Kashmir Great Lakes Trek Overview

About Kashmir Great Lakes Trek:

Cuddled up cozily amidst the mountains, Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is yet another hidden jewel of Kashmir as it validates Kashmir’s mythical status as heaven on earth. The beautiful Alpine and snow-clad mountains will walk through the paths, and green meadows, rocky terrains are there to bound the journey.

Every day is a 360° panorama of wild, rugged mountains, rolling meadows and turquoise alpine lakes and you get more than seven of these lakes and five very different valleys to explore! The Kashmir Great Lakes, however, is an IMAX 3D experience – such is the grandeur of the trek. If you have not done this trek, put it on your bucket list!

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek Quick Facts:

Duration: 7D/6N

Trekking distance: 72km

Maximum Altitude: 13,800ft

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Kashmir Great Lakes TrekTemperature: 17°C-20°C (Max. During Day Time) to 3°C-4°C ( Min. During Night Time)

Best Time to do Kashmir Great Lake Treks: July to September

Railway Station: Jammu is the nearest railway station 

Airport: Srinagar Airport

Start Point: Sonmarg

End Point: Naranag

How to Reach:

By Air: Most major air carriers like Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Indigo operate daily flights to Srinagar. Reaching Srinagar by flight from New Delhi is the most convenient way.

By Train: Jammu railway station is well connected to all major cities in India by rail. Direct train services are available from Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Trivandrum.

By Bus: Srinagar is linked by the National Highway 1A to the rest of the country. J & K state road transport operates comfortable buses from Jammu.

7 day Himalayan trek in the ‘Paradise on Earth’.

Camp amidst maple trees and reflecting blue lakes of the Kashmir valley

Trail consists of icy blue lakes, Himalayan streams, high mountain passes and meadows

Available Departures of Kashmir Great Lakes Trek:

July: 3rd, 8th, 9th, 10th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 29th, 30th, 31st

August: 5th, 6th, 7th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 26th, 27th, 28th

September: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 23th, 24th, 25th, 30th

October: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th

Booking Options:

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek: 13,500/-

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek (Srinagar to Srinagar): 13,500/-

Quick Facts for Kashmir Great Lakes Trek:

Altitude: 4200M 

Distance: 70KM

Difficulty: Moderate

About Kashmir Great Lakes Trek:

8th, 9th

Booking Options:

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek: 13,500/-

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek (Srinagar to Srinagar): 13,500/-

Quick Facts for Kashmir Great Lakes Trek:

Altitude: 4200M 

Distance: 70KM

Difficulty: Moderate

About Kashmir Great Lakes Trek:

The Kashmir Great Lakes trek will take you to the enchanting valleys of Jammu and Kashmir, referred to as a celestial and surreal destination for travellers from across the globe. The trek will take you from the mystic summer capital- Srinagar to ‘meadow of gold’ Sonamarg. The view of Dal lake, Vishansar and Gangabal lake will leave you spellbound as you traverse through maple-pine forests with the milky Himalayas in the backdrop. The trail also takes you to Shekdur- the only campsites amidst trees with sun rays piercing through the sky in bursts. You will marvel at the virgin beauty of hidden gems of Kashmir and the highlight being the chance to view five beautiful lakes garnished with snowflakes, each reflecting the other!

The Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is of moderate level of difficulty in terms of trekking challenges with elevation circling 13,000ft and a distance of approximately 70km. The base camp, Sonamarg is 90km from Srinagar along Sindh river while the trek ends in Naranag in  Ganderbal district. The best time for the splendid Great Lakes trek is in the summer season, in the months of July - September, when the weather is optimal for trekking.

Reaching Srinagar by flight through/from Delhi is very convenient. Jammu Railways station (280 km) is well-connected and the summer capital is also linked to National Highway 1A with many buses plying to the State.

Every trekker or all tourists have the right to know if the place they are visiting is safe for them or not, and this is the very general question that everyone has in their mind. So, if the next place on your list of visiting is Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, then here are some points that can answer your question, and the motive is to reach you with the safe points.

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek will give you everything you wish from mountains like jungle walks, meadows, boulder patches, ascends, descends, mountain passes, river crossings, and lakes. If you are a trekker and love trekking, you must know that every trekking place varies from easy to complex. So, when you visit Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, you should know that it is not an easy task to trek here. The trek is long and around 70 km; it's three passes, and there are days when you will need to ascend a steep ridge and walk around 15km. You can trek here from afternoon to evening.

But to have all the fun of this place, you must prepare yourself for any harsh conditions. There are boulder sections where you'll need to hop from one boulder to another. There are river crossings, and you can do this over a bridge. However, when the water level is high, you will have to ford the streams. There are steep ascends. The steepest you'll encounter while rising to Gadsar Pass, this is often the foremost tiresome day both lengthwise and ascend-wise. Immediately after ascending Gadsar Pass, it has a sharp and long descent and then a long walk to the campsite.

Another pass that you simply will be ascending is the ridge of Zajibal Pass. This will take around 3 hours, and then an extended descent also follows it. There is a steep descent that's considerably heavy on your knees. The sharpest and hardest descend in on your Judgment Day. This day you'll feel the strain on your knees, ankles, and even toes while descending to Naranag.

Altitude Gain of the trek:

It has an altitude gain of approx. 2000m. You must take the 7 to 8 days from your busy schedule to enjoy this trip in a better and a beautiful way. It would help if you protected yourself from altitude sickness by not making our itinerary short.

This has been developed to consider many things, including hypoxia. The trek starts at around 2700m, you're first made to spend the night at this altitude, and it's only after three days of the trek you'll be gaining the very best altitude of this trek, i.e., Gadsar Pass. By this point, your body is well acclimated to the altitude.

Remember that you need to follow the instructions that your trek leader will provide you to finish your trek without any hesitation. It would be best if you had plenty of water with you. It doesn't matter if you are off trekking or are on the campsite. You should always keep yourself hydrated. It doesn't matter if you are thirsty or not. You should take the proper break and always take small steps. If you feel headaches, nausea, or any altitude sickness symptoms, you should tell the trek leader immediately. Please do not ignore them and consult them.

The weather during the trek:

Most are sunny since the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, maybe a summer trek. However, it does rain sometimes and mostly during July. In the rain, the trail gets a little risky. You should keep safe so that you can fight against sunburn and sunstroke. 

The most difficult is to ascend and descend, and at some ascents, the trail vanishes completely when it rains tons. You need to be careful about this. They're going to assist you in traversing during the rain quite safely. If the roping is required, they will confirm that it's done. From your side, you would like to follow the trek leader's instructions. You want to have sturdy trekking shoes.

Exit Points

If you're feeling sick and feel you won't be ready to finish the trek, the most straightforward expert suggestion would be to exit the trek before getting to Gadsar. It is a fast and straightforward evacuation from Vishansar or before that. However, if you cross over to Gadsar Pass, you reach almost the middle of the trek, which makes the evacuation hard, although not impossible. You need to require a call till you're at the Vishansar campsite. Once you reach the bottom camp Shitkadi, the closest hospital is around 4km from Sonamarg market.

How difficult is the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek?

When you come to know that trekking on the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is challenging, you will have the other question in mind: if it is difficult, what is the range of difficulty?

You should remember that this trek varies from moderate to complex. This will not be an easy trek for you. If you're living a sedentary/inactive life, you would like to hit the gym and prepare yourself for this trek. The trek has long days of walking so you must be very fit. It passes over three mountain passes; the trail may be a mixture of ascends and descends right along. The most challenging climb is the climb to Gadsar Pass. The ascend is sharp and is the test for stamina and endurance. Immediately after reaching this pass, it has a steep and long descent and then a long walk in the meadow till the campsite. The most challenging descent is on your last day. There is a pointy descent of around 1000m which can stress your knees, ankles, and toes. This gives a challenge to most of the trekkers as they're close to finishing the trek.

Kashmir Great Lakes get more complex during rain. They ascend and descend, then get tricky, and you'll need to be extra careful while taking your next step. The trail gets blurry and sometimes vanishes in the least. However, you'll be all safe as our leader will guide you through the way to walk and can assist you in crossing the passes.

There are boulder sections. You must take care here also, as they fall within the boulder section and can offer you an injury. It gets challenging during rainy days, so it means that you need to be extra careful.

Day 1

 Srinagar to Sonamarg (Shitkadi)-

Acclimatise | 2730 meters | 3 Hours Drive 

➡On the first day, you will be driven from Srinagar to the base camp at Shirdi, Sonamarg.

➡During the journey, immerse yourself in the beauty of Kashmir. 

➡You will pass through villages, farmlands and the surreal road between two mountain ranges. You will also be driven beside the ever-flowing Sindh River. 

➡You will be briefed about the trek by your trek leader during the way.

➡By evening, you'll reach the base camp at Shitkadi, where you'll be served a welcome drink and evening snacks. 

➡If you are interested, you can visit and explore the beauty of this beautiful city.

➡Later, have a delicious meal with a bonfire.

➡Spend the night in the camp.

Day 2 

Sonamarg to Nichnai | 2,730 m to 3,505 m | 6.5 Hours, 9 Kms

➡ Have your breakfast and pack your bags.

➡Take your backpack and start ascending towards the Nichnai campsite.

➡Your first stop will be at Tabletop. It is a beautiful plateau surrounded by jungle that opens wide towards the Thajiwas Mountain Range. It will give you a fascinating broad look of the entire Sonamarg area and its mountain range. You can also witness the famous Amarnath Peak from here.

➡Later, you trek towards Nichnai. You will trek by the river canal. Later the trail opens and gives way to tall mountains. You will need to cross a river after that. Follow the guidelines given by your trek leaders during the crossing. 

➡As your trek reaches the campsite, the view will become more beautiful and exciting.

Day 3 

Nichnai to Vishansar Valley | 3,505m to 3,650m | 5,5 Hours, 13 Kms

➡Have breakfast. 

➡You will be served a packed lunch as you move toward the next campsite on this day.

➡You will take the first stop near Nichnai Pass, located after the river. As you cross the ridgeline, you will be able to see the stunning valley from the top. The ascent is steady toward the pass. Don't forget to stop for regular water breaks. Also, keep your feet firmly and pace constant.

➡The pass is steep and has a rocky climb to the stunning valley. You will be able to see a vast mountain range to the right and left of your path in the surrounding area. The mountain range appears rugged to the left, and the mountain line is snow-capped to your right.

➡After walking about a few kilometres, you will arrive at the campsite. The campsite is situated next to the streams of the river that originate at stunning Vishansar Lake. The river is where you will find a large variety of trout fish well-known in this area.. (Fishing and catching fish is not permitted).

➡Relax by the lake and have a snack that you'll receive at the camping area.

Day 4 

Vishansar Valley to Gadsir | 3,650m to 3,810m vai 4,200m Gadsar Pass | 6 Hours, 14 km

➡This is the longest and most challenging day of the trek.

➡Get you up early in the morning and prepare for the day. 

➡The first and most popular attraction on the trek is visible within an hour. Witness the two gorgeous lakes cosily and calmly adjacent to each other: Vishansar and Kishansa Lakes. Take a look at the beautiful lakes. Both lakes have the significance of a sacred site and are drained in the Kishanganga River that flows through Gurez valley. 

➡Following the lakes, you begin the steep climb towards Gadsar Pass. It will take about two hours before you reach the summit.

➡Once you reach the top, which is the highest point of the trek, enjoy yourself with the beauty that you see from Kashmir Great Lakes Trek. 

➡Relax here and enjoy a few minutes. Take some fantastic pictures.

➡From the pass, it is a long descent. Take your steps with care. 

➡The descent ends and flows into a lush meadow known as Gadsar Meadow. The meadow is lush greenery with diverse and vibrant flowers and plants and is one of the most vibrant of the trek.

➡Later, you'll witness an idyllic blue-coloured lake called Gadsar Lake on your left side. This lake is only accessible during the Kashmir Great Lakes trek and is one of the least visited lakes in India.  

➡The camping is just a few minutes walk from the lake.

Day 5

Gadsar to Satsar | 3,810m to 3,600m | 5 hours, 12 Km

➡There is an ascent for about an hour until the trail begins to open onto the Satsar Meadow. 

➡The trail becomes easy after that as you walk through lush grass and trails. The trail is composed of meadows and rocks with a few water-filled grasses and land. The terrain of the mountain is primarily rough and deserted. The valley has seven alpine lakes, and you will see one of them. 

➡Relax and explore by the lake.

➡Later, you will arrive at the campsite, which is located near the stream of the river.

Day 6 

Satsar to Gangabal Twin Lakes | 3,600m to 3,587 | 5 hours, 9 Km

The trek starts with a patch of boulders and rocky terrain.

The boulder section will be the most prominent part of the day, as you'll be moving from one boulder to the next. 

The trail ascends and eventually reaches Zajibal Pass. A steep climb to the pass lasts for around three hours before an equally long descent. 

The trail follows an array of climbs and descents until it reaches Gangabal Valley.

Then, on the way, you will witness the largest Satsar Lake.

After the climb, you will reach the highest elevation known as Zajibal Pass. The pass is situated at 4000 meters in altitude.

Following the descent to the summit, you will be walking through the meadow, which is narrow. You will also encounter small changes in the landscape until you arrive at the twin lakes in the valley.

The lakes and the glacial lakes are fed by melting glaciers that rests upon Mount Harmukh. The Gangabal Lake is almost 25 minutes away from Nundkol Lake.

Day 7 

Gangabal  to Naranag | 3,587m to 2,271m | 6.5 hours, 13 Km 

On your final day of the Kashmir Great Lake Trek, start from the Gangabal camp, ramble on grassy land dotted with yellow flowers and pine forest.

Descend are reach Naranag, the last leg of your trek. Reach Naranag Village in Ganderbal District. If you wish, you can visit Naranag Temple.

Be driven back to Srinagar with wonderful memories

Cancellation Policy 

Any cancellation made before 25 days prior to the date of departure, would levy a 50% of total tour cost as cancellation charges.

Any cancellation made within 0-25 days prior to the date of departure, would levy a 100% of total tour cost as cancellation charges.

Due to any restrictions such as sudden government policies or regulations, health hazards, medical emergencies, or unprecedented weather conditions, activities and tours may be nonoperational and be cancelled. In cases such as these, operators will attempt to cater to the traveller an alternate, which is feasible in nature. However, any refund would not be catered.