Aru Valley Pahalgam

Aru Valley is the quieter, less visited end of the Pahalgam circuit, and for trekkers, it is the more important one. It sits about 12 km upstream from Pahalgam at roughly 2,400 to 2,500 metres, in a bowl shaped valley where two branches of the Lidder river meet. The meadows are wide and open, the village is small and mostly wooden houses, and the whole place still has a calm that the busier parts of the Pahalgam circuit lost a while ago.

Most visitors reach Aru as part of the standard Pahalgam sightseeing day, which runs on the union taxi system. You get dropped at the valley, walk around for an hour, take some photos, and head back. That is fine as a quick visit, but it undersells the place. Aru's real value is as a base camp for some of Kashmir's best multi day treks, and as a destination for overnight camping when you want meadows and a river and very little else.

The big treks that start from here are the Tarsar Marsar Lake trek (5 to 7 days, moderate to difficult, reaching twin alpine lakes at roughly 3,700 to 4,000 metres) and the Kolahoi Glacier trek, which takes you to the base and viewpoint of Kolahoi, the highest peak in the Kashmir valley at 5,425 metres. You do not summit the peak itself, that is a serious mountaineering objective, but the glacier viewpoint is a legitimate multi day trek in its own right. Both routes go through Lidderwat, a wide meadow about 10 km from Aru on the Lidder river. You do not need to do the full trek to enjoy Lidderwat. A day hike from Aru to Lidderwat and back (about 20 km round trip, 6 to 8 hours) is one of the best single day walks in all of Kashmir if you have the fitness for it.

For non trekkers, Aru works well as a half day side trip from Pahalgam. The drive follows the Lidder river through pine forest and is pleasant on its own. At the valley, you can walk through the meadow, sit by the river, take a pony ride, or just have lunch at one of the basic dhabas before heading back. If you are not trekking, Aru is beautiful but there is not a lot to do beyond walking and sitting. Two hours is enough. If you are trekking, it is one of the most important staging points in Kashmir.

Camping is popular and widely available. Several operators run organised camps with tents, meals, and bonfires. You can also pitch your own tent with permission. The evening atmosphere in the meadow, with wood smoke, the sound of the river, and the mountains going dark around you, is the kind of thing that makes people rethink their entire itinerary and stay longer.

The road from Pahalgam to Aru (about 12 km) is generally motorable from April to November. In winter, the road can be blocked by snow. Union taxis from Pahalgam cover Aru as part of the standard sightseeing package, or you can hire a separate vehicle.

If you are planning a Kashmir trip that includes Pahalgam, our Kashmir package covering Srinagar, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam includes Pahalgam sightseeing that covers the Aru Valley drive.