Garhwal Treks Har ki Dun Trek Chandrashila Summit Trek Dodi Tal Trek Gangotri-Gaumukh-Tapovan Gangotri-Badrinath Trek HemKund-Valley of Flowers Kunari Pass Trek Panwali Kanta Trek Roopkund Trek

The right bank of bhagirathi stands the shrine of Gangotri dedicated to the Goddess. At a height of 3042 m; it was constructed near the beginning 18th century by a Gorkha Commander, Amar Singh Thapa. Now it's a famous pilgrimage center. The picturesque pilgrimage in the hinter fields of the Himalayas. From Gangotri trek takes you to 'Gaumukh' (translates to cows mouth), the mythological source of the river Ganges, which is at the snout of the Gangotri glacier. The Gaumukh Glacier is the source of Bhagirathi (Ganga) and is held in high esteem by the devout that do no miss the chance to have a holy dip in the bone chilling icy water. It is 18 kms from Gangotri. This trek combines the experience of rock climbing, mountain climbing, boulder-hopping, and glacier traversing. The trek is not a very rigorous one and is effortlessly negotiable by non mountaineers too. From Gangotri the trail move along the beaten track towards Chirbasa, which offers a clear outlook of the Bhagirathi Peak? Beyond Chirbasa the terrain becomes really desolate - in fact, lots of trekkers refer to it as the "Arctic Tundra". From Chirbasa it's on to Bhojwasa. Gaumukh, the source of the sacred river Ganges, is just 4 kms ahead. From Gaumukh to Nandanvan, one passes through along the Gangotri and Chatturangini glaciers. Pitch a camp at the junction Bhagirathi gangotri glaciers and of chatturangini. From Nandanvan, view the Sudarshana, thelu peaks, Shivling, Bhagirathi and Kedar Dome. From Gaumukh to Tapovan the ascent is steep previous to arriving at the lush green meadows of Tapovan. It is an alpine meadow nestling in the shade of the Bhagirathi peaks. From here, the Shivlinga Peak looks such as an ice-cream cone rising towards the sky.

Gangotri-Gaumukh-Tapovan Trek Itinerary :

Day 1: Rishikesh – Uttarkashi:
We travel to Uttarkashi in the morning. The distance of 112 miles takes about seven hours by car. We plan to pay a visit NIM (Nehru Institute of Mountaineering) on the way. Overnight stay at hotel in Uttarkashi.

Day 2: Uttarkashi – Gangotri:
It takes about hours of driving to cover the 67 miles to Gangotri during which the altitude changes from about 4000 ft to 10,000 ft. Lunch at Gangotri is followed by sightseeing. We end the day early at the local hotel in preparation for the trek the following morning.

Day 3: Gangotri – Bhujbasha:
We start early for our trek to Bhujbasha. The objective is to walk the nine miles in about six hours. On the way one gets a clear view of the three Bhagirathi peaks from Chirbasha. The trek passes through rugged terrain, sometimes crossing small streams. We pitch tents for the night at Bhujbasha at an altitude of about 12000 ft.

Day 4: Bhujbasha – Tapovan:
The trek to Tapovan from Bhujbasha is about seven miles long and takes five to six hours. On the way,we pass Goumukh, the source of the Ganga. The path winds through huge boulders, loose rocks and finally over the Gangotri glacier which is covered with numerous glaciated boulders and crevasses. The last mile is a steep climb to Tapovan (almost 15000 ft) at the base of the Shivling peak where we pitch tent.

Day 5: At Tapovan:
We rest for the day at Tapovan. One can spend time on short hikes and admiring the awe-inspiring sights of the magnificent Shivling and Bhagirathi peaks.

Day 6: Tapovan – Bhujbasha:
We start early for the trek back to Bhujbasha where we camp for the night.

Day 7: Bhujbasha – Uttarkashi:
We trek back to Gangotri in about five hours in time for lunch. We then travel back to Uttarkashi by car and check in at the hotel.

Day 08: Uttarkashi – Rishikesh:
Drive back to Rishikesh, check in hotel or can be catch evening shatabdi train for delhi.