Chadar Trek - Complete Guide to the Chadar Trek in India

Chadar Trek – One Of The Most Wild And Beautiful Hikes On The Planet

Updated: December 12, 2019

The Chadar Trek, or Zanskar Gorge, is widely known as one of the most difficult treks in the world. If you're an avid trekker, then chances are this wild and challenging trek is on your bucket list.

On this page you will find a comprehensive and impartial guide to the Chadar Trek to help you learn more about the trek.

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Chadar Treks

The Chadar Trek is one of the most wild and beautiful hikes on the planet. Frequently covered by the worlds top adventure channels and media outlets, the Chadar Trek takes hikers through a frozen river valley into the very heartland of India’s Zanskar region.

The region’s harsh desert environment and towering mountains make the Chadar trek one of the most popular treks in the Ladakh area. Very few treks are as remote as the Chadar and even fewer are conducted in high winter. The trek is not for light hearted as temperatures are often lower than -10 degrees celsius in the day and -20 at night.

Cut off entirely from the outside world, the Zanskar river is the only outlet for locals wishing to venture further into the Ladakh region. The trail has been used for nearly a 1000 years by the Buddhist monks living in the region. You’ll trek the same route, walking over the frozen river as you cut a path towards Naerak. You will need to have a good level of stamina and fitness to have a really good time. Accommodation is riverside camping.

Please Note: The Chadar trek is ideally suited to seasoned trekkers looking to experience one of the most remote places on earth.

Regional Map

The Chadar Trek is located in the Zanskar region of Ladakh which is part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Chadar Hike Itinerary

Below is a detailed Chadar Trek itinerary. Please note that this is a typical itinerary that we would expect many operators to adhere to. Some tour operators however, offer variations on this route.

Day 1-2: Arrival in Leh (3500 m)

Day 3: Drive to Chilling – Hike to Tilad Do (3100 m)

Day 4: Tilad Do to Shingra Koma (3170 m)

Day 5: Shingra Koma to Tib Cave/Tibb (3225 m)

Day 6: Dib Cave/Tibb to Camp at Naerak (3390 m)

Day 7: Naerak to Tibb

Day 8: Tibb to Shingra Koma

Day 9: Shingra Koma to Chilling – Chilling to Leh

Day 10: Departure

Video Overview

A beautiful video overview of the Chadar Trek by Chiwalker. The video gives great insights into the landscape and people you are most likely to encounter along the way. The video is 25:37 long.