Uttarakhand has more good trekking than any other state in India, and that is the problem. Pick wrong and you either spend six days bored or three days out of your depth. This is the shortlist, sorted by what each trek actually asks of you.

Best treks for beginners

These need no prior experience. You need to be able to walk five to six hours a day on uneven ground.

Kedarkantha

The standard first Himalayan trek, and deservedly so. 12,500 feet at the summit, a clear trail, a genuine snow experience in winter, and a climb that feels like an achievement without ever becoming dangerous.

Chopta, Tungnath and Chandrashila

Five days, four nights, the shortest way to get a real Himalayan summit view. Tungnath is the world’s highest Shiva temple and Chandrashila sits above it. Good in almost every season.

Brahmatal

Six days, five nights, 12,250 feet, and the Trishul and Nanda Ghunti views that make it worth the extra day over Kedarkantha.

Best moderate treks

One trek behind you, reasonable fitness, comfortable with longer days.

Har Ki Dun

Seven days, six nights into a hanging valley at about 11,700 feet. Old villages, Shiva temples, and a landscape that feels lived in rather than empty.

Kuari Pass

Six days, five nights on the old Curzon Trail. Wider and more open than the beginner routes, with a pass crossing at roughly 12,500 feet.

Ali Bedni Bugyal

Six days, five nights across two of the largest high-altitude meadows in the Himalayas. Best in the summer months when the bugyals are green.

Valley of Flowers

Six days, five nights, and the only trek here with a fixed window. The valley blooms during monsoon, roughly late July to August, and looks like nothing else in the country.

Best high-altitude treks

Serious routes. Prior high-altitude experience expected.

Roopkund

Eight days, seven nights to the glacial lake that holds hundreds of ancient human skeletons. One of the most talked-about treks in India, and one of the more demanding.

Bali Pass

A high-altitude pass crossing that connects Har Ki Dun to Yamunotri. Steep, exposed and best attempted after Roopkund or something similar.

Borasu Pass Base

Seven days, six nights towards the pass that links Uttarakhand’s Har Ki Dun valley to Himachal’s Baspa Valley. Remote, and quieter than anything else on this list.

Uttarakhand treks compared

How to pick your first Uttarakhand trek

Three questions settle it.

How many days do you actually have? Including travel to and from Dehradun. A five-day trek needs seven days of your life.

Do you want snow or green? Those are different months and different treks. Snow means December to March. Green meadows mean April to June or September to October.

How honest are you about your fitness? If you cannot climb four flights of stairs without stopping, start with Chandrashila or Kedarkantha and build from there. The Himalayas do not reward optimism.

Frequently asked questions