Gangabal Twin Lakes Trek Kashmir

Day 1: Arrival in Srinagar (1,600m)

• Arrive at Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport, Srinagar. Your Summit Routes representative meets you on arrival and transfers you to your accommodation.
• We recommend a traditional houseboat on Dal Lake for your first night — waking up on the water with the Zabarwan hills reflected around you is as good an introduction to Kashmir as exists. An evening shikara ride as the light drops behind the Pir Panjal is worth doing before dinner.
• Trek briefing, permit preparation, and equipment check in the late afternoon.
• Overnight: Houseboat on Dal Lake or hotel in Srinagar.
• Meals: Dinner.

Day 2: Drive Srinagar → Chattergul (2,210m) — Trek to Mahlish (3,250m)

• Drive: ~40 km | 1 hour via Ganderbal.
• Trek Distance: ~12 km | 6 hours.
• The drive from Srinagar follows the Sind River valley east through terraced farmland and walnut orchards before turning into the hills above Ganderbal. Chattergul is a compact village where the trekking crew, horses, and camp equipment are staged and ready to move.
• The trail ascends immediately through dense pine and birch forest — well-shaded, cool even at the height of summer, with the sound of streams running below the path throughout. This lower section is some of the finest forest walking in Kashmir.
• As the trees thin, the trail emerges into the broad alpine meadow of Mahlish (3,250m) — a sweeping green basin ringed by ridgelines, typically dotted with the black felt tents of Gujjar herders and their mixed herds. The first views of the high ground appear here, and Harmukh’s upper snowfields are visible on the horizon. Camp by the stream at the meadow edge.
• Overnight: Tents at Mahlish meadow.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 3: Trek Mahlish → Gangabal Lake (3,650m) via Kolesar Lake

• Trek Distance: ~8 km | 4 hours.
• The longest and most rewarding day of the trek. From Mahlish the trail climbs through open meadow and glacial stream crossings as the terrain becomes progressively more alpine. The ridge above Kolesar Lake is visible ahead for much of the morning, and the valley closing in behind you gives the climb a satisfying sense of direction.
• Kolesar Lake (3,800m) sits in a natural bowl — cold, perfectly clear, surrounded by open grassland with strong views back down the valley and forward toward the Harmukh massif. This is the natural lunch stop, and the setting makes it easy to linger.
• From Kolesar the trail continues for roughly two hours across open alpine terrain before Harmukh fills the sky and the descent to Gangabal’s shoreline begins. The twin lakes come into view as you crest the final rise — it is one of those moments in Himalayan trekking that stays with you.
• Gangabal Lake (3,650m) is fed directly by the glaciers on Harmukh’s north face, deep enough to hold a vivid cobalt blue in clear weather, roughly 2.5km long and ringed by glacier-polished rock and summer grass. Camp is set on the flat ground near the shore with the summit filling the sky directly above.
• Overnight: Tents at Gangabal Lake.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 4: Rest and Exploration Day — Gangabal and Nundkol Lakes (3,600–3,650m)

• A full day at the twin lakes with no fixed agenda — use it at whatever pace your body dictates after two days of climbing.
• Nundkol Lake lies a 20-minute walk west from the Gangabal camp across the same glacial bowl. The two lakes are visually distinct — Gangabal is the larger and deeper, Nundkol more intimate and enclosed — and the walk between them across the moraine gives the finest overall perspective on Harmukh’s north face.
• Active option: Walk toward the Harmukh glacier snout above Gangabal’s upper shore for close-up views of the icefield and a higher vantage point over both lakes (3–4 hours return, no technical gear required).
• Relaxed option: Fish the Gangabal shoreline for brown trout (local permit may apply), sit with the reflection of Harmukh in the water, or simply rest and eat well. At this altitude, a day of doing less is never wasted.
• Overnight: Tents at Gangabal Lake.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 5: Trek Gangabal → Naranag (2,250m) via Trunkhol — Drive to Srinagar

• Trek Distance: ~15 km | 6 hours. Drive: ~65 km | 2 hours.
• The descent heads south from Gangabal through the wide, gently rolling meadows of Trunkhol — open high-altitude grazing ground that drops in long, easy gradients, with Harmukh visible behind you for much of the upper section. An army check-post at Trunkhol requires permits and ID cards; your guide manages this formality.
• Below Trunkhol the trail enters the forest above Naranag and descends more steeply through pine and fir. The 8th-century Naranag temple complex — carved stone shrines in a river gorge framed by chinar trees — is a fitting cultural endpoint to the trek. Allow 20 minutes here before lunch at the village.
• Vehicles meet the group at Naranag for the return drive to Srinagar along the Sind Valley. Check in to your hotel or houseboat on arrival.
• Celebration dinner in Srinagar.
• Overnight: Houseboat or hotel in Srinagar.
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 6: Departure from Srinagar

• Transfer to Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport for onward travel.
• Optional morning: Shalimar Bagh or Nishat Bagh — Mughal garden visits en route to the airport if your flight allows.
• Meals: Breakfast.