5D/4N
Duration
Easy
Grade
4.5/10
Physicality
20 Km
Trail Length
3800 m/12500 ft
Highest Point

Deoriatal Chopta Chandrashila Trek:

  • We are open for private/customised treks for your own group/family/friends without any fixed group tour dates.

About the trek:

To illustrate a classic beginners hike, you must try Deoriatal – Chopta – Tunganath – Chandrashila trek. This trail and hiking experience will initiate the crave of exploring Himalayas in you. You will get to know Himalayas better on this easy hike than you knew being just a tourist.

It has fantastic close-in mountain views, a fairly large lake with massive peak reflections on it, dense forest trail inside Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and alpine meadows. It does ignite your hiking proponent through a summit to Chandrashila peak. This is not all! You will visit Tunganath temple, the highest Shiva temple among Panch Kedar.

sunset-at-chopta-during-chandrashila-trek
Sunset at Chopta (P.C. Anomit)
sunrise-at-deoriatal-chaukhamba-reflection
Reflection on Deoriatal during sunrise
frozen-tunganath-temple-snow-chopta-tunganath-trek
Tunganath – The highest Kedar, at the onset of winter (P.C. Arunava)
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At Chandrashila peak

To reach our trek base Sari village, initially we will drive following Alaknanda till Rudraprayag . You will cross Rishikesh, Devprayag and Srinagar. From Rudraprayag we will follow Mandakini river for a while to reach Ukhimath town. The winding road from Ukhimath to Sari is a fantastic drive with lovely valley and occasional mountain views.

peak-views-on-the-way-from-ukhimath-to-sari-village
From Ukhimath to Sari: Guptkashi town on the other side of Mandakini

The places covered in the trek promises almost everything that a high altitude Himalayan trek has in its bounty. Deoriatal at ~ 2380 m/7800 ft is a longitudinal lake hidden inside the valley. You will hike a good 2 to 2 and half hours moderate climb from the last village called Sari to reach the lake. Situated at a relatively lower altitude though the mountains and reflections on water are massive and more than impressive from Deoriatal.

deoriatal-lake-and-camp-beside
Deoriatal in summer

Camping has been restricted at Deoriatal and Chopta or above for a while now. We arrange Swiss tents or homestay accommodations nearby.

giant-chaukhamba-massif-from-deoriatal-chandrashila-trek
Chaukhamba massif (Left to right, I, II, III & IV) from Deoriatal

After exploring Deoriatal, next morning we will descent to Sari and take a car ride to Chopta. Pristine canopy of forest, blooming Rhododendrons in Spring, foliage in autumn, Chopta has it all. Wildlife around Chopta is well known. Likewise,  a walk inside Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (also called Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary) may highly produce a glimpse of Himalayan Thar or the Himalayan Monal, state bird of Uttarakhand. Not only the wildlife, the walk on the Chopta Gopeshwar road inside forest in itself is pretty rewarding. Sunset from Chopta will surely mesmerise your senses. In particular, fresh snow in winter and Rhododendrons in spring turn this place a special one.

peak-views-on-the-way-to-chopta
On the way to Chopta
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A male Himalayan Monal at Chopta (P.C. Anomit)
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Walking inside forest on Chopta Gopeshwar road
rhododendrons-at-chopta
Budding of Rhododendrons signifies the arrival of spring

Next day you will visit Tunganath and climb Chandrashila peak above the temple. Tunganath , at an elevation of ~3600 m/11500 being the highest of Panch Kedar, the five holy shrines of Lord Shiva (remaining four are, Kedarnath, Madmaheshwar, Rudranath and Kalpeshwar). A return trip from Chopta will test your basic stamina  and endurance. Meanwhile from May to Oct, temple remains open. During this season you can stay at Tunganath. Sunset from Tunganath towards the lower valleys of Ukhimath and Guptkashi  along with Chaukhamba view is compelling to say a least.

Chandrashila, a small peak above the temple is just an hour and half’s climb. Often it is referred to as the ‘Switzerland of India”. 180 degree panoramic view from the top covers numerous peaks of Kumaon (including Nanda Devi and Trishul ) to westward peaks of the Kedarnath area. The four pillars of Chaukhamba standing above 7000 m/23000 ft are so close that you have to zoom out your camera!

To sum up, this is truly a short and easy “All In One trek” for you to begin with.

Brief Itinerary for Deoriatal Chandrashila trek:

Day 1: Drive from Rishikesh to Sari via Ukhimath – 190 Km by car – 7 to 8 hours. Lodge accommodation.
Day 2: Trek to Deoriatal – 3.5 Km – 2 to 3 hours. After lunch explore the lake and around. Tent or basic lodge accommodation away from the lake.
Day 3: Trek down to Sari – 3.5 Km and 2 hours – Drive to Baniyakund or Chopta  – Approx 20 Km and 1 hour – Hike around Chopta in the afternoon. – 2/3 hours. Tent accommodation. [Alternatively you can hike inside Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and reach Chopta, a long 15/16 Km trek which can take 8/10 hours. This option is ONLY for experienced and reasonably fit trekkers.]
Day 4: Trek to Tunganath– 3. 5 Km –  Climb to Chandrashila peak – 1.5 Km – Descent to Chopta – total 10 Km – 6/7 hours. Camp at Baniyakubnd. [Seasonal Dhaba/Mandir Trust accommodation at Tungnath when the temple remains open (May to Oct)].
Day 5: Drive from Chopta/Baniyakund to Rishikesh – approx 200 Km – 7 to 8 hours
Note: Trekkers need to reach on their own to Rishikesh, Day 1 morning (by 7 am) or the previous night. Return to Rishikesh on Day 5 evening (by 5 pm).  Arrange your tickets for inward journey and return from Haridwar accordingly. Transportation cost to reach trek base Sari and return from Chopta are not included in the TREK FEE.

Update 2019: Camping restrictions at Chopta and Tunganath and inside Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary

Even before the Uttarakhand High Court’s order regarding camping on Alpine meadows/Bugyal in August 2018, this trek route got its own problems regarding the camps.

First came the notice from DFO, Kedarnath Wildlife Division in 2017. The notice revoked necessary permits to camp inside core forest area. Certainly this helped to stop the abuse of the Eco-system primarily due to setting up of large fixed camps at Rohini Bugyal, Tunganath and intermediate sites. Probably this is a blessing for wildlife habitat in this pristine forest and sanctuary.

Then the local small restaurant and Dhaba owners objected to camp at Chopta due to their livelihood concern at the end of 2017. Starting from 2018 you need to camp at least 3/4 Km off and down from Chopta,  a place called Baniyakund.

So practically you can only camp around Deoriatal and Baniyakund. You can’t camp at Chopta or Tunganath, neither inside core forest area like Rohini Bugyal.

Best way to visit Deoriatal Chopta Tungnath Chandrashila – Tea House mode over camping trek:

In vast Indian Himalayas, almost all treks are of camping style. There are only handful of treks which you can complete while staying in basic lodge/homestay/seasonal settlements. This trek is one such Tea House Himalayan trek in India. Don’t worry, you will have wide choice of camping treks in future 🙂

settlement-of-chopta
Chopta settlements
tunganath-area-lodge-dhaba-settlements
Seasonal lodge/Dhaba accommodation option at Tunganath

Which is the best time to choose for Deoriatal Chopta Chandrashila trek?

You can choose this trek almost throughout the year, apart from monsoon. It has to offer something unique in each season.

Spring – Summer (April to June): Spring brings abundant Rhododendron flowers around Chopta. Depending upon snowfall in winter, you will get remaining snow at Tunganath and Chandrashila as late as end of April.

Autumn – Winter (Sep to Dec/Jan): After monsoon the natural haze prevailing in summer goes away. Weather becomes clear to enjoy great mountain and peak views.

How to reach Deoriatal trek base Sari village?

Sari village in Rudraprayag district, is 220 Km from Haridwar and 20 Km further from Ukhimath town.  Either we can arrange a pick up or you may reach independently.

  • A Tata Sumo/Mahindra Maxx type vehicle charges ₹ 6000 for a pick up from Haridwar and drop to Sari. Similarly a Tempo Traveller charges ₹ 9000.  From trek end point Chopta to Haridwar charges are same fopr respective vehicle. We will arrange if you require, you pay directly to the driver.
  • To reach independently, take the direct bus to Ukhimath from Haridwar, early in the morning. From here you need to book a private vehicle to Sari, which is 15 Km away.
  • While returning from Chopta, hire a cab to Ukhimath (20 Km away) in the morning. From Ukhimath change for Rudraprayag and then to Haridwar by bus.

Don’t forget to check the List of things to carry in Chandrashila trek or download the PDF.

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 Duration: 3 days of trek; Haridwar to Haridwar in 5 days.

 Highest Point: Chandrashila ~ 3800 m/12500 ft.

 Grade: Easy

 Length: 20 Km

 Seasons: April to June and September to January.

 Further Option: From Tunganath one can trek towards Rudranath.

 Access: Trek starting point is Sari and end point is Chopta.

Rail station: Haridwar (STN Code: HW)

 Airport: Dehradun (DED) or Delhi

 Map:

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Upcoming scheduled dates for Deoriatal Chandrashila trek: 

  • You can check the scheduled Fixed Departure dates in the calendar available inside Booking Form or inside REGISTER NOW form. Tour starting Dates are highlighted as per our itinerary (Day 1 of  5 days itinerary).
  • At present BOOK NOW functionality is disabled. You can get all the information in your email by submitting the REGISTER NOW form.
  • If you are a group of people and available dates are not matching then you may select Custom date mode (by clicking the Select your custom date) and fill in the displayed form.
  • You can also check all the available dates at a glance in our TREK CALENDAR.
  • Trekkers need to reach Haridwar on Day 1 morning (latest by 7 am) or the previous night. Return to Haridwar on Day 5 evening (around 6 pm). Arrange your tickets for inward journey and return accordingly.
DEPARTURE LOCATION Rishikesh
REPORTING TIME 7:00 AM for a prompt departure to Sari (Day 1)
RETURN LOCATION Rishikesh
RETURN TIME Approximately 5:00 PM (Day 5)
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How to reach Sari village (The trek base):

 Nearest Rail station: Haridwar (Station Code: HW)

 Nearest Airport: Delhi, Dehradun (Airport Code: DED)

Haridwar is well connected by train from Delhi . Frequent regular and Volvo bus service from Delhi Kashmiri Gate ISBT. To reach the trek base Joshimath you need to reach Haridwar on your own arrangements.

Sari village inside Rudraprayag district is 220 Km from Haridwar and 20 Km further from Ukhimath town.  Either we can arrange a pick up or you may reach independently.

  • A Tata Sumo/Mahindra Maxx type vehicle charges ₹ 6000 for a pick up from Haridwar and drop to Sari. Similarly a Tempo Traveller charges ₹ 9000.  From trek end point Chopta to Haridwar charges are same fopr respective vehicle. We will arrange if you require, you pay directly to the driver.
  • To reach independently, take the direct bus to Ukhimath from Haridwar, early in the morning. From here you need to book a private vehicle to Sari, which is 15 Km away.
  • While returning from Chopta, hire a cab to Ukhimath (20 Km away) in the morning. From Ukhimath change for Rudraprayag and then to Haridwar by bus.

How to reach Haridwar:

For the treks in Garhwal, one has to reach Haridwar normally. Rishikesh is another 25 Km from here and is considered a gateway to Garhwal Himalayas. You can fly or by train reach New Delhi as per your convenience from any part within India.

There are direct trains from Kolkata to Haridwar.

KUMBHA EXPRESS – Train No. – 12369 ( Very good option to reach Haridwar by 5 pm; Spend the night in Haridwar and start your onward journey by car next morning)

UPASANA EXPRESS – Train No. – 12327 ( Very good option to reach Haridwar by 5 pm; Spend the night in Haridwar and start your onward journey by car next morning)

DOON EXPRESS – Train No. – 13009 (Don’t book this train when you plan a long onward journey immediately nn the same morning)]

Avoid booking wait listed (WL) tickets in AC classes (1A/2A/3A) or Chair Car (CC). Book Sleeper class (SL)/Second Sitting class (2S) tickets which have normally more seats/berth and hence much better chance to get confirmed.

You can easily reach Haridwar from New Delhi by train or bus (~ 5/6 hours) and is around 210 Km.

By train:

Following trains are good to reach Haridwar and run daily.

DDN JANSHTBDI – Train No. 12055 (Arrives HW in the evening @ 7:30 pm, good choice when you stay the night in Haridwar and have a long drive ahead next day)
NANDA DEVI EXP – Train No. 12205 (arrives HW early morning @ 4am)
UTKAL EXPRESS – Train No. 18477 (arrives HW in the night @ 9pm)
MUSSOORIE EXP – Train No. 14041 (arrives HW in the morning @ 5:45am)
Always avoid booking waitlisted (WL) tickets in AC classes (1A/2A/3A) or Chair Car (CC). Book Sleeper class (SL)/Second Sitting class (2S) tickets which have normally more seats/berth and hence much better chance to get confirmed.

By bus:

Govt. Road Transport (Roadways of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab etc.) buses are frequently available in day time and night from Kashmiri Gate ISBT (http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/doit_transport/Transport/Home/ISBT/Fare+Chart). Tickets are available on board for these regular type buses. From Delhi Airport or Station you can reach ISBT Kashmiri Gate via Delhi Metro service (http://www.delhimetrorail.com/metro-fares.aspx). It is only 4 Km from NDLS and can be reached easily by booking an auto rickshaw.

For privately operated bus, you can book online from different portals (http://www.redbus.in). Select a boarding point suitably. Overnight Volvo/A.C/Push back bus service.

Nearest Airport Jolly Grant near Dehradun (Airport code: DED) is 35 Km away from Haridwar. This airport is accessed from Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh easily. The flights are mostly via Delhi.
Regarding night accommodations in Haridwar:

Trekkers reaching on the previous day before the journey to the actual trek base need to stay the night in Haridwar. There are several options in Haridwar for spending a night while staying in Premium, Standard or Budget accommodation. Options vary from Privately operated Hotels/Lodges, to State run Tourist rest House and Dharamshala.

State run GMVN (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam) operates Hotel Rahi just beside the Bus Stand and opposite to the Haridwar Railway Station. This is a reliable and a decent choice for Standard accommodation.Check the following for online booking of the above: http://www.gmvnl.com/newgmvn/tour/booktrh.asp
You can call or visit GMVN nearest office or even send an email for more information.The information is available at: http://www.gmvnl.com/newgmvn/online_reservation/#

Return from Haridwar:

Normally you reach Haridwar from any trek base  by 7/8 pm in the evening. You can take any train after 9 pm or regular bus service as mentioned above to reach Delhi or directly to your homeward journey in the same night.

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Day 1

Drive to Sari: 220 Km - 9/10 hours; Trek to Deoriatal - 4 Km - 2/2 and half hours


Pickup from Haridwar in the morning and reach Sari (~ 2300m, 7500ft), 220 Km away. The journey may take around 9/10 hours with a break or two.

Day 2

Trek down to Sari after lunch – 4 Km – 2 hours - 20 Km drive to Chopta - 1 hour

Day 3

Hiking around Chopta – 6/8 Km – 5/6 hours

Day 4

Trek to Tunganath and further to Chandrashila peak and return to Chopta – 10 Km – 7/8 hours

Day 5

Drive to Haridwar – 240 Km – 10 hours

P.S.: Distances and altitudes are approximate and may not be exact.

CLICK HERE For List of Things to Carry in Deoriatal Chandrashila Trek OR DOWNLOAD PDF BROCHURE.

CLICK HERE For Booking and Cancellation OR DOWNLOAD PDF BROCHURE.

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 TREK FEE: ₹ 11950 (Sari to Chopta) + 5% GST 

Note: We rarely arrange a Fixed group departure for this trek. This is designed as a customised private tour for smaller groups. You can choose your preferred date to start.

Above TREK FEE of ₹ 11950 + 5% GST per person  is based on minimum of 6 trekking members.

  • ₹ 14,950 + 5% GST per person, Sari to Chopta, considering 3 to 5 persons
  • ₹ 19,950 + 5% GST per person, Sari to Chopta, considering 2 persons

Inclusions:

One night lodge accommodation at Sari (Day 1) on sharing basis and dinner.

One night tent or basic lodge/Dhaba accommodation at Deoriatal on sharing basis.

One night Chopta accommodation in a small lodge/Dhaba accommodation on triple/quad sharing basis. Rooms are very basic without an attached toilet.

One night Tunganath accommodation (during season from May to Oct) in small lodge/Dhaba accommodation on triple/quad sharing basis. Rooms are very basic without an attached toilet. Otherwise you will stay 2 nights at Chopta.

All meals during the trek starting from Day 1 dinner and ending at Day 4 dinner (B, L, D). Regular Indian style nutritious vegetarian food during the trek, breakfast packed/hot lunch (depending upon the time you reach a campsite), dinner along with tea/soup.

Excellent Trekking Guide, who will be a local to this particular area and has profound knowledge of the trekking trails around.

All permit fee, camping charges, forest levy required for the trek.

 Basic Medical & First Aid kit.

Travel Insurance Policy cum medical insurance covering illness and AMS (For Indian nationals it is included in the TREK FEE, up to 60 years of age). It covers your trek as well as your return journey to Haridwar for a maximum duration of 7 days.

Exclusions:

Transportation from Rishikesh to Sari and return from Chopta or Baniyakund to Rishikeshg ₹ 7500 for a Tata Sumo and ₹ 11,000 for a Tempo Traveller, one way. You pay directly to the driver, sharing equally.

We assume that you will carry your personal Rucksack/Backpack with all your personal belongings. If you want to offload your Rucksack and be carried by horse, then you need to pay separately at Sari or Chopta on actual basis.

Any tip or gratuity to the HT support staff.

Anything that is NOT mentioned in the “Inclusions” or personal in nature..

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Chandrashila Deoriatal Trek