Aru Valley, Pahalgam: Taxi Fare, What to Do and What Is Closed (2026-27)

Aru is a village and a string of meadows at the head of the West Lidder, 12 km above Pahalgam. It is the quieter of Pahalgam's valleys: a place for a walk, a picnic and a long look at the mountains, with little laid on for visitors beyond the scenery. This guide has the taxi fare from the official rate list, what is open and what is not, and how winter really works. The rest of the area is in our Pahalgam guide.

In short: Aru is open, and has been since 29 September 2025. You go by Pahalgam Taxi Union car, ₹1,200 to ₹1,800 return with one hour there. The treks that start at Aru, to Kolahoi Glacier and the Tarsar and Marsar lakes, have been closed since April 2025 and were still closed in the last reports we found.

Where is Aru Valley, and how far is it from Pahalgam?

The road ends at the village: about 200 wooden houses, a few shops, dhabas and small hotels. Many day visitors stop there and think they have seen Aru. The meadow, sometimes signed as the Aru park, is a fenced area to the left of where the taxis stop. From there a path climbs for 30 to 45 minutes to the upper meadow, where Kolahoi Peak comes into view.

In September 2024 the Ministry of Tourism named Aru a winner of its Best Tourism Villages Competition, in the adventure tourism category.

Is Aru Valley open?

Yes. Aru was closed after the Baisaran attack of 22 April 2025, along with dozens of other tourist spots. The Lieutenant Governor announced its reopening on 26 September 2025, and it reopened on Monday, 29 September 2025. Since then it has hosted a winter festival, in February 2026, and visitors reviewed trips there in June, July and August 2026.

Two things nearby are still shut: the treks beyond Aru, covered below, and Baisaran Valley.

How to reach Aru Valley from Pahalgam

By Pahalgam Taxi Union car, from the stand in the main market. The fare is fixed by vehicle on the J&K Tourism approved rate list, and it includes one hour at Aru.

• The hour is short. One hour is the halt the fare covers. Extra time is ₹400 an hour, and the list allows up to two extra hours. If you want to walk to the upper meadow, agree the extra time before you leave the stand.
• Your Srinagar taxi cannot take you. Outside taxis may bring you to Pahalgam, but not on to Aru, Betaab Valley or Chandanwari.
• Your own car: sources disagree. Two say a private car is allowed up; two say cars are turned back at the forest checkpoint about 6 km out. We found no order either way, so ask at the taxi stand.
• Shared sumo: several travellers report shared sumos leaving the stand for Aru village when full. The last fare we found, ₹50 a seat, is from an old trip.
• The road: tarred but narrow, winding and single-lane in places. Visitors in 2024 called it bad; in June 2026 one complained of traffic in high season.

Is there an entry fee at Aru?

There is a small ticket, but we could not establish the amount. A visitor in July 2026 wrote that there are "some charges" and that staff check for tickets, and a January 2026 guide describes a ticketed gate. Websites quote anything from ₹15 to ₹50 a person, and name three different bodies as the collector. Carry small change.

What to do in Aru

• Walk the meadow. Flat and open, and by one 2026 visitor's account suitable for all ages.
• Climb to the upper meadow. 30 to 45 minutes uphill on an uneven path, for the view of Kolahoi Peak.
• Sit by the river. A visitor after the reopening, in October 2025, wrote of a picnic by the water.
• Ride a pony. The approved list has no Aru routes, only an hourly rate. Handlers name points such as River Point, Kootpathri and Green Top. Fix one price for the whole ride: visitors say the quote starts low and grows at each stop.
• Fish for trout. The Lidder is a listed trout stream. You need a Fisheries Department permit, booked online: one rod, one day, six fish, artificial fly only, from April to September.
• Paraglide. It was seen operating at Aru in August 2024, and the approved list sets the rate for Pahalgam.

Be clear about what Aru is not. "No activities, only scenery", one visitor wrote in June 2026. There are no good restaurants and few bins; a visitor in April 2025 complained of litter in the meadow. That quiet is the point of the place. If your family wants rides and stalls, Aru will disappoint them.

Treks from Aru: closed since April 2025

Aru is the base for some of the best-known treks in Kashmir. As of the last reports we found, none can be done. Trekking was stopped after the attack of April 2025, and news reports of 19 May, 4 June, 16 July and 24 August 2026 all name the Aru routes as still closed.

Some operators still list 2026 departures for Tarsar Marsar with no mention of the ban. Do not pay for a trek until the operator shows you the permission. When the routes do reopen, the approved rate for a trekking guide is on the same list.

Aru Valley in winter

Older guides say Aru is cut off from January to early March. The newer evidence says otherwise: the road shuts after a heavy fall, and is then cleared.

• 23 December 2025: first snow of the season, a few inches. The roads to Aru stayed open, with tourists there.
• February 2025: the Roads and Buildings Department cleared up to a foot of snow and reopened the Pahalgam to Aru road on 28 February.
• February 2026: Aru hosted a winter festival, with skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, music and food.

So go in winter if you want snow, but check the road with the taxi stand on the morning. We could not find out how the union cars handle deep snow, or whether the fare changes. Sledges and snow gear have approved rates.

Aru Valley or Betaab Valley?

If you have time for one and want quiet, choose Aru. They are in different valleys, so one does not replace the other, and taking both in one trip costs little more than either alone. The other side of the comparison is in our Betaab Valley guide.

Staying in Aru

Most visitors come for an hour and go back to Pahalgam. Staying the night gives you the meadow in the evening and early morning, when the day cars have gone.

• JKTDC Aru Resort: the government tourism company's property, with a restaurant. Its tariff is shown only when you start a booking on jktdc.co.in.
• Guest houses: a handful of small ones in the village. A 2026 guide puts a basic homestay at ₹800 to ₹1,200 and a standard room at ₹2,500 to ₹4,500.
• Before you book: there is no ATM, and only BSNL postpaid works, so carry cash and tell people you will be out of reach.

For stays with dated prices in and around Pahalgam, see hotels in Pahalgam.

Time needed, best months, and who it suits

• Time: one to two hours for the lower meadow; three to four with the upper meadow. Go early in the morning.
• Best months: May to September for green meadows, September and October for autumn colour and fewer people, December to February for snow.
• Elders: the car takes you to the village and the lower meadow is flat. The upper path is rocky, and getting on and off a pony is hard for older people.
• Children: an open meadow, a stream and ponies. It works well.
• Altitude: 2,414 m, too low to trouble most people.