Uttarkashi

Uttarkashi (or Uttarkasi) is a town in Uttarakhand.

Understand

February to May season is at best. Also go in monsoon.

Get in

From Delhi, take the train or fly to Dehradun (5 hrs). Then grab a taxi to go to Uttarkashi (5 hrs) or take UTC bus from Dehradun Hill Bus Station (6 hrs).

Get around

The best way for getting around in Uttarkashi town is by walking. If you are staying near the bus station where most of the hotels are located, you can easily walk to the city center in 5 to 10 minutes. The town is so small that you don't really need transport to move around but if you want to visit the nearby tourist spots you have can either use the public transport, hire a taxi or rent scooty/motorcycle.

See

1 Chaurangi Khaal. A small town located at a lower pass in the Himalayas. It is not far from Nachiketa Tal Lake. 

2 Dayara Bugyal. A high-altitude alpine meadow, locally referred to as 'nature's own gardens'. A bugyal can be flat or sloped, and are carpeted with green grass and seasonal flowers. They also provide an excellent grazing ground and pasture for tribal herdsmen. (updated Jul 2024)

3 Dodi Tal, bhotiya@gmail.com. Beautiful lake in the lap of high mountains, surrounded by tall majestic oaks — the deodars. The lake is full of rare trout. The lake is also the source of the Assi Ganga River, which is tributary of the Ganges. The trek to Dodi Tal starts at Sangam Chatti (Kalyani), which is 11 km from Uttarkashi city. The trek's length is 22 km one way.  

4NOT EXISTING LISTING IMAGE Gaumukh. Gomukh is 18 km from Gangotri in the foot hills of Bhagirathi at a height of 4255m. It is the snout of the Gangotri Glacier. The Bhagirathi river here is pretty speedy. Around the snout, nature presents a wild topography. There are boulders scattered here and there with some pieces of broken snow, along with the hard clayey snow of the glacier. The Gomukh snout is rapidly moving backwards. According to modern research the snout has moved 1 km in just 70 years. 

5 Saat Taal (Sat Tal, Sattal, Hindi for seven lakes). Set amongst dense forests of oak and pine trees, Sattal is one of the few unspoiled and unpolluted freshwater biomes in India. These lakes are a paradise for migratory birds. It is home to a few camps being operated mostly by local people catering to tourists looking for outdoor vacations 

6 Tapovan. A high altitude base camp in Uttarakhand. Popular with trekkers and pilgrims. 

Do

Learn Mountaineering

One of the prominent mountaineering institutes are based in Uttarkashi that offer courses in Mountaineering and Adventure Sports.The institutes offer technical courses in mountaineering for the capacity building of the future generations in adventure sports and conservation of the Himalayas. Uttarkashi is a major hub of learning in adventue sports.

1. Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM): Established in 1965, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering is a premier institute of mountaineering sports in India. Certified by the international federation for climbing and mountaineering - UIAA, NIM offer courses in Basic Mountaineering (BMC), Advance Mountaineering (AMC), Method of Instruction (MOI), Mountain Search & Rescue (S&R) and Adventure Courses for teenagers. To facilitate teams from both India and abroad who come to this region for mountaineering, the Institute provides technical equipment from the Dias Memorial Fund Store on nominal hire charges.
2. Nanda Devi Institute of Adventure Sports and Outdoor Education (NDI): Established in 2011, Nanda Devi Institute of Adventure Sports offers improvised courses in Basic Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, Adventure Orientation and specialized course in Ski & Snow Craft based Search and Rescue. NDI also offers vocational courses in nature guiding and designing of interpretive nature trails. The NDI has designed the first Interpretive Nature Trail to Nanda Devi National Park in the Himalayas. Nanda Devi Institute is certified by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and recognized by the Disaster Mitigation and Management Center (DMMC) Government of Uttarakhand as a resource organization to provide training in disaster response. The NDI is also registered with the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB).

Go next

Yamunotri: Yamunotri is one of the famous and revered pilgrim center in India. Visit Yamunotri temple situated at the height of 4,421 metres above the sea level. You can opt to do various treks from Yamunotri such as Saptrishi tal, Dodital and others.