Tarsar is the kind of lake that makes the two days of walking to reach it feel entirely reasonable. Alpine, teardrop-shaped, and ringed by steep grass slopes that turn gold-brown by late August, it sits at close to 3,800 metres on the trek that connects Aru Valley to Marsar lake on the far side of the ridge.
Most people camp on the meadow above the lake’s eastern edge, where the ground is flat enough for a decent night’s sleep and the water is close enough to hear. Mornings here are the whole reason to come — the lake goes glass-still before the wind picks up, and the light on the surrounding peaks lasts about twenty minutes before it’s gone.
Nights get properly cold even in July, so this isn’t a trip to underpack for. A three-season tent is fine in peak summer; anything shoulder-season needs a four-season setup and a guide who knows the weather patterns.
Good to know: the Tarsar–Marsar trek is usually done over 5 days from Aru; permits aren’t required for this route, but registering your trek plan locally is still worth doing.