Tarsar Marsar Trek

The distance is 100 kms and takes 4 hrs to reach. Aru is the basecamp for your Tarsar Marsar experience. The basecamp offers you a teaser of how incredible the next five days are. When you reach Aru Valley from Srinagar, you cannot help but be amazed by the sheer beauty of this quaint village. The Lidder river flows just a few metres away, the village guarded by beautiful coniferous forests, it is a perfect location before you start your experience.

The trail today from Aru to Lidderwart will be easy to moderate. You will climb for the first 30 minutes, followed by a gentle walk on the undulated terrain.

On the route to Lidderwart from Aru, you will walk through clusters of pine trees, Gujjar settlements, and beautiful grasslands.

The panoramic view of the Aru valley hovers into the frame on your left as you walk up the thick trails of coniferous trees, following the Lidder River upstream. There is a spread of grasslands just near the Lidder river. This is also the place we sit for lunch with a view. The essence of Kashmir breathes in and out of the locals inhabiting the region.

After the lunch break, the team crosses the river using a wooden bridge to reach the campsite. Then follows a short climb to reach Lidderwat.

The day is a combination of ascending trails for a few hours, river crossing, and some gradual ascent.

You start in the morning for Shekhwas, the next campsite. The trail will take you through flowers in full bloom, especially if you visit in June-July. You will walk on grasslands and meadows. You will cross Homwas on the way. We take a Kahwa break here, as Homwas is inhabited by local shepherds. Once you reach the campsite, the team indulges in some hot lunch before exploring the bewitching setting of Shekhwas.

The trail to Tarsar begins with a steep ascent in the beginning for the first two hours. The rest of the trail is moderate with a combination of some descent and gradual ascent. The tree-line now vanishes and trail opens into a valley of full bloom.

The walk on the grasslands on this day is covered with multicoloured flowers. The view of flowers blooming all yellow, white, and purple in the entire valley makes you believe you are almost close to heaven.

You start from Tarsar early in the morning. We plan our day to reach the Marsar pass when the sunlight falls on the lake. The first rays of sun falling on the lake is a sight that etches in your mind and heart. The way to Sundersar is inhabited by sheep, as shepherds bring their sheep to graze here. The section of the valley is a bit tricky till you reach Sundersar.

After reaching Sundersar, you will hike to the highest point of the trek. An hour hike from the Sundersar Campsite takes you to another lake, Marsar. Marsar is the biggest and also the most beautiful of all the lakes you will witness during this experience. The lake is surrounded by mountains offering you a perfect setting for capturing the beauty of the lake. After a short excursion, you will be back at Sundersar Campsite for a tea break.

After experiencing the enchanting beauty of these lakes, you start descending to Homwas. Homwas is where you will camp for the night. You can rest for a while and explore the Homwas campsite which you had missed in the beginning.

On day 7 you will descend to Lidderwat and from there to the basecamp. After reaching basecamp around 4 PM in the evening, you will drive back to Srinagar on the same day. The cab reaches Srinagar around 8 PM at night.

Tarsar Marsar Trek is approximately 47 km long. You will be hiking an average of 5-7 km a day. 

Yes, if you are a beginner with good physical fitness, you can consider the trek after consulting our Outdoor Leader. 

The trek is categorised as moderate, considering the duration and altitude of Tarsar Marsar. 

Tarsar Marsar trek temperature ranges between 14°C and 20°C. The night is colder than the day. During the nighttime, Tarsar Marsar records a minimum of  7°C to 4°C during early July. 

Find out the detailed guide on Tarsar Marsar trek temperature here. 

The best time to visit Tarsar Marsar Trek is between July- September. The weather is pleasant during these months. 

Read more about the best time to visit the Tarsar Marar trek here. 

Tarsar Marsar trek season begins in the monsoon. You will find patches of snow at higher campsites. However, there will be no fresh snowfall on the trek. 

 The Tarsar Marsar trek cost is Rs 16,499/-

The trek cost covers your experience from basecamp to basecamp. It also covers your accommodation, meals at the base camp and during the trek. 

Tarsar Marsar is a 7-day long trek. This includes travel to and from the basecamp. 

The trek is in the Anantnag district of Kashmir.  

The base of Tarsar Marsar trek is in Aru. Aru is a quaint village frequented by tourists every year to admire the stunning natural beauty surrounded by verdant valleys and mountains.

Tarsar Marsar trek is at an altitude of 13,150ft. The trek starts from Aru village, located at an altitude of 7950ft.

The most important thing to do on a trek to avoid AMS is to drink water, more than your daily intake. Water is an excellent way to avoid AMS. Along with this, you should also have all the nutritious meals we provide on the trek. If you still are sceptical about getting AMS, we would advise you to carry Diamox tablets with you. However, according to the situation your Outdoor leader will advise whether or not you should take it.

We encourage everyone to trek, even if or not they have a medical condition. We have an in-house doctor at OWLS with whom you can discuss your medical condition and accordingly, we can help you better prepare you for the trek.

Please keep the following documents ready before filling out this form

1. ID proof
2. Health form (for all participants of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh treks) and (for all participants <15 and > 60 years of age)
3. RTPCR for children <15 years/Vaccination certificate for adults (for Nepal treks)

Although we provide filling breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with morning tea and evening snacks, you can carry some light snacks for munching on the trail. You can carry protein bars, dry fruits, and homemade snacks like Shakkarpara to help you give that extra energy on the trek. 

All our Outdoor Leaders are trained and experienced leaders. They have completed basic Mountaineering Course, and are equipped with basic first-aid knowledge. Our leaders are certified Wilderness First Responder course

You don’t need to carry your medical kit. If you have your prescribed medications, you need to carry them on the trek

The accommodation will be on twin sharing basis. One tent will be shared by two trekkers. 

Yes. Communicate your requirement to the trek leaders beforehand, as it will be difficult to arrange to offload at the last minute. The offloading charges will be Rs 350 per bag, and your bag should not weigh more than 9 kg. 

Note: At OWLs, we suggest our participants carry their backpacks and avoid offloading. However, in case of pressing circumstances, you can opt for offloading.

Yes, you can leave the extra luggage at the base camp. However, do not leave valuables like laptops, jewellery, or any other expensive items in the base camp. 

The OWLS team will set up a toilet tent near the campsites. The toilets will be dry toilets and you will have to use toilet paper. There will be a pit dug by the team and you will have to cover your nature’s call with dry soil. Avoid using wet wipes, as they are not biodegradable. At OWLS, we thrive to leave no trace in the mountains. 

At the base camp, you will have regular concrete toilets.

The food offered will be as per the nutritional requirements. As you will be walking every day for 4-6 hours, you will be burning a good amount of calories. The team makes sure that the food you will be offered is healthy and helps you sustain through the day. The regular meal comprises eggs, locally grown vegetables, rice, roti, and pulses. The menu changes from day to day. 

The last place with mobile network will be Pahalgam. Aru has a scanty network.

The last ATM will be in Pahalgam. 

Carry a sufficient amount of cash with them. Since the base camp is situated away from the cities and lacks basic facilities like ATMs and digital payment options, it is always better to be prepared. 

You can carry the cash for cab fare and food to and from the base camp. We suggest carrying a minimum of 5-6k to ensure you have enough funds for your journey.