Tarsar Marsar Sundarsar Trek

Feel the joy of a rich soul as you walk and camp beside some of the exquisite Lakes of Kashmir

📅
Duration
7 Day
🔼
Altitude:
4000m
🛑
Grade:
Moderate
how we grade
👍
Best Time:
July to October mid
🌞
Temperatures:
🚩
Starts From:
Aru
🛪
Airport:
Srinagar
🚉
Railway:
Katra, (KEA), Jammu Tawi ( JAT)

Key Geographical Highlights

3 Lakes:

Tarsar ( 3780m ), Marsar ( 3810m ), Sundersar ( 3941m )

1 Rivers:

Lidder

2 Villages:

Aru, Sumbhal

1 National Parks Or Forest Reserve:

Dachigam National Park

Reach Aru find other treks

Daywise Itinerary For Tarsar Marsar Sundarsar Trek

(click to read detailed route briefing, elevation graph, altitude time info and photos from the day)

▼ Day 1Arrival DayAru 2489m
Arrive In Aru
Overnight In: Aru (2489m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
Cost Of Transport Included: YES
Where and How To Reach Aru
After reaching Srinagar, we take a picturesque drive to reach Aru. If we reach early, we can take some time out to explore the beautiful Valley. Today will be our first night on camps and wonderful fun-filled days await us.
Day 1
1585 - Srinagar
Day 1
1600 - Anantnag
Day 1
2700 - Pahelgam
Day 1
2490 - Aru
105Km, 4hrs.
▼ Day 2Trekking DayLidderwat 2790m
From Aru (2489m ) To Lidderwat (2790m ), Via - Nandkei (2671m ) - 5 - 6 Hrs. 10 Kms
Overnight In: Lidderwat (2790m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
A gently climbing trail following the Lidder river, mostly on flat meadows and occassionally passig through the cluster of conifers will get you to your campsite.
The campsite of Lidderwat is at the confluence of Lidder River flowing down from the Kolahoi glacier and the Tarsar Stream. Do keep an eye for the strategically built, many of the Gujjar Huts ( summer shelter for shepherds ) on the way.
After you reach, relax and enjoy the place. Its a beautiful campsite.
Day 2
2490 - Aru
Day 2
2675 - Nandkei
Day 2
2790 - Lidderwat
10Km, 5 - 6hrs.
▼ Day 3Trekking DayShekwas 3351m
From Lidderwat (2790m ) To Shekwas (3351m ) - 4 - 5 Hrs. 7 Kms
Overnight In: Shekwas (3351m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
Continuing our trek following the Tarsar Stream, we walk on a gently climbing trail passing by multiple openings and cluster of conifers. At a point, we reach a Y-point formed by the dividing ridge hiding the Tarsar lake. We camp there for the night.
Day 3
2790 - Lidderwat
Day 3
3355 - Shekwas
7Km, 4 - 5hrs.
▼ Day 4Trekking DayTarsar Lakeside 3798m
From Shekwas (3351m ) To Tarsar Lakeside (3798m ) - 3 - 4 Hrs. 5 Kms
Overnight In: Tarsar Lakeside (3798m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
A gentle climb and a short walk of about 5 kilometers. Once we reach, we have the entire day to relish in one of the most beautiful campsites on this trek. Explore
Day 4
3355 - Shekwas
Day 4
3800 - Tarsar Lakeside
5Km, 3 - 4hrs.
▼ Day 5Trekking DaySundarsar 3938m
From Tarsar Lakeside (3798m ) To Sundarsar (3938m ) - 4 - 5 Hrs. 5 Kms
Overnight In: Sundarsar (3938m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
Ascend to the top of the pass on the ridge dividing the Tarsar lake and the Sundersar. After that its a easy walk with occasional ascends which will bring you to the beautiful lake of Sundersar meaning 'beautiful lake'. Its a ideal campsite and can't get any better. Spend your day relaxing in this wonderland you have brought yourself to.
Day 5
3800 - Tarsar Lakeside
Day 5
3940 - Sundarsar
5Km, 4 - 5hrs.
▼ Day 6Trekking DaySonmasti 3264m
From Sundarsar (3938m ) To Sonmasti (3264m ), Via - Marsar (3856m ) - 5 - 6 Hrs. 9 Kms
Overnight In: Sonmasti (3264m )
Accommodation: Camping
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Tea Snacks, Soup, Dinner, Dessert, Hot Drinks
Early morning, we climb up the ridge to witness the magic of sunrise on the surrounding. From here, towards your left will be the vast Marsar Lake and on your right will be the Sundersar and our beautiful campsite.
After that, we return to our campsite and head towards our destination for the day - the meadow of Sonmasti.
Day 6
3940 - Sundarsar
Day 6
3860 - Marsar
Day 6
3265 - Sonmasti
9Km, 5 - 6hrs.
▼ Day 7Departure DaySrinagar 1585m
From Sonmasti (3264m ) To Srinagar (1585m ), Via - Sumbhal (2003m ) - 4 - 5 Hrs. 11 Kms
Accommodation: None
Meals Included: Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch
Cost Of Transport Included: YES
Few river crossing makes this day interesting. As we descend back to the civilization today, we witness fast change in the scene with meadows giving away to the increasing density of the trees and slowly human beings and other signs of civilization starts to take it over.
With that a beautiful trek comes to an end. We drive back to Srinagar and savour to the delicious Kashmiri Wazwan.
Day 7
3265 - Sonmasti
Day 7
2005 - Sumbhal
Day 7
1585 - Srinagar
11Km, 4 - 5hrs.

Tarsar Marsar Sundarsar Trek introduction

Tarsar Marsar Sundarsar Trek - An Elaborate Description

Trekking in Kashmir has its own charm - after all its known as the Paradise on Earth !

The landscape of Kashmir is so unique in India with its wide open meadows, lush green meadows and forest of conifers and birch. Wandering around the vast twin lakes of Tarsar and Marsar goes beyond adjectives. The shepherd and their flock of sheep grazing on the green grass in the background of mystical mountains are just a perfect frame and experience for any nature lover. Kashmir is called a paradise, not just for its landscape and beautiful mountains, but also for the lovely Kashmiris. The local cultural density of this fairyland will definitely change your perspective.

Right from the drive to reach Aru - the starting point of the Tarsar Marsar trek, this trek wins your heart with the easily swirling road drive to one of the popular places to visit in Kashmir - Pahelgam. From Pahelgam, Aru is just few minutes drive where the beautiful meadow greets you with its full aura. Its here the beautiful scenes of the Bollywood movie Highway was filmed.

Aru Valley is a favourite destination amongst nature lovers and from here, multiple treks start. The trek to Kolahoi Glacier, Trek to Sonamarg, and offcourse, the pristine twin lakes of Tarsar and Marsar.

The trek is fairly moderate with occasional steep and tricky sections. Starting from Arru, it follows the Lidder river, which originates from the Kolahoi Glacier. The route climbs up the Lidder rivewr until Lidderwat which is at the confluence of two rivers - Lidder and another stream which originates from the Tarsar lake. Further from Lidderwat, the trail follows the Tarsar Stream to take us to its source - The Tarsar Lake, a huge lake in a picturesque settings of the green meadow which are further beautified by the blooming of various colourful flowers - namely Blue Poppy and Potentilla. The valley is dominated by the mighty pyramid of the Kolahoi peak - a black mountain. Birds love this valley and this is one of the favourite breeding ground for the migratory birds. The valley falls in the vicinity of the Dachigam National Park and is also home to the elusive Snow Leopard, brown bear and ibex.

The lake of Marsar almost forms a geographical mirror of the Tarsar lake but is smaller in size. The trek follows through the meadows and rocky terrain passing by Sundarsar, a small circular lake in a rocky setting separating it from the Marsar Lake. From Sundarsar, the trek descends to the beautiful meadow of Sonmasti and exits through Sumbhal on the Srinagar Leh highway.

The Tarsar Marsar lakes very serene and trekking is smaller groups adds to the peacefulness and beauty, thus making it the best ever experiences of your life.

Tarsar Lake (photo by Vivian Sebastian)

Tarsar Marsar Sundarsar Trek - Why Its A Must-Do

Wandering around the vast twin lakes of Tarsar and Marsar goes beyond adjectives
The landscape of Kashmir is so unique in India with its wide-open meadows, lush green meadows and forest of conifers and birch
Not to forget, the better half of alpine meadows - the shepherd and their flock of sheep grazing on the green grass in the background of mystical mountains are just a perfect frame and experience for any nature lover
Kashmir is called a paradise, not just for its landscape and beautiful mountains, but also for the lovely Kashmiris. The local cultural density of this fairyland will definitely change your perspective.

How We Grade Our Treks and Expeditions

Easy

Usual daily walks of 4 - 5 hours in altitude below 4000 meters. The sleeping altitude on these treks are below 4000 meter and the trails are gradual involving no steep ascent or descent. Sometimes, the trail may be longer, but on level trails. The duration of trek may be a week or lesser than it. The trek is not too remote and evacuation might be possible from almost any point of the trek

Moderate

The trek duration each day may span from 4 - 5 hours, but on some days, it may push up to 8 - 9 days. The trail might involve steep ascents or descents on occasions This kind of treks demand good fitness, and trekkers must involve themselves in cardio exercises regularly to do these treks comfortably. Sleeping altitude are below 4000 meters or little above it, but the trail might go as high as 4500 - 5000 meters. The trek is bit remote and evacuation might be possible from almost all, but not all campsites

Moderate+

This type of treks are bit more demanding than the moderate ones. It might involve few days of very long walks at higher altitude, or serious gradients, exposures, more remote or involves sleeping at higher altitudes for more days.

Strenuous

The trek duration each day may span from 5 - 8 hours, and may go up to to 8 - 9 on few days. The trail involves steep ascents and descents. Good fitness are demand of these treks, and trekkers must involve themselves in cardio exercises regularly to do these treks comfortably. Sleeping altitude may go above 4000 meters or little above it on couple of days, but not more than that. The trail might go as high as 4500 - 5200 meters. These trek are remote and evacuation might not be possible from all the campsites

Challenging

The trek duration each day may span from 5 - 8 hours, and may go up to to 8 - 9 or even more than that on few days. The trail involves steep ascents and descents. Crossing a glacier or a scree zone might be a feature of these treks. You might on some occasions, require technical equipment like rope, ice axe and snow stacks etc to complete these treks. Good fitness are demand of any treks, but these treks demands strong character. Sleeping altitude may goes well above 5000 meters on some days. The trail might go as high as 5000 - 6000 meters. These trek are high or remote or both. The trek usually might be a week long.

Sometimes irrespective of altitude and distance, a trek may ge graded Challenging if the route is treacherous, which might demand some footing skills or assistance of ropes and other equipment

Challenging+

The trek duration each day may span from 5 - 8 hours, and may go up to to 8 - 9 or even more than that on few days. The trail involves steep ascents and descents. Negotiating glacial moraines, scree zones, crossing them, camping on them etc are features of these treks. You might also require technical equipment like rope, ice axe and snow stacks etc to complete these treks. Good fitness are demand of any treks, but these treks demands strong character. Sleeping altitude may goes well above 5000 meters on some days. The trail might go as high as 5000 - 6000 meters. These trek are high and remote. A good technical support team and knowledgeable local guide is a must. Only experienced trekkers are advised to do these treks. The trek goes over 2 week and may be longer than that.

Sometimes irrespective of altitude and distance, a trek may ge graded Challenging if the route is treacherous, which might demand some footing skills or assistance of ropes and other equipment

Cost Terms For The Tarsar Marsar Sundarsar Trek

Cost Terms

The above-mentioned cost is in the range of minimum to maximum per-person cost for this trek as per 1 - 12 people team.PackageInclusions as per this cost can be read below.
5% GST (goods and service tax) is applicable for all our purchases.
We follow dynamic pricing as per the actual team size on the trek. Going by our standardized service, appropriate safety measures, quality equipment, and ecologically sustainable - small group commitment, a higher team size will lower the cost whereas a lower team size will significantly increase the cost.
Group segmented pricing if not provided here, please write to us using the contact page or text us on Whatsapp number +918017216725.
You may choose to keep the trek open or make it private depending upon your requirements or choice. The actual per-person cost of the trek is subject to the actual team size joining the trek. If you make any customizations that drastically change the itinerary and cost as mentioned here, then it will mandatorily have to be a private group only.
If we have dates listed on our website on Our Upcoming Treks and it is not marked as private, it means other people have booked this trek for that date and have opened it up for other members to join to lower the cost. If your dates and choices match, you may join these treks
You may join an existing open group listed on our website or create your own group as per your convenient dates and choose to either keep it private or open it up to lower the cost if other members join the trek.
At any point, the team size cannot be more than 12 members ( 10 for challenging treks) unless there is a unique exception requested or agreed upon by all the team members.

International Guests

Trek cost for foreigners is slightly higher than the cost for our Indian guests, mainly due to the higher permit fee applicable for admission to National Parks or protected forest areas. Sometimes, it may be higher due to higher local crew wages and other specific arrangements we make to ensure a safe, comfortable and enriching travel experience in India. However, we absolutely DO NOT 'hyper-charge' our International Guests ever and at the same time, ensure that we meet all the standards for highly qualified trek leaders and guides, safety, medical preparation, evacuation strategy, rescue arrangements, eco-sensitive travel, high-value knowledge sharing about the area and customs of the locals.

Extra Cost For International Trekkers Rs. 4000 per person.

Booking Process

Booking can only be done after multiple communication via email / Whatsapp / Calls. After connecting with us and discussing your needs, we finalize the trek and its requirements. After finalization, partial booking fees can be paid online or through direct bank transfers after which we trigger our preparations and arrangements for your trek. International Trekkers can pay the partial booking fees using PayPal, Wise, Western Union or Direct Wire Transfer.

Customized Private Group For Tarsar Marsar Sundarsar Trek

Trekking is a very personal activity and is perhaps one of the very few activities that give you enough time to indulge with yourself or your beloved people, a group of special friends, or close family members. It helps you transform personal bonds to the next level as it brings out everyone's best and truest self. Trekking is most enjoyed when it is done in a small private group, personalized to serve your specific needs. The Himalayas are best experienced when there is silence and solitude around and when you are surrounded only by your best people. Your trek is most enjoyable when all the pain of arranging a smooth trek is taken care of by us, and you focus just on your trek and yourself. Most importantly, a small private trekking group is very flexible, personalized, and more enjoyable, is the safest, and follows the principles of Sustainable and Responsible Tourism. Most trekkers book us for arranging personalized private treks catering to their specific and unique requirements - Customize This Trek

ENQUIRE FOR PRICING

We work exclusively on Personalized Private Groups – its perfect for solo climbers, couples, families, friends or teams.

We keep it small for low ecological footprint, better experience, flexible itinerary, highest safety standards and superior success rate on the summits. Team size: 1 to 10 max.

Enquire for detailed pricing based on your preferences and group size.

Email Us

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