The paradise of India welcomes tourists from across the world as the earth’s temperature rises in the summer. For visitors looking for more than just a retreat, Kashmir offers various trekking like Kashmir Great Lakes trek. The surrounding beauty casts a compulsion while the quiet mountains present tranquility. Kashmir offers a rare experience to adventurous nature lovers. Basking in the lap of the Himalayan Mountains, filled with crystalline lakes reflecting the alluring snow-capped mountains, nature paints Kashmir as its most favored muse.
The trek journey can be distributed in 7-8 days accordingly, covering a total of 75 km and reaching up to 13000 feet above sea level. This trek will elevate your mental, physical, and emotional graph, by giving you an experience of a lifetime. Kashmir Great Lakes Trek best time is from July to September.
We have curated a Kashmir Great Lakes Trek 2024 Itinerary for you; check it out:
1. Sonamarg
- Distance from Srinagar: 94.1 km
- Transport Options: Buses or Taxi.
- To-Do activities: Thajiwas Glacier trek, White River rafting, Gangabal Lake trek.
You can start your trekking journey with this meadow of gold, getting its name from the sun rays falling in the snow and making it gleam. A great spot for fishers and trekkers alike, this beauty stands at an altitude of 2,730 meters. Covered in Alpine meadows that bloom in the summers, Sonamarg offers Kalahoi Peak glacier for its visitors’ sight. Sonmarg offers a panoramic view of the Himalayas. It also hosts occasional snowfalls in the winter. Acting as a gateway to Ladakh, Sonamarg is an ideal place to experience camping. Sonamarg’s scenic allure acts as a beautiful start to this spiritual journey of the Kashmir Great Lakes trek.
2. Nichinai
- Distance from Sonamarg: 18 km
- Transport Options: Walk or Trek.
- To-Do activities: Camp at Nichnai Pass, trekking
Standing at an elevation of 4,139 meters above sea level, Nichnai Pass can be the perfect second stop in your Kashmir Trek. Leading to a number of lakes, this pass gives a beautiful view of the frozen glaziers nearby. Nichinai serves as a notable base for trekking teams. This place displays the grandeur of its surroundings. Although trekking is relatively difficult in this region due to low oxygen levels and harsh terrains, the scenic payoff is what keeps you going. An hour into trekking from the pass, a luncheon spot awaits you with a breathtaking view of far-reaching vegetation with the surround sound of the Nichinai waterfall.
3. Vishansar and Kishansar lakes
- Distance from Nichinai: 7.6 km (13.5 km trek)
- Transport Options: Walk or Trek.
- To-Do activities: Night Camping, trekking
At an altitude of 3,710 meters, Vishansar Lake is an alpine high-elevation oligotrophic lake. If you plan on going here in the challenging Himalayan winters, you will find this lake frozen. During summers, a sparkling blue Vishansar is surrounded by lush green meadows filled with livestock gazing away in the warmth. Fed by the Kishansar Lake and glaciers, Vishansar Lake is the source of the Kishanganga River commonly known as the Neelum River. Vishansar translates to the lake of Vishnu and it is of great significance for Kashmiri Pandits. Adjacent to this lake stands the Krishansar lake, fed by the melting of snow and glaciers. Krishansar stands for the lake of Krishna.
4. Gadsar Lake
- Distance from Vishansar: 6.7 km
- Transport Options: Walk or Trek.
- To-Do activities: Photography, Fishing.
The fourth destination on this Kashmir Great Lakes trek is the Gadsar Lake. Situated at an elevation of 13,750 feet, Gadsar Lake also known as Yemsar, is a natural habitat of trout fishes and other types of fishes. Gadsar in Kashmiri translates to the lake of fishes. Frozen by the month of November, after April the lake unfreezes but is often seen harboring floating icebergs. The Harmukh Range stands among the mountains surrounding it. A permit from the authorities to visit the Gadsar lake is required before visiting. This is a challenging stop due to its unpredictable weather conditions, but the experience is worth all the trouble.
5. Satsar
- Distance from Gadsar: 6.2 km
- Transport Options: Walk or Trek.
- To-Do activities: Photography, camping.
The next stop in your Kashmir Great Lakes trek is Satsar. Satsar gets its name from the seven smaller interconnected lakes it is surrounded by. This crystal-clear lake becomes inaccessible during winter due to heavy snowfall. The trek to this lake crosses through a forest housing a range of flora and fauna. Placed at an elevation of 3,610 meters, the lake basin is covered with alpine flowers in the summer. The seven lakes are filled with trout fish, but a license from Srinagar is required to fish there.
6. Gangabal Twin lakes
- Distance from Satsar: 7.2 km
- Transport Options: Walk or Trek.
- To-Do activities: Photography, camping.
Gangabal Lake is also called Harmukh Ganga, due to it being located at the foothills of the Harmukh mountain range. One of the largest alpine lakes in India, it lies at an elevation of 35701 km. This trek consists of rocky terrains and narrow ridges, but the occasional streams elevate your trek experience. Wrapped with snow-capped mountains, Gangabal provides a riveting view of the Sonamarg Valley and Thajiwas Glaciers. Gangabal is of religious significance for Sanatanis. Considered to be the Ganga of Kashmir, it is visited by a lot of people every year on Ganga Astami. Gangabal marks the last stop for the Kashmir Great Lakes trek.
7. Srinagar
- Distance from Gangabal: 40.4 km
- Transport Options: Buses or Taxi from a base camp
- To-Do activities: Photography, camping.
After the tiring trekking, return to Srinagar and complete your Kashmir Great Lakes trek with a Shikara ride on the iconic Dal Lake or Nigeen Lake.
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Conclusion
This was our Kashmir Great Lakes Trek 2024 Itinerary for you. Trekking may sound daunting, but it definitely should be on your bucket list of things to do in life. You might surprise yourself in this life-changing adventure.