Getting there from Delhi
The Delhi–Dehradun Expressway opened on 14 April 2026: 210 km of access-controlled highway that cuts Delhi→Dehradun to roughly 2.5 hours and Delhi→Rishikesh to roughly 3.5 hours by car. Every itinerary here is re-timed around it — most Uttarakhand roadheads are now a comfortable single day from Delhi instead of an overnight ordeal.
Your gateway is Rishikesh / Haridwar. From there it is 200 km and 7–8 hours of hill road to Sari village (2,000 m), which is where the walking starts.
Expressway plus the Rishikesh spur. The single best way to reach a Garhwal roadhead in one day.
Frequent services; Haridwar → Rishikesh is another 45–60 min by road.
ISBT Kashmiri Gate → Rishikesh, frequent overnight departures.
Shared cabs and buses run Rishikesh / Haridwar → Sari village in the morning. A private cab is the reliable option and splits well across four people.
When to go
Best window: March – June and September – December.
The forests below Chopta turn red and pink. Arguably the prettiest window of the year here.
Post-monsoon air. Nanda Devi, Trishul and Chaukhamba as sharp as they ever get from Chandrashila.
Doable and beautiful, but it becomes a genuine winter trek — microspikes, real insulation, shorter days.
July – August. Monsoon cloud means you climb 4,000 m for a view of grey.
The gentlest route to a 4,000 m summit in Garhwal. Summit day is a 5 km climb on a well-made stone path — the last 1.5 km above Tungnath is steep, and in winter it is snow-covered.
The plan, day by day
Day 0 is the Delhi leg. Every altitude below is where you sleep that night, not the day's high point.
Delhi → Rishikesh
3.5 hours on the expressway spur, or an overnight bus. Sleep in Rishikesh.
Rishikesh → Sari village
Along the Alaknanda through Devprayag and Rudraprayag, then up the Mandakini valley via Ukhimath. Sari is a small terraced-field village — stay in a homestay and eat what the family is eating.
Sari → Deoriatal
A short, steep, stone-paved climb through oak. Deoriatal is a still lake that holds a full reflection of Chaukhamba on a windless morning — which is the entire reason to sleep up here rather than day-tripping it. Afternoon free; be up before sunrise.
Deoriatal → Chopta
The best walking day of the trek — a traverse through Rohini Bugyal's meadows and dense forest, with the peaks appearing and disappearing between the trees. Chopta is a scatter of huts in a meadow; sleep early.
Chopta → Tungnath → Chandrashila → Chopta
Start by 05:00. 3.5 km of stone path to Tungnath, the highest Shiva temple in the world at 3,680 m, then a steeper 1.5 km to the summit at 4,000 m. From the top: Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba, Kedar Dome and Bandarpoonch, all at once. Down to Chopta for the night.
Chopta → Rishikesh → Delhi
Long drive out through Ukhimath and Rudraprayag, then the expressway. This one is genuinely doable as a Friday-night-to-Wednesday trip from Delhi.
Permits, fees and budget
Carry photo ID. Camping at Deoriatal itself is restricted — check the current rule at the Sari post rather than assuming; enforcement has tightened in recent seasons.
The cheapest big-view trek on this list, mostly because it is short and Sari and Chopta both have homestays. Sari homestays run ₹800–1,500 a night with meals.
What to carry
Non-negotiable
- Trekking boots with grip — the Tungnath path is stone and gets icy
- Warm layers; Deoriatal and Chopta are cold after dark year-round
- Waterproof shell
- Headlamp for the pre-dawn summit start
- Sunglasses and SPF — you are above the treeline on summit day
Bring if you can
- Trekking poles for the Chandrashila descent
- Microspikes if you go December–February
- Thermos
- Camera with a spare battery — the Deoriatal dawn reflection is the shot
- Light daypack for summit morning
Rent this kit from us in Delhi
Buying a down jacket and a four-season tent for one trek costs more than the trek. We are setting up trekking-gear rentals out of Delhi — pick up before you leave, drop back when you return. For Deoriatal – Chandrashila you would want:
- Down sleeping bag
- Tent
- Down jacket
- Rucksack
- Trekking poles
- Microspikes (winter)
- Headlamp
Join the list and you will hear the day it opens.
Getting fit for it
The most achievable trek here for someone starting from a desk job. Four honest weeks of prep is enough. Start 4 weeks out.
Be able to do all of these before you go
- 4 km brisk walk without stopping
- 20 minutes of continuous stair climbing
- One 8 km weekend walk with a light pack
Know before you go
- Chopta is now heavily day-tripped and can be crowded and littered at the roadside. The trek itself, and the Deoriatal night, are still quiet — walk, do not drive.
- Deoriatal camping rules change between seasons. Confirm at the Sari forest post before you carry a tent up.
- Sunrise at Deoriatal is the whole point. Sleeping in Sari and walking up in the morning misses it.
- Summit weather closes in by late morning almost daily. Leaving Chopta at 05:00 is not enthusiasm, it is the plan.
- Tungnath is an active temple, not a viewpoint. Behave accordingly.
Why this one is worth your leave days
- Chaukhamba mirrored in Deoriatal at sunrise
- Tungnath — the highest Shiva temple on earth, at 3,680 m
- A 4,000 m summit with a true 360° Himalayan panorama
- Rohini Bugyal's meadow traverse, one of Garhwal's loveliest walking days
Costs, permit fees and transport timings are researched estimates for the 2026 season and move around. Treat them as planning ranges, not quotes, and re-check permits and road status before you book.
Last updated 2026-08-18
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