Aru Valley is a meadow village 12 kilometres upstream of Pahalgam on the Lidder, and the usual base camp for the Kolahoi Glacier and Tarsar treks. It is the quietest of the three side valleys above Pahalgam and the least built up. Most visitors come for an afternoon; trekkers come to start walking.
Duke Kashmir Travels is a Srinagar travel agency, registered with the J&K Department of Tourism as JKTA00003978 since 2011. We build Pahalgam stays that leave a full day for the side valleys; Kashmir packages start near ₹6,350 per person, two sharing.
By Duke Kashmir Travels Team · Reviewed by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, Founder · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
- Twelve kilometres from Pahalgam town, eleven upstream along the Lidder.
- Meadow, river and pine, with the Zanskar ridges beyond.
- The standard base for the Kolahoi Glacier trek and the Tarsar-Marsar route.
- Less commercial than Betaab or the town itself.
- Ponies and guides are hired locally for the walks above the village.
- Reached by local union taxi from Pahalgam — not by your Srinagar vehicle.
What is Aru Valley like?
An open meadow at the head of a river valley, with a small village, a scatter of guesthouses, and mountains closing every side.
The Lidder runs clear and fast through it. Because the road ends here, the noise of the main tourist circuit does not reach; people walk, sit by the water, or set off up the trails.
What treks start from Aru?
The Kolahoi Glacier route and the Tarsar-Marsar lakes circuit both begin here, along with shorter day walks up the meadows.
Kolahoi is a serious multi-day walk on glacier ground and needs a guide, permits where applicable, and proper equipment. Tarsar-Marsar is the classic Kashmiri lakes trek. Day walkers can simply follow the river up for an hour or two and turn back.
How do you get to Aru?
By road from Pahalgam, about 12 kilometres up the valley. Vehicles from Srinagar stop in Pahalgam town: the run up the side valleys is reserved for the local taxi union, and those fares are set by the union each season and paid on the day. They sit outside package rates, so keep cash for them.
The same rule applies to Betaab Valley and Chandanwari, which is why the three are usually done together in one hired vehicle.
When should you visit?
May to September for the meadows and the treks. Snow closes the higher ground from late autumn.
July and August are green and busy; September gives clearer air and thinner crowds. See Kashmir tour ideas for itineraries with two nights in Pahalgam, which is what the side valleys really need.
Booking this with us
Duke Kashmir Travels works out of Nowhatta Chowk in Srinagar, registered as JKTA00003978 since 2011, IATO allied member since 2016 and a TAAK member. See About Us for the rest.
Share your travel dates and group size and we will price the trip around this stop. Phone +91 9018 44 0000, write to info@dukekashmirtravels.com, or open the contact page.
About the founder
Founder Rayies Ahmad Zargar opened Duke Kashmir Travels in Srinagar in 2011, sits in TAAK, co-founded the JK Tourism Council, and signs off the guides on this site. Find him on LinkedIn.