Tarsar Marsar Pahalgam Trek

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: – Arrival. Reception at Aru Valley, Pahalgam.
On arrival at Aru Valley bus station, our representative will receive you and shift you to the tented campsite where you will be provided with a welcome tea or kahwa. Meet our guide and staff for an introduction and briefing. Aru is the last town with a market before the start of the trek. Dinner at the campsite.

Day 2: – Aru to Lidderwat. A gradual ascent from Aru to Lidderwat covering a distance of 10 km in 6 hours with an altitude gain of 342 m. Look out for two clear streams and a wooden bridge half hour before Lidderwat. We also pass through Nandkei Gujjar nomad settlements across the Lidder river. Once we reach Lidderwat, we can explore the meadows and the clear streams that run through it which is an absolute delightful experience. Camp for the nightstay at Lidderwat

Day 3: – Lidderwat to Sekhwas. While trekking to Sekhwas we gain an altitude of 480 m in 5 hours covering a distance of 6 km. The trail is mostly ascending with intermediate flat grounds and one river crossing en route. After passing through pine forests and some intermittent clearings we will reach wide sweeping grasslands that are formed from the merger of many valleys that converge here. The trail climbs swiftly past a few Gujjar huts to the camping grounds of Sekhwas. Camp for the night at Sekhwas.

Day 4: – Shekwas to Tarsar. It is a gentle climb to Tarsar through tall grasses, a few ridges and finally to the shore of the lake. Tarsar Lake is 5 km above Sekhwas and takes 4 hours with an altitude gain of 518 meters. The turquoise blue water is surrounded by lush meadows and snow capped peaks – this campsite is truly heaven on earth. Camp at Tarsar for an overnight stay.

Day 5: – Tarsar to Sundersar. The trek to Sundersar covers a distance of 5 km in 5 hours with a pass crossing. Some trekkers attempt a trek to Marsar, which is a closed lake set inside a cauldron with steep sides. The trail is a steep ascent in the beginning, followed by a descent and then a final gentle ascent to the beautiful Sundarsar a small lake. Around the lake are long meadow stretches with little sprouting flowers of yellow, blue and white. Sundarsar has big, flat stretches that is a perfect camping spot.

Day 6: – Visit Marsar, and get down to Homwas. The trail initially is a climb to Marsar, which is at an altitude of 4100m. We explore the surrounding meadows, and finally descend to 3400m. The trek covers a distance of approximately 8 km in 6 hours. The Homwas valley is a sharp drop of over 600m, over a series of meadows. Each of these meadows has a little stream that runs down from snow melts and falls down to the meadow below forming a clear pond, before sliding off the cliff as a waterfall. The Homwas valley floor, again, is a breathtaking piece of nature’s art with small streams, brooks and green pastures. Camp for the night at Homwas.

Day 7: – Homwas to Aru. Descend 1370m, and 14 km from Homwas to Aru. An early start will get us to Aru in about 5 hours. The trek ends at Aru where from you can proceed to your next destination. Our guide can arrange transportation to Srinagar or Pahalgam.