Village · Aru Valley, Kashmir
Meet the herders' camps above Aru
From June to September, Gujjar and Bakarwal families camp in the meadows above Aru with goats, sheep and horses. A slow morning walk with a local guide lets you see how the summer camp works, share tea if invited, and understand a migration that predates tourism by centuries.
Photo: Oliver139 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsThe Gujjars and Bakarwals are pastoral communities who move with their animals between the lower hills of Jammu in winter and the high Kashmir meadows in summer, crossing the Pir Panjal passes on foot. They speak dialects of Gojri and have been listed as a Scheduled Tribe since 1991. Around Aru, their summer homes are low huts of logs and mud, or tents, set near springs.
Walk up with a guide from Aru village, who can introduce you and translate. You may see milking, butter churning, wool spinning or horses being shod. If you are invited for tea, it will often be salty nun chai with bread. Accept politely, and offer to pay only if your guide suggests it; small gifts such as tea or sugar are better than cash.
Ask before photographing people, especially women, and do not walk into enclosures. Keep away from guard dogs, which are protective. Remember these are working camps: visit for an hour and leave. Spring and autumn, when the herds move along the road from Pahalgam, are the best times to see the migration itself.
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Trips through Aru Valley
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Each of these trips stops in Aru Valley. Tell us and we keep a slot for this day.
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Comfort
Kashmir in autumn: saffron, chinars and Aru
Private car with driver
Questions
Before you book
Who are the Bakarwals and Gujjars of Kashmir?
They are pastoral communities who move with their herds between the Jammu foothills in winter and high Kashmir meadows in summer. Bakarwals mainly herd goats and sheep; many Gujjars keep buffalo and cattle. Both speak Gojri dialects and are listed as Scheduled Tribes.
Is it respectful to visit herders' camps?
Yes, if you go with a local guide, greet the family first, keep visits short and ask before photographing anyone. Do not hand out sweets to children or enter enclosures. Treat it as visiting someone's home, because it is.
When do the herders arrive in Aru?
Most families reach the high meadows between late May and June and start moving down in September and early October, depending on snow and grass. Timing varies year to year, so ask in Pahalgam.