Gaumukh Tapovan Trek

The holy town of Gangotri is around 242 km from Dehradun. You pass through Chamba, Chinalisour, Uttarkashi, and Harshil to reach Gangotri. The mountain roads that take you to Gangotri have their own charm. You witness the towering pine trees that as you reach Chamba.

You will reach Gangotri during late evening and rest for the night before the trek begins on Day 2.

Today, the trail is around 10 kms. It is comfortable to walk with few steep ascents followed by gradual ascent throughout the trail till you reach the campsite.

Along the trail, Sudarshan Parbat plays hide and seek to offer you glimpses of it. You traverse through a forest area full of blue pine and silver birch trees.

To reach Chirbasa you will cross a few streams and witness some beautiful waterfalls on the way. The campsite will be right next to the Bhagirathi river.

The distance today is comparatively short. You will cover the distance of 5 kms in around 3 to 4 hrs while you trudge your way through some gradual walks, along with some steep ascents.

The day starts early from Chirbasa. Chirbasa is covered by Chir pine trees all around. You’ll witness terrific boulders, sprawling valleys, and stunning panoramic views of some of the most high-altitude mountain ranges in our country. As you march towards the next campsite, Mt. Bhagirathi offers you its spectacular view along the trail.

You will reach Bhojbasa in the afternoon. You have left the treelines and now you camp in the open area with mountains all around. The campsite here offers you a clear view of Mt. Shivling. While the scenery after Chirbasa might be a visual treat, brace yourself to battle the spine-chilling windy weather that engulfs you once you step out of the forest cover.

The trail to Gaumukh passes through some steep ascent, rocky patches, and glacial stream crossing. After walking for a few hours, you will reach the mighty Gaumukh glaciers. The unprecedented view of Gaumukh is an experience of a lifetime. The team proceeds toward Tapovan after admiring the beauty of one of the largest Himalayan glaciers.

You will walk on the glaciers, and cross patches full of boulders to reach the campsite of Tapovan. Tapovan, a high-altitude meadow is frequented by sages who come here to meditate and come closer to God. From here, the view of Mt. Shivling is astounding. You also witness towering Mt. Meru, Bhagirathi peaks, and Sudarshan Parbat. To come this close to some of the big mountains of our country is unprecedented.

You will proceed towards Bhojbasa. The distance is covered in around 5-6 hrs. The trail is a mix of gradual descent and some level walks.

You will start early from Bhojbasa and cover a distance of around 14 km. you will reach the holy town of Gangotri by evening. You can visit the temple here and offer your prayers here after completing the trek.

After experiencing beautiful landscapes of mountains, meadows, and glaciers, you will drive back to Dehradun. You will reach Dehradun by late evening. Consider booking your onward journey keeping the buffer day in mind.

The total distance of the Gaumukh Tapovan trek is around 46km. The average distance you will cover is 6-8  km per day. 

Gaumukh is a demanding trek, and we do not recommend it to beginners. You will walk an average of 6- 8 hours every day and cover approximately 10 km. On long days, you will hike 8-9 km at an altitude above 12,000ft.

However, if you are a beginner with good physical fitness, you can consider the trek after consulting our Outdoor Leader. 

Gaumukh Tapovan is a moderate to difficult trek, considering the duration and the altitude gain. The trek spreads over seven days through an easy-to-moderate trail and some steep ascents and descents. It climbs to an altitude of 14,203ft when you reach Tapovan. 

Summer temperature in Gaumukh Tapovan ranges from 15°C to 20°C. The temperature dips down to almost 0°C at night. 

Find out a detailed guide on Gaumukh Tapovan temperature and weather here. 

The best time to visit Gaumukh Tapovan Trek is summer. The trek is accessible during the summer and the autumn months. 

Read the season-wise guide on the best time to visit Gaumukh Tapovan. 

You will find the remains of the snow at higher altitudes if you plan the trek during the spring months. However, there will be no fresh snow on the trek. In autumn, there will be no snow on the trek. 

The Gaumukh trek cost is Rs. 17499/- 

The trek cost covers your experience from basecamp to basecamp.

Gaumukh Tapovan is located in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.  

The trek typically spans 7 days, which includes the time required for travelling to and from the base camp.

Gaumukh Tapovan trek is at an altitude of 14,200ft. The trek starts from Gangotri, located at an altitude of 1,000ft. 

The journey commences from the holy town of Gangotri. In Hinduism, Gangotri holds great reverence and is considered a sacred place. Every year, followers from all over the country embark on the Chardham Yatra, a religious pilgrimage, and Gangotri is one of the places they visit during the yatra.

Gaumukh Tapovan trek is at an altitude of 14,203ft. 

 Devotees and rishis on the pilgrimage frequent the route to Gaumukh. If you plan to continue beyond Gaumukh, hire a professional guide. It’s safe to have a well-informed guide to traverse the challenging trail and unpredictable mountain weather. 

The most important thing to do on a trek to avoid AMS is to drink water, more than your daily intake. Water is an excellent way to avoid AMS. Along with this, you should also have all the nutritious meals we provide on the trek. If you still are sceptical about getting AMS, we would advise you to carry Diamox tablets with you. However, according to the situation your Outdoor leader will advise whether or not you should take it.

We encourage everyone to trek, even if or not they have a medical condition. We have an in-house doctor at OWLS with whom you can discuss your medical condition and accordingly, we can help you better prepare you for the trek.

Please keep the following documents ready before filling out this form

1. ID proof
2. Health form (for all participants of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh treks) and (for all participants <15 and > 60 years of age)
3. RTPCR for children <15 years/Vaccination certificate for adults (for Nepal treks)

Although we provide filling breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with morning tea and evening snacks, you can carry some light snacks for munching on the trail. You can carry protein bars, dry fruits, and homemade snacks like Shakkarpara to help you give that extra energy on the trek. 

All our Outdoor Leaders are trained and experienced leaders. They have completed basic Mountaineering Course, and are equipped with basic first-aid knowledge. Our leaders are certified Wilderness First Responder course

You don’t need to carry your medical kit. If you have your prescribed medications, you need to carry them on the trek

The accommodation will be on twin sharing basis. One tent will be shared by two trekkers. 

Yes. Communicate your requirement to the trek leaders beforehand, as it will be difficult to arrange to offload at the last minute. The offloading charges will be Rs 350 per bag, and your bag should not weigh more than 9 kg. 

Note: At OWLs, we suggest our participants carry their backpacks and avoid offloading. However, in case of pressing circumstances, you can opt for offloading.

Yes, you can leave the extra luggage at the base camp. However, do not leave valuables like laptops, jewellery, or any other expensive items in the base camp. 

The OWLS team will set up a toilet tent near the campsites. The toilets will be dry toilets and you will have to use toilet paper. There will be a pit dug by the team and you will have to cover your nature’s call with dry soil. Avoid using wet wipes, as they are not biodegradable. At OWLS, we thrive to leave no trace in the mountains. 

At the base camp, you will have regular concrete toilets.

The food offered will be as per the nutritional requirements. As you will be walking every day for 4-6 hours, you will be burning a good amount of calories. The team makes sure that the food you will be offered is healthy and helps you sustain through the day. The regular meal comprises eggs, locally grown vegetables, rice, roti, and pulses. The menu changes from day to day. 

You will have access to most of the mobile networks at the base camp in Gangotri. We suggest our participants make important calls while at the base camp. There will be no signals throughout the trek.