- Trek Overview
- Itinerary
- Inclusions / Exclusions
- Gallery
- FAQ
Lying inside the Govind Wildlife Sanctuary, the Kedarkantha trek has long attracted adventure enthusiasts and trekkers. Scenic campsites, rewarding views, snow on the trail and the thrill of a summit makes it one of the most sought after trek in the Himalayas. This is an easy trek and perfect for first timers.
The Area
Kedarkantha lies very close to the Yamunotri in the Garhwal section of Uttarakhand. The Char Dham lies in Uttarakhand and is thus called Dev Bhoomi (Gods abode).This area is a major Hindu tourist/pilgrim destination. The native language is Garhwali and the people are often referred as Pahadi (Mountain folk).
Expected weather
March – May
- Chances of Rain/Hail – less likely
- Snow on trail- Less likely
- Temperatures: Afternoon upto 25 degrees (May), Nights – Around -10 degrees( March) at higher camps
September-December
- Chances of Rain/Hail – Less likely
- Snow on trail – Possible snowfall in December
- Temperatures: Afternoon upto 20 degrees, Nights – Around -5 to -8 degrees (Dec) at higher camps
- Day 1: Pick up from Dehradun Railway station.
Drive to Gaichawan village (Base village - 1698m) – 9 hour drive.
Night stay in a comfortable homestay.
You could walk around the village and explore the region. You could also interact with the locals and get a flavour of their life and culture. - Day 2: Trek from Gaichawan village to Jalota (2720m). Trek Time - 5-6 hours.
Night in camps.
The trek today will take you through beautiful forest trails. There will be gradual ascents through out, with one patch of steep ascent in between. - Day 3:Trek from Jalota to Pukhrola (Kedarkantha base - 3313m), Trek Time - 3-4 hours.
Night in camps.
Today you will have a mix of jungle trails and open meadows. You will also encounter some streams en route. You will be gaining altitude with mostly gradual ascents. - Day 4: Trek from Pukhrola to Kedarkantha summit (3810m) and come down to Akhoti thatch (2521m), Trek Time - 7-8 hours.
Night stay in camps.
Today you start at dawn towards the summit. It will be a steep ascent to the summit. Spend time at the summit, soak in the views of surrounding majestic peaks and trek down to Akhoti thatch. This will be a gradual descent. - Day 5: Trek from Akhoti thatch to Gaichawan village (1698m), Trek Time - 5 hours.
Start early morning with a gradual descent to base village Gaichawan. Today you will walk through quiet, and unexplored forests with small meadow openings in between.
Reach Gaichawan village and Drive back to Dehradun. Drive time - 9 - 10 hours.
Trip includes:
- Travel from Dehradun – to and back.
- All meals and accommodation starting from your arrival at day 1 to your departure on day 5.
- Forest entry charges
- Rentals for all common gear provided to you like tent and sleeping bags.
- Guide and Expertise charges
Trip excludes:
- Meals and Drinks purchased by participants during the trek.
- Rentals for personal gear (You are expected to get your own personal gear Refer to the Pre-Trek section)
- Flight/train till Dehradun.
- Backpack offloading charges. You are expected to carry your own backpack. Trekkers unable to do so can opt for a porter service at 300/day.
A certified trek leader, a guide, cook & porters will accompany you during the trek
Yes, this trek is ideal for first timers.
The common perception is that alcohol makes you feel warmer, however it also dehydrates you & dehydration can be fatal while trekking. Hence consumption of alcohol is prohibited. Smoking in camps is not allowed.
Wild animals do not frequent camps. They tend to stay away.
We’ve been organizing treks for over three years and have had many female trekkers trek with us. In fact, a lot of them come solo for treks. There has never been a complaint about the atmosphere of a trek, about other trekkers or our professionalism. They have all been kind enough to leave a review.
You will be sleeping in twos or threes in your tents in sleeping bags. The sleeping bags are snug and comfortable. If you are used to sleeping on a pillow, do carry an inflatable pillow or any small cushion that could provide you pillow-like comfort to sleep.
The temperatures may drop to -6 to -8 degrees Celsius at night.
In all the camps where the accommodation is in guest houses/home stays, there will be proper toilets. On the day of camping, we will have toilet tents, the standard, most hygienic way of answering nature’s call. A deep pit will be dug in the ground and once you’re done, you will have to use a shovel & throw in some dirt from a mound of dirt kept nearby. These will be dry toilets with no water hence please carry tissue roll for the toilet tent (refrain from using wet wipes as they are not bio degradable), for the rest of the days, you can carry rolls as per your convenience.
On day 1 you may get bathing facilities at the home stay. Through the rest of the trek, there are no bathing facilities at campsites.
Mobile network won't be available on this trek.
Tents do not have charging stations.
Meals will be provided by us. However you may carry snack items to much on like dry fruits, or protein bars, or nuts.
On Day 1 we start at 08:00am so we suggest you book your arrival such that you reach Dehradun before 08:00am on Day 1. If you're coming via flight, you may want to land the previous night. If you don't want to stay a night in Dehradun and want to arrive on Day 1 of the trek itself, the overnight Nandadevi train starts from Delhi and reaches Dehradun at 05:00am/06:00am. Similarly for departure, on the last day we will be reaching Dehradun by dinner time. If you're booking a flight for your departure we suggest you book a flight for the next day. If you don't want to stay a night in Dehradun and want to leave on the last day itself, the overnight Nandadevi train starts from Dehradun at 11:00pm.
On day 1 we start at 08:00am from the Clock Tower in Dehradun.
If you are arriving earlier in Dehradun we recommend you look for accommodation options (hotels or homestays) near the Clock Tower, or near the railway station. Avoid looking for accommodation near the airport.