Nundkol Lake, also called Kalodaka, lies at the foot of Mount Harmukh in Ganderbal district, immediately below Gangabal Lake. It is a trekking and camping lake, reached on foot or by pony from the village of Naranag, and it freezes solid in winter when the route is closed.
Duke Kashmir Travels handles the Srinagar and Ganderbal road legs for groups walking up to these lakes. The agency has been registered as JKTA00003978 with the Department of Tourism since 2011; 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
- At the foot of Mount Harmukh, alongside Gangabal Lake.
- Also known as Kalodaka.
- Reached on foot or pony from Naranag, usually a full day's walk.
- A standard camping ground on the Harmukh and Great Lakes routes.
- Frozen and inaccessible through winter.
- Summer is the season; nights are cold even in July.
How do you reach Nundkol?
On foot or by pony from Naranag in Ganderbal, climbing through forest and meadow to the lakes below Harmukh. Allow a full day up.
Most groups camp at the lake and continue to Gangabal, which sits just above it, or press on towards Sonmarg. Guides, ponies and tents are hired at Naranag; there is nothing at the lake itself.
What is it like up there?
Two lakes under a big mountain: Nundkol below, Gangabal above, with Harmukh's snow face filling the skyline.
The meadows around them are grazed in summer, and the water is clear and very cold. Harmukh is a sacred mountain in Kashmiri tradition, and the Gangabal basin draws an annual pilgrimage.
When can you go?
Roughly June to September. The lake freezes in winter and the route is closed by snow.
Weather at this height changes fast, so build a spare day into any plan. We arrange the road transfer to Naranag and the stay either side; the walk itself needs a mountain operator.
Booking this with us
Duke Kashmir Travels has held Department of Tourism registration JKTA00003978 since March 2011 and has been an IATO allied member since 2016. The full list of registrations sits on our About Us page.
Send your dates and traveller count and we will build the itinerary around it. Call +91 9018 44 0000, email info@dukekashmirtravels.com or use the contact page.
About the founder
Rayies Ahmad Zargar founded Duke Kashmir Travels in Srinagar in 2011 and still runs it. He co-founded the JK Tourism Council and reviews the guides published here, including this one. Profile on LinkedIn.