TempleThemes:SpiritualAdventureNature
Uttarakhand
Kedarnath
A stone temple to Shiva beneath the glaciers of the Mandakini
- Ideal stay
- 3 days
- Best time
- May to June and September to mid-October; the temple opens around Akshaya Tritiya
North India · Mountain
Chopta & Tungnath
The highest Shiva temple, and a summit facing Nanda Devi
- Uttarakhand
- Mountain
- Ancient
Photo: Varun Shiv Kapur · CC BY 2.0
- January
- February
- March — a best month
- April — a best month
- May — a best month
- June — a best month
- July
- August
- September — a best month
- October — a best month
- November — a best month
- December
Best: Mar–Jun
- State
- Uttarakhand
- Region
- North India
- Kind of place
- Mountain · Ancient
- Ideal stay
- 3 days
- Altitude
- 2,680 m
- Coordinates
- 30.49° N, 79.19° E
Tungnath is the arms of Shiva in the Panch Kedar story, a small stone temple more than a thousand years old that stands at 3,680 m on a saddle of the Chandranath ridge, higher than any other Shiva shrine. Pilgrims have climbed to it since Adi Shankaracharya's time; Ravana is said to have done penance on the rock nearby. The approach is Chopta, a scatter of camps and tea stalls in a bugyal at 2,680 m ringed by oak and rhododendron, where Himalayan monal clatter out of the undergrowth at first light.
The trail is paved and steep, 3.5 km through burans forest that flowers crimson in March and April, then open grass, to the temple and its cluster of priest huts. Above it, a rocky 1.5 km leads to Chandrashila at 4,000 m, where the moon god is said to have meditated. Arrive before sunrise and the full arc appears: Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba, Kedar Dome, Bandarpunch, from Nepal's edge to the Yamunotri side, with Kedarnath's valley below.
On the way in, from Sari village, a 2.5-km climb reaches Deoria Tal at 2,438 m, a lake where Chaukhamba reflects at dawn and where the Yaksha questioned Yudhishthira. Ukhimath, thirty kilometres down, is Kedarnath's winter seat. The temple opens around May and closes by early November, when the deity descends to Makkumath; in winter the ridge is a snow trek, and Chopta empties to a few chai stalls under three feet of white.
It is Garhwal's easiest big mountain, and its most rewarding.
What not to miss in Chopta & Tungnath
- Tungnath temple (3,680 m)
- Chandrashila summit sunrise
- Deoria Tal and the Chaukhamba reflection
- Rhododendron forest in April
- Himalayan monal in the Chopta meadows
- Ukhimath's Omkareshwar temple
Best Mar–Jun
Best time to visit Chopta & Tungnath
March to June for rhododendron and meadows; September to November for clear peaks; December to February for snow treks (temple closed); the temple opens around May and closes in early November.
Give Chopta & Tungnath 3 days and it repays the time; with fewer you are choosing between Tungnath temple (3,680 m) and Chandrashila summit sunrise. We build the hours around the weather — early starts when it is hot, long afternoons when it is not.
- Ideal stay — 3 days
- Season — Mar–Jun
On the ground
Things to do in Chopta & Tungnath
The days we would actually plan for you, in the order that suits the light.
- Pre-dawn climb Chopta–Tungnath–Chandrashila for sunrise
- Two-day trek Sari–Deoria Tal–Rohini Bugyal–Chopta
- Winter snow trek to Tungnath (December–February)
- Camp at Baniyakund or Duggalbitta under the stars
- Panch Kedar loop with Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar
At the table
What to eat in Chopta & Tungnath
- Maggi and ginger chai at the Chopta stalls
- Dal-chawal at the Tungnath dhabas
- Mandua roti with kafuli
- Aloo ke gutke
- Jhangora kheer
Getting there
How to reach Chopta & Tungnath
Jolly Grant (Dehradun) airport 220 km; Rishikesh railhead 200 km; by road via Rudraprayag and Ukhimath (Chopta is 30 km beyond Ukhimath) or via Gopeshwar and Mandal.
Airport pickups, station transfers and the driver for the days here are all part of what we arrange — including the hour you should leave, which is usually earlier than you think.
Travel tips from our trips
- Chopta has no ATM, fuel or reliable mobile signal; carry cash and fill up at Ukhimath or Gopeshwar
- Start the climb by 4 am for sunrise at Chandrashila; carry a headlamp, gloves and a windproof layer even in May
- Chandrashila is 4,000 m; anyone with a headache at Tungnath should turn back
- Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary entry fee is paid at the Chopta barrier; no plastic and no loud music in the meadows
- In winter the last 2 km to Tungnath are on snow and ice; microspikes and a local guide are essential
Next door
Near Chopta & Tungnath
Places that join Chopta & Tungnath without a long drive — the way a real week is built.
Temple
TempleThemes:SpiritualNatureAdventure
Uttarakhand
Badrinath
Vishnu's painted temple between Nar and Narayan on the Alaknanda
- Ideal stay
- 2 days
- Best time
- May to June and September to October; the temple opens in late April or May and closes around mid-November; monsoon landslides make July–August risky
MountainThemes:AdventureNatureRomancePhotography
Uttarakhand
Auli
Ski slopes and oak meadows facing Nanda Devi
- Ideal stay
- 2 days
- Best time
- Late December to March for snow and skiing; May to June and September to October for the Gorson meadows and clear views of Nanda Devi
RiverThemes:SpiritualWellnessAdventureFood
Uttarakhand
Rishikesh
Where the Ganga leaves the Himalaya and the world comes to breathe
- Ideal stay
- 3 days
- Best time
- Late September to December and February to April; rafting runs mid-September to June; the International Yoga Festival is in the first week of March
Hill stationThemes:HeritageFamilyRomanceFood
Uttarakhand
Mussoorie
Queen of the Hills, with Landour's cedar lanes and Ruskin Bond's bookshop
- Ideal stay
- 3 days
- Best time
- March to June for clear skies and rhododendron; September to November for post-monsoon views; December to February for occasional snow in Landour
Before you ask
Questions we are asked about Chopta & Tungnath
When is the best time to visit Chopta & Tungnath?
March to June for rhododendron and meadows; September to November for clear peaks; December to February for snow treks (temple closed); the temple opens around May and closes in early November. On the calendar that is Mar–Jun. We build Chopta & Tungnath into a journey inside that window wherever we can; when your dates are fixed outside it, we re-plan the hours of the day around the weather rather than talk you out of the trip.
How many days do you need in Chopta & Tungnath?
We plan 3 days in Chopta & Tungnath. That is enough for Tungnath temple (3,680 m), Chandrashila summit sunrise and Deoria Tal and the Chaukhamba reflection, at a pace that still leaves room for a long lunch. Add a day if you are continuing to Kedarnath and Badrinath.
How do you reach Chopta & Tungnath?
Jolly Grant (Dehradun) airport 220 km; Rishikesh railhead 200 km; by road via Rudraprayag and Ukhimath (Chopta is 30 km beyond Ukhimath) or via Gopeshwar and Mandal. We arrange the transfer and the driver as part of the journey, so you are met on arrival instead of negotiating a taxi at the gate, and the timings are set around when Chopta & Tungnath is at its best rather than around the clock.
What is Chopta & Tungnath famous for?
Chopta & Tungnath is a mountain in Uttarakhand, North India, best known for Tungnath temple (3,680 m), Chandrashila summit sunrise and Deoria Tal and the Chaukhamba reflection. Travellers come for spiritual, adventure, nature, photography and offbeat, and most give it 3 days.
Is Chopta & Tungnath good for families?
Chopta & Tungnath sits at 2,680 m, so altitude decides it. It suits families with older children who can give a day to acclimatising before anything strenuous. We plan 3 days here, keep the first one slow, and travel in Mar–Jun when the road and the weather are at their most forgiving.
Photograph of Chopta & Tungnath: Varun Shiv Kapur · CC BY 2.0
All destinations