Great Lakes Trek

Day 1: Arrive in Srinagar
Altitude: 5,200 ft (1,585 m)
Accommodation: Houseboat
Meals included: Dinner at the boathouse

Srinagar elevation is 5,200 ft (1,585 m). On the day of arrival, we start the routine of briefing the group and introducing you to fellow group members and take you through the itinerary and plan for the next 10 days. Post this, you will check in to houseboat and relax for the day.

Day 2: Drive from Srinagar to Sitkari/Sonamarg
Travel Distance: 87 km
Time Taken: 2-3 hr
Altitude: 9,186 ft (2,800 m)
Accommodation: Camp stay
Meals Included: Breakfast at the boathouse & lunch, tea, and dinner at the campsite

According to Kashmir great lakes trek map, on day 2, we start our journey towards Sitkari. This will primarily help you acclimatize to the higher altitude we will be attaining the next couple of days. The drive from Srinagar to Sonmarg and then to Sitkari is extremely scenic and will present you with a lot of photo opportunities. You will come across grasslands, scattered forests and snow-covered mountains. As an added, we will also take you to Zero Point and Zoji La Pass for sightseeing. Post the sightseeing, you will return back to our campsite at Sitkari and rest for the rest of the day by the lakeside. 

Day 3: Trek from Sitkari village to Nichnai 
Trek Distance: 13 km
Time Taken: 4-5 hr
Altitude: 11,500 ft (3,505 m)
Accommodation: Camp stay
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, tea & snacks and dinner

You start your day early today and start trekking towards the Shokdhari campsite. This trail is lined with maple & pine trees is mesmerizingly beautiful during fall & autumn. Although, kashmir great lakes trek best time is between July to September. You will get glimpses of Sonmarg and various glaciers en route from the campsite. You will descend into the Nichani grazing ground. The trail we take to descend will be lined with Silver Birch making. You will stay the night at Nichani campsite. 

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Day 4: Trek from Nichnai to the Vishansar lake
Trek Distance: 15 km
Time Taken: 6-7 hr
Altitude: 12,172 ft (3,710 m)
Accommodation: Camp stay
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea & Snacks, Dinner

The trek to Vishnasar lake is a steep ascent where you will have to cross the Nichani pass that stands at a grueling altitude of 4,080 m. You descend towards Vishansar and Kishansar lakes and into the Vishansar campsite. 

You can visit the Vishansar lake which is situated about 1 Km from the campsite. Nothing that we say or write can prepare you for the beauty of the alpine lakes in Kashmir. Surrounded by mountains and being hard to access, the waters of the lake are crystal clear and change color as the day proceeds. You are guaranteed to start feeling rejuvenated just sitting by the lake and listening to the lapping sounds of the water and soaking in the scenic beauty.

Day 5: Trek from Vishansar lake to Gadsar lake 
Trek Distance: 13 km
Time Taken: 5-6 hr
Altitude: 13,800 ft (4,200 m)
Accommodation: Camp stay
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks, dinner 

Today you trek to attain another height of 250 m from the Vishansar lake to see the Kishansar lake. This lake is situated about 1-2 km from the Vishansar lake. While the Vishansar and Kishansar lakes are situated quite close to each other, it can only be seen as twin lakes from Gadsar pass.

Gadsar pass is located at an altitude of 4,191 m and the trek up to Gadsar lake trek is quite challenging and will put a lot of pressure on your back and legs. Having said that, the breathtaking views from the pass will compensate for the effort you've put in. Upon reaching the pass, you will start descending into flat meadows, that are entirely covered by wildflowers to finally reach Gadsar lake. Considering the high altitude, Kashmir great lakes trek temperature at this height will be pretty low.

Day 6: Trek from Gadsar lake to Mengandob/Satsar lake
Trek Distance: 12km
Time Taken: 5-7 hr
Altitude: 11,810 ft (3,600 m)
Accommodation: Camp stay
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, tea & snacks and dinner

You start your day early today and start the trek with a steep ascent to enter into the flatlands of Mengandob. You continue trekking ahead crossing an army camp to Satsar lakes. Interestingly, the Satsar lakes are a collection of 7 lakes that are in a cascade formation. These lakes are primarily fed by the melting snow of the mountains and end up dry in summer and autumn.

Day 7: Trek from Satsar lakes to Gangbal twin lakes
Trek Distance: 10km
Trek Time: 6 hr
Altitude: 11,730 ft (3,575 m)
Accommodation: Camp stay
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, tea & snacks and dinner

Today's trek to Gangbal lake will test you both physically and mentally. To reach the Gangbal lake, you start the trek from Satsar lake campsite and cross rocky boulder terrain, cross multiple ridges, climb mountains and break at a ridge at 3,570 m. You break here for a while, and continue trekking up to reach the final ridge located at 3,000 m. You can get a great view of Gangbal and Nundkol lakes from here and they will look a lot like twin lakes. Post reaching the ridge, you will start your descent which will be rather steep into green meadows that will eventually lead you to Nundkol and Gangbal lakes. 

Day 8: Rest day/Buffer Day
Accommodation: Camp stay
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, tea & snacks, and dinner

Today is your rest day. You can unwind and relax with great views of the Gangbal twin lakes, interact with each other, indulge in photography and share stories. The day is at your disposal to do anything you wish to amidst nature. 

Day 9: Trek from Gangbal twin lakes to Naranag 
Trek Distance: 11 km
Trek Time: 6-7 hr
Altitude: 6,982 ft (2,128 m)
Accommodation: 3/4 Star hotel in Srinagar
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, tea, snacks, and dinner

On the final day of the trek, we trek through a tree line, meadows and enter a pine forest cover. The forest line extends for up to 6-7 Kms post which we descend into Narang Village. You relax for a while at Narang Village and then travel back to Srinagar. You check into a hotel, freshen up and rest for the day.

Day 10: Departure from Srinagar 
Trek Distance: 11 km
Trek Time: 6-7 hr
Altitude: 11,730 ft (3,575 m)
Meals Included: Breakfast at campsite

Today, we wrap up this wonderful experience of trekking in Kashmir and head back to Srinagar. You wake up leisurely, have breakfast, check out and start head to the airport or choose to stay back in Srinagar (at an added cost). 

Note:

• We strongly suggest that you should carry your own backpack and the weight of the backpack should not be more than 10 Kg maximum.
• If the Minimum group strength is not met, we have the right to cancel the departure. Should you wish to customize the trip as per your preferred date, separate charges will apply.
• Itineraries are based on information available at the time of planning and are subject to change.

 

Risk and Liability 

We will endeavor to make your program smooth and as pleasant as possible. However, the entire course of trekking depends on the ranges of the mighty mountains, physical health, and environmental conditions. Therefore, we shall not be responsible for any changes in the itineraries due to unavoidable circumstances and natural disasters such as landslide, road blockage, flood, snowing, cancellation of flight and delay, any type of sickness including altitude sickness.

Do’s and Don’ts:

• Trekking is best enjoyed when you’ve worn comfortable clothes. Try and avoid wearing Jeans, bright colors and heavy apparel as much as possible.
• A lighter backpack always helps you have a better trek, try and carry just as much as needed.
• Always be in sight of your trek lead, if you feel the need to stop for any reason at all, please keep the trek lead informed.
• Do not venture out into the forest/waterfalls on your own as it may be dangerous.
• If, at any point, during the trek, you feel uneasy or unwell, please inform the trek lead immediately
• To help you enjoy the trek to the fullest, we avoid smoking and consumption of alcohol, and other intoxicants during the course of the trek.

Overview

Kashmir is undoubtedly one of the most heavenly places on Earth. Kashmir hiking is on the wish list of most trekkers. Trekking in Kashmir involves beautiful breathtaking valleys and mountains that exude serenity, Kashmir is easily a trekker's paradise. With pristine high-altitude lakes such as - Gadasar, Satsar, Nundkol, Gangbal, Vishansar and Krishnasar, the trail that explores these lakes is one the most sought after treks in the region. 

The trek exudes beauty like no other and validates the statement - "Kashmir is heaven on Earth". The Kashmir Great Lakes trail is meandering and takes you to superbly diverse terrains that will be etched in your memories forever. The trail was closed to civilians until a couple of years and was later opened up as a boon to the trekking community who could see the real beauty of Kashmir through its valleys and mountains. 

The High-Altitude Alpine Lakes in Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

On the Kashmir Great Lakes trek, you get to explore and camp 5 high-altitude lakes in various mesmerizing valleys. with emerald green waters, these untouched water bodies look straight out of  HD wallpaper. These lakes are surrounded and guarded by tall mountains and are extremely scenic. One of the less explored lakes in this category is Gadsar lake. Not only does it require a hard trek, but it is also less visited by tourists. Gadsar is fed by a gigantic glacier near it.

You get a glimpse of all 5 lakes from Gadsar pass on the kashmir great lakes trek

While the Gadsar lake is immensely beautiful, the Gadsar pass is incredibly magnificent in itself. The higher you climb, the better the view gets. Right from the twin lakes - Vishansar & Kishansar, you can also get a glimpse of the three Gadsar lakes which would be located towards the right. If you have a good camera, a panoramic picture of this view will be worth millions! With lush green meadows sprawling out near the crystal blue waters and snow-clad mountains in the backdrop, this sight will make you fall in love with nature all over again. Another surprising element here is that the Gadsar pass will also show you a glimpse of many smaller lakes on the way. Don't forget to count the lakes you've come across here! 

Breathtaking drive from Srinagar to Sonmarg/Sitkari

The base camp for the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is an enthralling hill station called Sitkari near Sonmarg. According to kashmir great lakes trek map, post arrival in Srinagar, you will be driving down to Sonmarg and then to Sitkari. The drive to Sitkari will give you views of scattered forests, meandering streams, extremely treacherous roads, and incredibly majestic snow-clad mountains. 

Visit Zoji La Pass & Zero Point

On your day of arrival at Sitkari, to help you acclimatize to higher altitudes, you will be driven to Zero points near Kargil and will get to travel through the super famous high mountain pass - Zoji La pass for sightseeing.

Trekking to the treeline from Gangbal

Another promising aspect of this trek is the descent from Gangbal to the tree line. This picture-perfect hike will take your breath away and leave you awed. While you would leave behind the view of Harmukh peak which is engulfed by the humongous glacier near the Nundkol lake. you will begin to realize that the beauty you see in Kashmir is something you would never find elsewhere. 

Gangbal - The Ganges of Kashmir great lakes trek

Here's an interesting fact: The name Gangbal was derived from the river Ganges. The lake is extremely sacred to Kashmiri pandits and is also considered to be a holy pilgrimage site. They take part in what is called a Gangbal-Harmukh yatra, the annual pilgrimage to the 14,500 feet-high Harmukh-Gangbal lake shrine. It is also believed that Lord Shiva resided near the Gangbal lake which makes it religiously significant. 

Cancellation Policy:

With the changing travel advisories and newer regulations coming into the picture, we understand that deciding and booking a trek can get tricky. We have relaxed our cancellation policy, read our new terms and conditions for cancellation

9 Nights 10 Days 

 Type of Trek

Himalayan Treks

 Trek Gradient

Moderate

Inclusions & Exclusions

What is included in the tour

• Airport Pick up and Drop Off by NAC vehicle
• 1 Night stay on a deluxe house-boat at Dal Lake on the day of arrival (Double/Triple sharing basis)
• 1 Night stay at a three/four-star hotel at Srinagar post return from the trek (Double/Triple sharing basis)
• 7 Nights Camp stay along the trail during the trek (Double/triple sharing basis)
• Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner at Srinagar & Breakfast+ Lunch+ Evening Snacks + Dinner on all camping days
• Standard vegetarian food for breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Transportation as per the itinerary by NAC Vehicle, Srinagar to Sitkari/Sonamarg & Naranag to Srinagar
• Transportation to Zero point crossing Zojila Pass from Sonamarg for sightseeing
• Porter for 1 - 60 ltr Bag (Max 10 kgs)
• Trek equipment: Sleeping bags, Mattresses, Utensils, Ropes
• Tents: Trekkers tent (twin/triple sharing), Kitchen tent,
• 1 Mountaineering qualified & professional trek Leader
• Local Guide (Number of guides depending on the group size)
• 1 High Altitude chef & support staff
• Porters for carrying common equipment (like rations/tents/utensils/groceries)
• Basic First aid Kit

What is NOT included in the tour

• Travel to Srinagar and back 
• Meals, tea, coffee, mineral water, soft drinks, etc that are not mentioned in the inclusions
• Medical, Emergency Rescue and Evacuation cost
• Personal trekking gear
• Tips for guide, chef, porter, etc
• Local sightseeing, entrance fee, camera fee, etc
• Any other expenses incurred apart from inclusions
• All personal, medical, evacuation and emergency expenses like extra day stay out of itinerary, and vehicle charges due to delays, landslides, evacuation
• Expenses incurred for guide or porter during extra days stay, transport, etc (divided amongst the group which utilises the services of guides/porters on extra days)

Treknical Details

Altitude Map:

• Srinagar: 5,200 ft (1,585 m)
• Sitkari/Sonamarg: 9,186 ft (2,800 m)
• Nichnai: 11,500 ft (3,505 m)
• Vishansar: 12,172 ft (3,710 m)
• Gadsar Pass: 13,800 ft (4,200 m)
• Satsar: 11,810 ft (3,600 m)
• Gangbal: 11,730 ft (3,575 m)
• Naranag: 6,982 ft (2,128 m)

Other Details:

• Trek Gradient: Moderate
• Trek Distance: 60+ Km
• Assembling Point: Srinagar
• Trek Duration: 40+ hours
• Average Temperature: 25°C to 5°C
• Best Months to trek: July, August & Mid-September