – Approx 5 hours

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 short 1 hour hike from the Sekhwas campsite will take you to the small yet charming Jadar Lake. Return to Sekhwas and rest for the night.

4 kms trek – Approx 3/4 hours

From Shekwas, the trail entwines along a grassy landscape for a while. The green moors of Shekwas are best experienced with bare feet. Try this as you set out of Tarsar Lake today. The agenda today is the trek to the first lake, Tarsar. The trail moves through a silken lawn of nature for some time before climbing over a humpbacked hill and after crossing a few ridges you get a little peek of Tarsar’s magnetic blue waters. You will follow a westward direction in general.

It takes a total of 5 hours to reach Tarsar from Shekwas, the view of the lake widening as we go down succeeding smaller ridges. Every ridge on the trail opens to a stupendous view. The views of the snow-clad peaks become grander as we get closer to the lake. You need to cross the stream, jumping from boulder to boulder adventurously before finally gliding into a verdant meadow around the lake where we will camp at night. Sink your feet deep into the soft grass and watch how the lake water reflects the passing hues of the sky as the day rolls on. Time seems to come to a standstill amid such beauty and silence. There are plenty of flat open spots by the lake where your tents will be pitched.

6 kms Trek – Approx 5 hours

Today, we have to cross the ridge which surrounds the Tarsar lake. An hour’s climb to the top of the ridge and then we descend into the valley on the other side. The view of the valley leading to Zachmargi on the other side of the ridge is simply breathtaking. Upon descending into the valley, we walk along the stream which drains from Sundarsar. Set up camp at Sundarsar. Relax and admire the serene Sundersar Lake. Retire for the night.

11 kms trek – 7 hours approx.

Walking around Sundersar, we trek up and over a saddle on a ridge located on the far side of the lake. Marsar is an hour’s trek away from here. The trail takes you to a vantage point which gives you unparalleled views of the Marsar Lake, which is almost always engulfed under clouds and mist. The weather this height turns bad fast and is unpredictable. So, after soaking in the beauty of the lake and its surroundings, we turn back towards Zachmargi from Sundersar. From here instead of taking the Tarsar pass and reach Sekhwas, we trek for 2 to 3 hours to reach the campsite of Homwas.

13 kms Trek – Approx 6/7 hours
110 Kms drive – Approx 4 hours

Today we depart the campsite of Homwas and take the same route we took at the beginning of the trek to reach Aru via Lidderwat. A two hours descent from Homwas will take you to Lidderwat and this time you can witness all the epic views that you had missed earlier on this trail. Passing through the pine forests of Lidderwat, we rest at Lidderwat for some time before resuming our trek to Aru which will take about 4 more hours to cover. Expect to reach Aru by 3 pm and our vehicles will be waiting at Aru to drive you to Srinagar. Expect to reach Srinagar by 7-8 pm.