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A green meadow with small huts below snow-covered mountains seen through bare branches at Aru Valley in spring
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Photo: Irfanaru · CC BY-SA 3.0
Day plannaturenaturerelaxed

A day up the Lidder to Aru — meadows and the trek base

A relaxed day trip from Pahalgam up the Lidder valley to Aru: a riverside walk, then the meadows and mountains at the base of the Kolahoi Glacier treks.
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A quiet day up the Lidder valley to Aru, the meadow village that is the base for the high treks. It is a day of walking and views rather than sights. For the temple and the road to Chandanwari, see the one-day plan.

Photos: Irfanaru (CC BY-SA 3.0) · ThePoeticFrame (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Walkers and photographers who like meadows and mountains, from late spring to early autumn.

Day by day

Day 1

Up the Lidder to the meadows of Aru

2 stops · 5 h 21 min on the road

A short walk by the river, then most of the day at Aru.

  1. 09:00
    Lidder Valley
    viewpoint · 2 min from Pahalgam · about 1 h there
    A short riverside walk in town before the drive.
  2. ↓ 5 h 21 min by road · 12 km
    10:30
    Aru
    town · 25 min from Pahalgam · about 2 h there
    The meadow village about 12 km up the Aru valley, the base for Kolahoi Glacier and Tarsar-Marsar treks; we have no measured drive time for the last stretch.

Getting there

Pahalgam is about 88 km and 86 minutes from Srinagar by road. See how to reach Pahalgam and when to visit.

Where to stay

Stay in Pahalgam. We have no verified lodging, prices or booking rules.

Know before you go

  • Ask locally about the road to Aru the day before; it can be rough and is affected by snow.
  • The treks beyond Aru are multi-day; we have no timed trails or permit details, so plan them with a local guide.
  • Check current local conditions and your government's travel advice before you travel.

Places on this route

The Lidder Valley at Pahalgam — river, meadows and pine forest
The Lidder Valley at Pahalgam — river, meadows and pine forest
viewpoint · 2 min from Pahalgam
Aru Valley — meadows and the trek base above Pahalgam
Aru Valley — meadows and the trek base above Pahalgam
town · 25 min from Pahalgam

Going together

No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.

Start a groupHow groups work

Other ways to do it

All Pahalgam itineraries →
One day in Pahalgam — the temple, the river and the road to Chandanwari
One day in Pahalgam — the temple, the river and the road to Chandanwari
Day plan · First visit · nature
A one-day Pahalgam plan: the Mamleshwar Temple, a walk along the Lidder and the road up to Chandanwari, where the Amarnath path begins, with times.
Best May–Jun · Sep–Oct
See the plan →

More places nearby

All of Pahalgam →
Mamleshwar Temple, Pahalgam — the old stone shrine on the Lidder
Mamleshwar Temple, Pahalgam — the old stone shrine on the Lidder
temple · 866 m away
Chandanwari — the road-end and start of the Amarnath pilgrim path
Chandanwari — the road-end and start of the Amarnath pilgrim path
town · 12 km away
Chashme Shahi — the royal spring garden above Dal Lake
Chashme Shahi — the royal spring garden above Dal Lake
monument · 35 km away
Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden — Asia's largest tulip garden
Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden — Asia's largest tulip garden
park · 35 km away
Nishat Bagh — the terraced Mughal garden of joy on Dal Lake
Nishat Bagh — the terraced Mughal garden of joy on Dal Lake
monument · 35 km away
Pari Mahal — the terraced garden of fairies above Dal Lake
Pari Mahal — the terraced garden of fairies above Dal Lake
monument · 36 km away
Shalimar Bagh — the Mughal garden on Dal Lake's north shore
Shalimar Bagh — the Mughal garden on Dal Lake's north shore
monument · 37 km away
Dal Lake — shikara boats, houseboats and floating gardens in Srinagar
Dal Lake — shikara boats, houseboats and floating gardens in Srinagar
lake · 38 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
A rocky mountain stream running through a green valley beneath snow-covered peaks at Sonamarg
Sonamarg
30 km away · 1 itineraries · 2 places
Two shikara boats on calm Dal Lake with snow-covered mountains rising behind the far shore
Srinagar
47 km away · 3 itineraries · 12 places
Visitors walking across the snowy Kongdoori bowl beneath a ridge on a bright winter day
Gulmarg
87 km away · 2 itineraries · 5 places
Dalhousie hill station across its five hills
Dalhousie
177 km away · 2 itineraries · 5 places
Been here?Help the next traveller — our team checks every contribution.

Questions people ask

How far is Aru from Pahalgam?

About 12 km by Wikipedia's figure; our router measured 13.3 km but gave no usable time for the last stretch, which is a track, so we quote no drive time. Ask locally how long the road takes and whether it is open. Aru stands in a side valley at the head of the Aru river.

What is there to do in Aru?

Walk and picnic in the meadows, ride horses, fish for trout in the Lidder and photograph the mountains; it is also the base camp for the treks to the Kolahoi Glacier, the Tarsar and Marsar lakes and Lidderwat. Wikipedia says about 20 alpine lakes lie around it and that it receives heavy snow in winter.

Can you trek to Kolahoi from Aru in a day?

No. Wikipedia describes the trail from Pahalgam via Aru as about 35 km, a trek of several days. We have no timed trail, permit or guide information, so this plan stays in the meadows; plan any trek with a local guide and check conditions and permits locally first.