Tarsar and Marsar Lakes Trek itinerary
Day 01: Arrival in Srinagar and Drive to Aru Village
Your adventure starts with your arrival at Srinagar airport, where our representative will be waiting for you. From here, you will embark on a 4-hour drive to Aru Village, known as the Valley of Shepherds. The drive will take you through the beautiful saffron fields and KP road. Once you arrive in Aru Village, check into your hotel and spend the evening exploring the beautiful village on foot. Dinner will be served at the hotel, where you will stay overnight.
Day 02: Aru Village to Lidderwat
After a delicious breakfast at your hotel, you will start your trekking to Lidderwat will begin, a journey that will take around 6-7 hours. The trek starts with a beautiful view of the Aru village, and as you move forward, you'll come across the Gujjar community settlement, Nandkei, and a beautiful pine forest section.
The trail will then take you through open grasslands and multiple streams that you'll need to cross to reach Lidderwat. The entire trek is breathtaking, and you'll find yourself surrounded by stunning scenery throughout the journey. You'll reach Lidderwat by the evening and set up your camp across the stunning meadows. Dinner will be served, and you'll stay overnight in your tent.
Day 03: Lidderwat to Shekwas
After a hearty breakfast, start trekking from Lidderwat to Shekwas. The trek will take around 5-6 hours, and you'll begin by following the river's flow through the pine forest. After a gradual ascent, you'll enter the Lidderwat valley, surrounded by wide grasslands and majestic mountains.
You'll then trek down along the river, crossing it with the help of boulders or a bridge. After 30 minutes, you'll reach Homwas, where you'll see some Gujjar huts. Trek through a grassy area to reach a narrow valley and continue along the river. After an hour of climbing, you'll reach a point surrounded by a group of Silver Birch trees.
Further ahead, you'll come across a beautiful, wide grassland that leads to two verdant valleys. Follow the trail with a few Gujjar huts to reach Shekwas, where you'll camp overnight. The location boasts mesmerizing sights, and you'll spend the night relaxing in your tent.
Day 04: Shekwas to Tarsar
After breakfast, you'll start your trek from Shekwas to Tarsar, a journey that will take around 5-6 hours. The trail takes you through a ridge with an overhanging stream that eventually leads to the hill ahead. As you cross several short ridges, you'll be greeted by breathtaking scenery. After two hours of trekking, you'll finally get your first glimpse of Tarsar Lake.
Once you arrive at the grassy field of Tarsar, pitch your tent anywhere on the ground and camp along the snow-fed, clear blue lake. Spend the night in your camp, enjoying the peace and tranquility of the area.
Day 05: Tarsar - Sundersar
After Breakfast we will trek to Sundersar, covers a distance of 5 km and takes approximately 5-6 hours. The altitude reaches 4,056 meters. The views from the other side of Tarsar are captivating, with never-ending stretches of grassy valleys that will leave you speechless. Trekking on the velvety grass of the valley is a truly blissful experience. This valley leads to the meadows of Shekwas, but many people choose to descend from Tarsar to Shekwas and eventually reach the Sundersar valley. However, climbing this pass saves 3-4 hours. Begin your descent along the shepherd's trail, which will take you to the middle of the valley. Follow the stream along the lush, velvet-like grass. On the way, you'll see the Bakkarval shelters on your left, and the trail lies behind these shelters through the Boulder area. Ahead, you'll encounter the lushest grasslands you've ever seen, and in the midst of the meadows, the stream transforms into a large pond fed by the snow patches on the mountains.
Cross this section in 30 minutes, and reach the end of the meadow. Cross a stream with the help of boulders to reach the base of the ridge, then ascend for 15 minutes through a narrow valley to reach the ridge top. To your surprise, a wide meadow with a colorful bed of flowers will suddenly come into view. The views from here are stunning, and you'll also be able to see the end of your trek and the trail leading to the mountains. Follow the trail and reach the beautiful, grassy land of Sundersar Lake, where you can pitch your tent anywhere on the flat ground. Camping here is a delight, allowing you to fully enjoy the serene beauty of Kashmir and comfortably stay in tents. You will be served with breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, and dinner on this day.
Day 06: Sundersar – Homwas
Post breakfast trek to Homwas which is via Marsar, covers a distance of 9 km and takes approximately 7-8 hours. The altitude reaches 3,594 meters. Traverse along the edges of Sundersar Lake and reach Marsar by taking the shorter route through two passes. As you climb through the rocky terrain, be cautious as snow on the boulders can make the ascent challenging. After a 30-minute climb, you will reach a stunning grassy pass with a gentle trail leading down to the flat ground.
Make your way across small streams as you hike to the ridge, which provides breathtaking views of Marsar, its twin sister to Tarsar, shrouded in mist and clouds. Descend to Sundersar, taking just 40 minutes to reach there. Take a break and bask in the beauty of the Sundersar Valley before heading back to Jagmargi Valley. Instead of crossing the Tarsar pass, follow a different trail to Shekwas, where you can reach Homwas in just 30 minutes. Set up your tent, have a delicious meal to refuel after today's long trek, and retire for the night. You will be served with breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, and dinner on this day.
Day 07: Homwas – Aru Village
The seventh day of the trek, from Homwas to Aru Village, covers a distance of 13 km and takes approximately 6-7 hours. The altitude reaches 2,486 meters. From Homwas, head down to Lidderwat and be mesmerized by the stunning scenery along the way, including a glimpse of the Kolahoi glacier. After a short break in the Lidderwat pine forest, continue the journey to Aru, located 13 km away and reachable.
