Kashmir Great Lakes Trek
6 Days
Trek Duration
Kashmir
Location
13,870 ft.
Altitude
77 kms
Distance
8-10 pax
People
Details
Kashmir Great Lakes Trek or popularly known as the KGL Trek is the most pristine combination of alpine lakes, far-reaching meadows, high altitude passes and the vast unexplored vistas of Kashmir Himalayas. Kashmir Great Lakes is one of the most beautiful treks in India. It is situated 75 km northeast of Srinagar. Every day is a 360° panorama of wild, rugged mountains, rolling meadows and turquoise alpine lakes. And you get more than seven of these lakes and five different valleys to explore! The range of landscape makes it a moderate-difficult trek spanning over six days. This means it has long trekking days with steep ascents and descents with no easy exit points. Each day is postcard perfect, with a new alpine lake to look forward to. What makes these lakes even prettier are the snow patches that feed these lakes. You see them sliding off the serrated mountains into the lakes.
The best months to visit are from July to October. One will witness the miracles of nature in the form of green lush meadows, inverted waterfalls, snow-fed rivers, snow-capped mountains, tall pine trees, gypsy life, wildflowers, valleys, and the open view of the lesser Himalayas.
Package Inclusion
- Airport and all road transfers
- Meals during trek (Veg/Non-veg)
- Off-loading of 10 kgs backpack per person
- Tents on triple sharing basis with mattresses, sleeping bags, camping pillows and camp lights
- Rain ponchos, trekking poles and head torches
- Trek leaders, porters and guides
- Passes and permits
- Medical fitness certificates
- Basic first-aid kit
Package Exclusion
- Lunch before the onset of trek
- Trekking shoes
- Personal toiletries
- Backpack
- Videography, photography or any related equipment charges
- Personal expenses
- Anything not mentioned in the itinerary specifically
Gallery
Itinerary
Srinagar (Drive) – Shitkadi
4 hrs
90 kms
7,850 ft
The client will be picked up from the airport and drive to Shitkadistarts. It is just before Sonamarg. Dubbed as the “meadow of gold”, Sonamarg is one of the mostpopular hill stations in Kashmir valley and in its vicinity are some glaciers and peaks of the Kashmir National Park. We will have a Team Introduction after evening tea. Early dinner & stay in camps.
Shitkadi (trek begins) – Nichnai
7 hrs
12 kms
11,778 ft
The first day of Kashmir great lakes trek is a good combination of ascent & descent. The trekking tail starting point is marked by a nice roadside dhaba where one can buy packaged food items for the trek. For the initial 3 kms, the trail is uphill, next 2 kms is descent and finally, there is a gradual ascent of 5 kms up to Nichnai. On the trail, you will see beautiful meadows, dark forests with trees of Maple, Pine, and Bhoj. Reach Nichnai by afternoon. We camp in Nichnai.
Nichnai – Vishansar (1st lake)
7 hrs
14 kms
12,100 ft
We break camps early and start the trek by 8 am as today it’s a longwalk through meadows. The scenery keeps changing all the way which is a treat for the senses. Once you cross the Nichnai pass towards Vishansar Lake you have reached your destination for theday. The Vishansar Lake is an alpine lake which will calm your senses at the first glimpse of it. The banks of this lake make the perfect campsite. We camp here for the night.
Vishansar – (via) Gadsar Pass – Gadsar (2nd lake)
8 hrs
18 kms
13,870 ft
After breakfast we will start our trekpassing by Kishansar Lake towards Gadsar Pass. Initially, the trek is asteep ascent which is followed by asteep descent & a gentle walk through the meadows. To reach Gadsar Pass, it takes around 2 to 3 hours depending upon your pace and once you reach the top, be ready to absorb the views of the Vishansar and Kishansar (3rd lake) Lakes, together. We will reach Gadsar lake by early afternoon. Gadsar is one of the most beautiful and most pristine lake of the Kashmir Great Lakes trek. On one side of the Gadsar lake lies the snow clad cliffs and on the other side open lush green meadows.
Gadsar – Satsar (4th lake)
5 hrs
11 kms
12,100 ft
Start trek early towards Satsar after a nice breakfast. We will cross the river today. Satsar is basically a collection of 7 lakes and you can find water in various lakes depending upon the season of your trek and all of these lakes are interconnected. ID cards will be checked again at Satsar Army checkpost. A few minutes from the army camp is the first of the Satsar lakes, which is pretty big in size and amazingly beautiful. The lakes drain out into the Wangath nallah which is a tributary of the Sind. We camp at the
beautiful campsite near the first lake.
Satsar – (via) Haz Pass – Gangabal (5th lake)
6 hrs
9 kms
13,050 ft
Today is a tough day and be prepared for a long arduous trek through the rocky terrain full of boulders. Today the trail is dominated by boulders. Be careful of loose rocks while trekking. The view of Gangabal and Nandkol (6th lake) twin lakes from the Zaj Pass is something to look forward. After spending sometime at the top of Zaj Pass, we will start descending towards Gangabal lake. Last few Kilometres are through meadows. We reach our destination for the day, Gangabal lake and camp here for the night.
Gangabal – Naranag (drive) – Srinagar
6 hrs
13 kms
7,450 ft
Today is the last and final day of Kashmir Great Lakes trek. Like most treks, the trail on the last day is a steep descent. You will see the most beautiful pine forests today. The trail passes through a meadow of the prettiest yellow flowers. After trekking for a couple of hours, finally, we reach the road head of Naranag, where jeeps would be waiting to pick us up. Start the drive and reach Srinagar in the evening.
Packing List
Clients may required to bring a list of essentials for a 3-5 days group camping activity as per season.
Why Us?
We practice sustainable and responsible tourism. Opting Zabarwan Adventures lets you feel proud about leaving a positive impact on the environment, society and the economy of Kashmir.
We are safe. Our handpicked professionals come from the valley itself and ensure that your trip is truly inspiring, a huge amount of fun and frolic while ensuring safety. We ensure a smooth experience with all paperwork and permits already pre-arranged.
We are locals. Aware of every unseen and breathtaking sights in Kashmir, our team will ensure that you see much more than what has been on your social media feed about Kashmir, so far!
Cancellation Policy
- Cancellations up to 30 days prior to departure date – 30% deduction
- Between 30 days to 15 days prior to departure – 50% deduction
- Less than 15 days of departure – No Cash Refund