Uttarkashi travel itinerary will be great for those who are planning to visit Uttarkashi for the very first time. Rolling meadows, pristine villages, ancient temples, surreal landscapes is what Uttarkashi has to offer.
Therefore, based on my travels in Uttarkashi district, I’ve curated a super fun & enjoyable Uttarkashi travel itinerary. I hope this will bring value.
Uttarkashi Travel Itinerary
Uttarkashi district is home to picturesque villages, pristine meadows, ancient temples and pilgrimages and more. Therefore, In order to experience Uttarkashi to the fullest I’ve created this 12-day itinerary for Uttarkashi.
Feel free to cut down or add places as per your convenience. Of course, a 12-day visit to Uttarkashi is certainly insufficient and Uttarkashi has so much more to offer. You’ll surely realize this once you visit Uttarkashi.
In case you are a first time visitor to Uttarakhand, here is a detailed blog on what to pack for a hassle-free trip to Uttarakhand.
| Day 1
Take Overnight Bus to Uttarkashi from ISBT Kashmere gate. |
| Day 2
Reach early morning to Uttarkashi. Head to Barsu Village. Overnight At Barsu. |
| Day 3
Hike to Dayara Bugyal. Overnight At Barsu. |
| Day 4
Head to Harsil Valley. Hike to Lama Top. Overnight at Bagori village |
| Day 5
Today hike to villages of Jhala, Purali, Jaspur from Bagori. Overnight at Bagori. |
| Day 6
Start early head to Gartang Gali. Visit The Gangotri Temple. Overnight At Gangotri. |
| Day 7
Start early today and head towards Jan ki Chati. Overnight At Jan ki Chatti. |
| Day 8
Start your day early. Visit Yamunotri Temple. Overnight Purola. |
| Day 9
Head towards Sankri and then further to Taluka. Overnight at Dhatmir or Taluka. |
| Day 10
Head back to Sanrki and then go towards Jakhol. Overnight at Jakhol. |
| Day 11
Visit Leka Top and Saru Taal. Overnight at Jakhol. |
| Day 12
Start early and reach Dehradun by afternoon. Reach Delhi by night. |
Day 1
Uttarkashi has an easy from the national capital and major cities in Uttarakhand. The easiest way is to travel via an overnight UTC bus at 9.30 PM which starts from ISBT Kashmere gate.
The overnight bus will reach Uttarkashi probably around noon. In case, if its your first time in Uttarkashi, here is a detailed guide on how to reach Uttarkashi from major towns and cities.
Day 2
Depending on what option you choose, you’ll reach Uttarkashi early in the morning or during noon.
Being the administrative capital of the district, it might appear a town infested with concrete structures but that’s how major towns of hill states are.
But once you’ve reached and freshened up a bit, today you’ll be heading to the beautiful village of Barsu. Now if you reach early you can hop on to a sharing cab to Bhatwari and then further to Barsu which is 10 km from Bhatwari.
Else, you can wait for evening bus which goes all the way to Barsu from Uttarkashi. Retire for the night in Barsu. There are plenty of options to choose from like Guesthouses, homestays, camps etc.
Contact Vipin (+91 9756196892) for stay and guided trek to Dayara bugyal.
Although the views might appear hazy but on a clear day expect surreal views from Barsu.
Day 3
Wake up early and get ready for an adventurous day ahead high up in the mountains. Today you’ll be embarking on one of the most famous hikes in Uttarakhand, Dayara Bugyal.
Perched at around 3000 m, Dayara Bugyal is a Himalayan meadow with grand views of lofty Himalayan peaks all around.
During winters, a carpet of white makes it a perfect winter wonderland while the monsoon turns the meadows lush green.
The distance of Dayara bugyal is around 8 km from the village of Barsu takes around 4-5 hours with adequate rest and at a relaxed pace.
I personally hiked to Dayara bugyal during March and although I was unfortunate to have an overcast sky by time we reached the bugyal but was fortunate enough to witness clear views of peaks from Barnala bugyal earlier in day.
Although it was a bittersweet hike to Dayara bugyal, expect such insane views if the weather is clear.
Day 4
Perched at an altitude of surrounded by lofty peaks, rustic villages, apple orchards towering pines, meandering river Bhagirathi, Harsil is a true gem of Garwhal.
Once you reach Harsil, please head towards Bagori. Check in one of the homestays and rest for a while. I personally stayed at the Harsil Homestay (+91 7060624324) and had a memorable time here thanks to the host Sabita Mahato.
Once you are done, hit the trail to Lama Top. The hike although short but is a steep one.
But trust me, once you reach the top the panoramic views will make it absolutely worth the effort. The total distance to the top is around 2.5 km.
If you have more time on hand, then you can certainly take a stroll in Bagori village, talk to the locals, visit the temples.
In my opinion, Harsil is a long-trip in itself, but if you are short on time and want to get a taste what Harsil is like, a couple of days spent in the valley will do just fine.
Lama top is one of the best vantage points in Harsil because it offers surreal valley views and is a steep yet short hike.
Day 5
Do you love exploring the rustic villages & like to get a sneak peek into the lifestyle and culture of Himalayas, then this day will be a memorable experience for you.
There exists a scenic trail from Bagori alongside river Bhagirathi which takes you to the rustic villages of the valley namely, Jhala, Jaspur, Purali.
With plenty of traditional houses, beautiful temples, cheerful & welcoming locals along with scenic landscapes, these aforementioned villages have plenty to keep you busy.
The hike will not exceed more than 15 km and is gentle hike with no sharp ascents or descents perfect for beginners and causal hikers.
Day 6
Today will be a bit of hectic day in Uttarkashi travel itinerary so start very early.
First you’ll be heading towards the now famous Gartang Gali. Before the Indo-China conflict of 1962, the wooden bridge at Gartang Gali leading to Nelang was the ancient trade route to Tibet.
But became off the limits for civilians post the conflict. Until recently when Uttarakhand government decided to restore it and throw open to the tourists.
The bridge was a certain engineering marvel to navigate rocky terrain leading to the once-thriving trade route to tibet via Nelang. Even today, one still needs a permission to visit Nelang from DC office. But Gartang Gali is spared of such permits.
Please do note that you have to hike around 3-4 km to reach the Gartang Gali. Once you are done exploring Gartang Gali, you can quickly embark on the road to Gangotri.
Harsil to Gartang Gali is around 20 km. Bhairon ghati Is where the road bifurcates. Bhairon ghati to Gangotri is around 7 km. In case you are relying on public transport, I think it will be not a good idea as no public transport is available to Gartang Gali.
If you reach Gangotri before the temple closes, make sure to pay your homage at the temple of goddess ganga to save time the next day.
Although I could not visit Gangotri but I did manage to visit Mukhwa, the winter abode of Gangotri, The temple of Gangotri was not opened yet anyways.
Day 7
Today start very early from Gangotri as you have to cover the distance of 221 km from Gangotri to Jan ki Chati.
In case if you are yet to visit the temple please do so quickly and depart from Gangotri as soon as possible. .
Hop on to a shared cab or a bus to Uttarkashi early in the morning. Reach Uttarkashi and take a bus going towards Barkot, Get down at Barkot and take a shared cab to Jan ki chatti if you are relying on public transport.
There are plenty of stay options available near Jan Ki Chatti, so you can opt for it and stay overnight at Jan ki chatti.
Day 8
Although today is not going to be a long traveling day, but if you start early then you can probably reach your next destination, Purola on time.
But first before heading to Purola, quickly hike to the temple of Yamunotri from Jan ki Chatti. The distance is around 6-7 km. Although the source of River Yamuna is perched a bit higher, the temple is considered to source which has an easier access.
Now head back to Barkot. If you manage to reach Barkot by afternoon you’ll easily get public transport to Purola via Naugaon in case you are relying on the same.
The distance from Jan Ki Chatti to Purola is around 73 km. In case you were wondering what mobile network works best in Uttarakhand, here is a detailed blog on the same.
Day 9
Today you’ll be heading to Taluka ahead of Sankri. In case you are relying on public transport I would recommend you to board a 7 AM bus to Sankri which will drop you at 10.00 AM.
Although you can stay at Sankri itself and explore the nearby areas, I would suggest you to head further towards Taluka and eventually Dhatmir, One of the prettiest villages in Har Ki Dun valley.
From Sankri, Taluka is another 16 km which can be covered by shared cabs which run regularly from Sankri to Taluka.
If you reach Taluka by afternoon. I would suggest you to please push a little more and head towards the heavenly village of Dhatmir. To reach Dhatmir you have to hike for 6km from Taluka.
Perched at around 2300 m with sea of traditional wooden houses, beautiful wooden temple and of course scenic vistas, Dhatmir is one of the prettiest villages I’ve been to in the Himalayas.
You can contact Pradeep Rawat (+91 8755562702) for homestay in Taluka & Dhatmir.
Although the hike to Dhatmir is steep for the final 1.5 km, it absolutely rewarding once you see the village.
Day 10
Today you’ll be heading to another one the typical villages in the valley named Jakhol, which is one of the main villages of the region with a sizeable population.
Shared cabs from Taluka depart starting 9 AM. So you’ll probably reach Sankri by 10-11 AM. In case you manage to catch the Jakhol bus at 10 AM from Sankri, than go ahead.
Else, you can explore the villages around Sankri like Saur, Kotgaon as there is an evening bus for Jakhol as well.
There are only a few basic options at Jakhol. Contact if you Jayraj Rawat (+91 7983391606) if you wish to stay in a homestay in Jakhol.
Day 11
Today will be last day of travel itinerary for Uttarkashi, so make the most of it by hiking to one of the most beautiful spots in Jakhol called Leka Top.
The hike to Leka Top is a gradual ascend with impeccable views of Himalayan peaks. Swargrohini, Black peak, Kedarkantha are visible from Leka Top to name a few.
Although the hike is 6 km long one way, but it isn’t really tiring. So you can also head to a lake called Sarutal nearby.
In case you are wondering, the other two are locals and we all are trying to get photographed at Leka Top.
Day 12
Today you’ll be heading back to Dehradun. In case you are relying on public transport make sure to board the 5.30 AM bus to Dehradun from Jakhol.
Although you’ll reach by evening to Dehradun you can still go ahead and rest at Dehradun in case you are tired. But I would suggest you too stretch your journey a bit and reach Delhi. Public transport will be easily from Dehradun to reach Delhi.
To conclude, I hope this Uttarkashi travel itinerary will come in super handy for your trip. And I wish all the very best for your trip to Uttarkashi.
In case you any queries relating to Uttarkashi travel Itinerary make sure you drop them in the comments and I’ll make sure to respond to them.