Kashmir trekking offers one of the most unforgettable experiences possible, offering stunning landscapes, Alpine lakes, lush meadows, snow-clad mountains and two acclaimed trails: Tarsar Marsar Trek and Kashmir Great Lakes Trek.
Both hikes offer breathtakingly scenic scenery and offer an enjoyable hiking experience, yet both vary in several key ways.
Making a difficult choice between two spectacular hikes can be challenging.
Similarities between treks like the Tarsar Marsar trek and Kashmir Great Lakes (KGL) treks cannot be drawn.
Both Kashmir region and area can vie to be my top pick, leaving me to choose between them as most attractive options.
Kashmir offers many aspects, yet many remain unaware of its wealth held within Tarsar Marsar and therefore remain ignorant.
Following several recommendations in favor of KGL over Tarsar Marsar, I began considering its merits. Due to KGL's increased popularity among hikers, Tarsar Marsar remains lesser-known and less sought-after by hikers.
Doesn't this seem more attractive?
the choice between two breathtaking trekking routes through Kashmir was no easy one. Being drawn in by their respective websites was no help either - Tarsar Marsar and KGL are such stunning destinations, it would be hard not to come away inspired and with photos to remember them by!
Start with an overview of each hike before looking at their distinct features, so that you can understand why I chose Tarsar Marsar as a hike with KGL as an alternative option.
Kashmir Great Lakes
KGL trekkers can experience the full beauty of Kashmir outside of its typical tourist spots with its KGL Trek, taking people through stunning silver birch woodlands and across three passes - Nichnai Pass, Gadsar Pass and Jiz Pass - offering breathtaking images of turquoise lakes. Traversing breathtaking valleys amidst seven lakes in the alpine region this journey truly astonishes those that take part.
Kashmir Great Lakes are an impressive display of Alpine Beauty. There are seven gorgeous lakes here showcasing various shades of green, blue, and turquoise.
The trek takes participants through various landscapes: rolling meadows, rivers, river crossings, glacier-fed streams and mountain passes.
Vishansar, Krishansar, Gadsar Satsar and Gangbal are some of the most iconic lakes. Each offers its own distinctive charm.
Trekkers who love adventure will find this trek visually engaging, as it spans across diverse landscapes and high altitude passes.
Tarsar Marsar
Tarsar Lakes are equally stunning but more hidden away.
Tarsar and Marsar Lakes differ significantly from KGL by being hidden deep within valleys that require only short detours to discover these lakes.
Your trek will lead you through lush green meadows, pine forests and peaceful streams for an enjoyable journey.
Marsar Lake often appears cloud-like and lends an air of mystery and intrigue during any trek to it.
This undiscovered and undisturbed trail can take you from Aru, through lush meadows of Lidderwat and Sekhwas, onto breathtaking turquoise lakes which constitute Tarsar and Marsar, commonly referred to as twin lakes. Trekking towards this hidden paradise opens up views of mountains surrounding Kashmir while offering beautiful camping areas and camping areas in Kashmir Valley itself - taking your trekking experience into a whole other realm altogether.
Which is more popular KGL or Tarsar Marsar lake trek
KGL is an immensely popular destination that attracts many hikers looking for an adventure of trekking through Kashmir and achieving their list of goals. Hikers may encounter various trekkers and camp sites as you hike with your friends along this trail. Tarsar Marsar receives far fewer visitors; its route remains relatively unexplored, undiscovered, uncrowded with other groups hiking there and offers an ideal hiking experience where your group might just be one of a few to experience it all together.
These treks both feature expansive meadows, pastures ideal for grazing cattle, breathtaking turquoise lakes and stunning mountains - making your choice between these trekking options dependent on what type of landscape and topography appeals most to you. Kashmir offers amazing valley experiences; so make your choice according to your specific landscape preferences and topographic preferences.
Tarsar Marsar Trek in Kashmiri's opinion is more spectacular than KGL for reasons that cannot be explained - simply put, something about Tarsar Marsar makes one feel at one with Kashmir and can only be experienced. While KGL may be considered the most beautiful trek in India, Tarsar Marsar takes visitors deep into Kashmir's heartland and surpasses KGL in splendor for reasons that cannot be articulated easily - which may explain its superiority over KGL in splendor! Unfortunately it's impossible to explain exactly what makes something amazing about its beauty; only experience it truly can give one the full experience.
KGL is truly the ideal hiking experience, and Tarsar Marsar stands out as an outstanding trek destination.
Trail difficulty
The two treks differ significantly in terms of difficulty. KGL covers an expansive 71 km route that requires seven days to finish while Tarsar Marsar only needs six. Furthermore, the KGL trek requires trekkers to climb higher elevations and traverse three mountain passes while Tarsar Marsar only involves crossing one pass - making KGL more demanding while Tarsar Marsar suits hikers of all skill levels from novice to expert hikers alike.
