Marchoi Valley Winter Trek

• You are expected to assemble at the Naranag village by 6 pm. To reach Naranag, take a shared taxi from the Srinagar Tourist Reception Center at the latest by 2 pm.
• The Western Mountains can also arrange for taxis on request and trekker expense to pick you from the Srinagar TRC and drop you at Naranag. Please let us know during registration if you would like to opt for the pickup service.
• It is a scenic drive from Srinagar to Naranag and has a wonderful mix of grasslands, scattered forests and snow covered mountains.
• Overnight stay in homestay.
• Meals: (Tea& Snacks, Dinner).

• Begin early morning and start towards the Dumail campsite on a Maple and Pine tree-lined route. Enjoy beautiful views of Naranag Valley and the forests en route the campsite.• You would cross Naranag Temple built by Lalitaditya Muktapida during Karkota Dynasty which is also a start point of the trek.
• Descend into the Dumail grazing ground through a Silver Birch & Pine forest, it is an easy trail and would take around 2 hours to reach the campsite.
• Overnight stay in tents.
• Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Tea& Snacks, Dinner.

• Today’s trek will comprise of a forest patch and few ascent to cross over to the Marchoi Valley.
• You would be crossing Shingdi which is a grazing ground for shepherds during the summer months of July, August, & September.
• It would take around 4 hours to reach Marchoi from Dumail, the trail has couple of stream crossings with wooden bridges.
• Overnight stay in tents.
• Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Tea& Snacks, Dinner.

• Today you get to relax by the valley or go up to Shadmarg top based on the weather conditions and explore surrounding meadows, soak in the magnificent mountainscape, uncover a few local legends about the lakes, share travel stories, meditate, exercise your photography skills and do anything that soothes your soul (without disturbing others trekkers/nature)
• Overnight stay in tents.
• Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Tea & Snacks, Dinner.

• On the final day, we trek back on the same trail to Naranag past a tree line, some grassy lands and towards the pine forest cover. Follow the forest line for about 5 hours and descend into the Naranag village.
• For people opting homestay at Naranag at an additional cost, you will be provided lunch on arrival, Once you are refreshed you could explore the Naranag Temple built by Lalitaditya Muktapida during Karkota Dynasty till evening.

Naranag temple located at the serene meadows in Naranag Valley is one of the main attractions to tourists and it is an important archeological site, the temples form a cluster facing each other and with reference to history, it was dedicated to Lord Shiva built by Lalitaditya Muktapida during Karkota Dynasty. The 8th-century architecture is believed to be dedicated to Nagas by which the name Naranag was derived, the Nagas belonged to Hindu Kashmiri Kayasthas of Naga sect. The temple has an Aryan structure to it and the temple is now in ruins state. It is also one of the start point or the base to the popular Gangbal-Vishnusar trek which is popularized these days as Kashmir Great lakes trek taken from the Sonamarg side, it has a popular Harmukh peak in this route at Nandkol and Gangabal lakes. There is an annual Gangabal Yatra taken by the Kashmiri Pandits during late September where people hike till the lake and perform their religious duties on the banks of the lake.