Few trekking regions anywhere pack in as many alpine lakes per kilometre as Kashmir. Trails here link one turquoise or emerald lake to the next through rolling meadows (locally called margs) framed by pine forest and jagged peaks — the Kashmir Great Lakes trek alone passes half a dozen named lakes in a single week.
Sonmarg, Pahalgam, and Gulmarg serve as the main trailheads, all reachable by road from Srinagar. The trekking window is short but reliable: July to September, once the winter snowpack has cleared from the high passes and before the first autumn snow closes them again.
Kashmir’s trekking infrastructure — ponies, local guides, and campsites — is well established along the classic routes, making it an accessible region for a first high-altitude lake trek.
