Kashmir Lakes Trek

Kashmir, a word that evokes a thousand emotions of love, grandeur, exotic and in the words of Firdaus, heaven. We go & explore the most pristine of the locales you can ever see, a mighty combination of alpine lakes, far-reaching meadows, high altitude passes and the vast unexplored vistas of Kashmir Himalayas.Our journey starts from Sonamarg, the meadow of Gold & we travel into the mountains in a journey you will never forget: to the high altitude lakes Vishnusar, Kishansar, Gadsar, Satsar, Nundkol & Gangbal & the awe-inspiring mountain ranges around them.

Highlights:

• Soak in some of the best sights of the Kashmir Valley: 7 glorious alpine lakes and campsites set in smooth, grassy meadows overlooking tall snow-capped peaks
• Trek over high mountain passes with grand views of Mount Harmukh overlooking the twin lakes of Gangbal and Nundkol

Brief Itinerary:

• Day 1: Arrive at Srinagar. Pick up from Srinagar airport and drive to Shitkari campsite.
• Day 2: Trek from Shitkari to Nichnai
• Day 3: Trek from Nichnai to Vishnusar
• Day 4: Trek from Vishnusar and Gadsar
• Day 5: Trek from Gadsar to Satsar
• Day 6: Trek from Satsar to Nundkol
• Day 7: Rest day – Explore the twin lakes of Nundkol & Gangbal
• Day 8: Trek from Nundkol to Naranag, Drive to Srinagar

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive at Srinagar and drive to Shitkari (4 hours)

Upon arrival at the Srinagar airport, you will board a vehicle that takes you on a 4 hour drive to Shikari, winding roads that take you towards Kashmir’s golden meadows of Sonamarg. Shitkari, our base camp for the Kashmir Lakes trek, is 5 kms before Sonamarg. Stay overnight in tents at the open grassy campsite at Shitkari.

Day 2: Trek from Shitkari to Nichnai (5 to 6 hours)

We start the trek towards Nichnai early morning, heading for a moderate ascent of 3-4 hours towards the table-top village of Shekdur. Crossing over the stretch of pine forests, we reach the banks of Nichnai nullah breaking for lunch. A gradual ascent along the nullah brings us to today’s campsite, with beautiful views of Nichnai pass ahead.

Day 3: Trek from Nichnai to Vishnusar via Nichnai pass (5 to 6 hours)

The day’s trek starts with a moderate to steep ascent for 2 hours, reaching the top of Nichnai pass at 4100m . We can view the Nichnai lake on the left side while climbing towards the pass. After crossing the pass, we gradually descend for an hour & re-group for lunch. We walk along the meadows in the valley towards today’s campsite, just below the Vishnusar lake. Rest of the day can be used to explore the area around, visiting the twin lakes of Vishnusar & Kishansar.

Day 4: Trek from Vishnusar to Gadsar via Gadsar pass (6 to 7 hours)

We start the day with a gradual ascent crossing the twin lakes. A steep ascent follows which takes you to the top of Gadsar pass at 4200m, offering beautiful views of the twin lakes from the top. Thereafter, it’s agradual descent followed by an easy walk along the meadows towards Gadsar lake. We re-group for lunch at the lake, continuing afterwards towards the campsite further ahead.

Day 5: Trek from Gadsar to Satsar (5 to 6 hours)

Today’s trek takes us across a set of 7 lakes, known as Satsar. We trek uphill from Gadsar campsite for 2-3 hours, before settling into a gentle walk along the Satsar stream to reach Satsar pass. The lakes are spread out just across the pass in a valley. We re-group for lunch on the banks of a lake, before continuing further for an hour to our campsite today, a vast meadow surrounded by high ridges on 3 sides.

Day 6: Trek from Satsar to Nundkol Via Zach pass (4 to 5 hours)

Today, we trek towards the twin lakes of Nundkol & Gangbal. Initial ascent takes us towards Zach pass at 4100m, over a boulder-ridden trail. Zach pass affords mighty views of the Harmukh mountain, towering over the twin lakes of Nundkol & Gangbal. Hereon, it is a descent towards the lakes. We break for lunch along a small stream & then climb on to a small ridge overlooking the lakes to reach the Nundkol campsite.

Day 7: Buffer/Rest Day

Today is a buffer day for the trek. We explore the area surrounding the twin lakes, going over to Gangbal lake & relaxing on its banks. Harmukh mountain towers over the whole valley, providing astounding views from all directions. We return to the campsite for our farewell dinner and camp-fire.

Day 8: Trek from Nundkol to Naranag, Drive to Srinagar (4 to 5 hours trek, 4 hour drive)

Today is the last day and we head back towards civilization. We start with a gradual ascent, getting out of the valley & then descent towards the tree line to reach a forested trail which takes us to a tea-shop, our lunch break destination. Then, it’s a steep descent of 3 hours towards Naranag, an ancient temple settlement and a road-head that connects to Srinagar. Transfer your backpacks to the vehicles waiting for us and sit back and enjoy the drive to Srinagar.