Chopta Chandrashila Trek
Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
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- Max altitude
- 3,690 m
- Days
- 5 days
- Distance
- 30 km
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Most days are short forest walks on clear trails, but the summit day is long (about 11-13 km) with roughly 1,100 m of climbing, and the last 1.5 km from Tungnath to Chandrashila is a steep, rocky, exposed path that is under hard snow from December to March and needs microspikes.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Dehradun → Sari (drive via Rishikesh, Rudraprayag and Ukhimath)
640 m → 2,000 m
Day 2
Sari → Deoria Tal
2,000 m → 2,430 m
Day 3
Deoria Tal → Baniya Kund via Rohini Bugyal
2,430 m → 2,750 m → 2,600 m
Day 4 · highest point
Baniya Kund → Baniya Kund via Chopta, Tungnath and Chandrashila
2,600 m → 3,690 m → 2,600 m
Day 5
Baniya Kund → Dehradun (drive)
2,600 m → 640 m
Ups and downs
Altitude profile
Where it is
Map
Trailhead and high point only — not a recorded track. Use it with a proper map.
Weather
Next 5 days on the trail
Live forecast for the trailhead and the high point. Mountain weather changes fast — check again on the morning you start.
Trailhead · Sari
at 2,000 mLoading forecast…
High point · Chandrashila summit
at 3,690 mLoading forecast…
Each day: high / low °C · rain mm and chance · snow cm · wind km/h
Weather data: Open-Meteo.comModel forecast, not an official warning. For alerts follow IMD and the local administration.
Plan the trip
How to reach
- Trailhead
- Sari (nearest town: Ukhimath)
- Nearest railway
- Rishikesh (Yog Nagari Rishikesh); Haridwar for more trains
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant, Dehradun
- By road
- Rishikesh to Sari via Devprayag, Rudraprayag and Ukhimath (about 190 km); Dehradun to Sari (about 225 km); Ukhimath to Sari (about 15 km); Sari to Chopta (about 21 km by road)
- Drive
- About 8 h from Dehradun
Plan the trip
Permits and fees
We could not confirm the current permit rules and fees from an official source. Check with the local forest department or tourism office before you go.
Plan the trip
Cost
Self-guided
₹4,000–9,000
With an operator
₹9,500–12,500
Per person. Guided: published 2026 prices are Bikat Adventures ₹9,500 + 5% GST ex-Sari (shared Dehradun-Sari vehicle extra, ₹9,000-11,500 per vehicle) and Himalaya Shelter ₹11,700 + 5% GST ex-Dehradun. Self-guided is an estimate ex-Sari for 3 trek days: Sari homestay, a local guide shared by a small group, tent and sleeping-bag hire or Chopta lodge, food, the forest entry fee at the Chopta check-post and a Sari-Chopta jeep; bus fare from Rishikesh to Ukhimath extra.
Gear
Top picks for this trek
The gear that matters most on this route, chosen from its altitude, season and risks.
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Packing checklist
Matched to this trek: altitude, season, days and the risks on the route.
Packed 0 of 35
Snow on the trail in Mar: microspikes, gaiters and a warm layer are not optional.
Tick each item as it goes in the bag.
Know before you go
Good to know
- Mobile network
- Good. Operators report Jio and Airtel 4G along most of the trail, and Indiahikes reports signal even on the Chandrashila summit; it can drop in the forest between Deoria Tal and Rohini Bugyal.
- Last ATM
- Ukhimath (no ATM at Sari or Chopta; carry cash)
- Nearest hospital
- Government hospital at Ukhimath, about 15 km by road from Sari; Dehradun for serious cases (7-8 hours)
- Water
- Taps and springs at Sari and near Deoria Tal, streams in the forest towards Rohini Bugyal and Baniya Kund, and tea stalls on the Chopta-Tungnath path in the yatra season (May-November). There is no water between Tungnath and Chandrashila, and the stalls close in winter, so fill bottles at camp.
Highlights
- Darshan at Tungnath, the third of the Panch Kedar, where Bhagwan Shiva is worshipped in the form of his arms; it is the highest Shiva temple in the world, and the Kedarkhand tells that Arjuna built the first temple here
- Sunrise from Chandrashila, the 'Moon Rock' above Tungnath, where temple tradition holds that Bhagwan Rama meditated after the war with Ravana and Chandra Dev did tapasya; a small shrine stands on the summit
- A 360-degree view of Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba, Kedarnath, Bandarpunch and the Gangotri peaks from the summit
- Chaukhamba reflected in Deoria Tal, a forest lake above Sari
- Oak and rhododendron forest and the open meadow of Rohini Bugyal, with hillsides of red rhododendron in March-April and Himalayan monal in the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary
Risks
- Tungnath to Chandrashila is a steep, rocky, exposed 1.5 km climb with no rail; from December to March it is hard, icy snow in the early morning and needs microspikes and trekking poles.
- July-August monsoon: landslides can block the Rudraprayag-Ukhimath road, the stone path turns slippery and leeches appear in the forest. Indiahikes calls these peak monsoon months the only time the trek is not accessible and does not run it then, though Bikat Adventures and Wikipedia describe it as a year-round trek.
- In winter the Chopta road can be closed by snow, so the approach may have to be on foot from Sari or Duggalbitta, and winter night temperatures fall to -6 to -10 °C.
- Indiahikes reports that in winter the forest check-post does not let trekkers start before 8 am or after 2 pm; check the current timing at Chopta.
- Weather changes fast above 3,000 m; turn back from the summit ridge in strong wind, whiteout or lightning.
Know before you go
Questions
Is Tungnath temple open in winter, and can you still do the trek?
No. The temple doors close for winter in early-to-mid November, after Diwali and Bhai Dooj, on a day the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee announces each year (in 2025 they closed on 6 November), and reopen in late April or early May. Through the winter Bhagwan Tungnath's worship continues at the Shri Markandeya (Markateshwar) Temple at Makkumath, where the utsav doli is carried down. The trail itself stays open: winter is the most popular season for the snow trek, so you can climb past the closed temple to Chandrashila, but there is no darshan at Tungnath until the doors open again.
How long is the trek from Chopta to Chandrashila?
About 3.5 km on a paved pilgrim path from Chopta to Tungnath, then about 1.5 km of steep, rough trail to the Chandrashila summit, so roughly 5 km one way and 10 km return. Fit trekkers do it in a day from Chopta. The full route that starts at Sari and takes in Deoria Tal and Rohini Bugyal is about 27-32 km over 5-6 days.
How high is Chandrashila?
About 3,690 m (12,100 ft). Some pages say 4,000 m (13,123 ft), but satellite elevation data and the trek operators that measure the route put the summit near 3,680-3,700 m.
Is the Chopta Chandrashila trek good for beginners?
Yes. Bikat Adventures and Himalaya Shelter grade it easy to easy-moderate and Indiahikes moderate. The only hard part is the final steep push from Tungnath to the summit. Training to jog 5 km in about 35 minutes is enough; in winter you need microspikes and five warm layers.
Do I need a permit for Chandrashila?
The trail runs through the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and a forest check-post just above Chopta collects an entry fee. Indiahikes reports ₹150 for an adult, ₹38 for students aged 5-18 and ₹600 for foreigners, valid for 3 days; no official fee list could be confirmed, so check the current fee at the Chopta check-post.
When is the best time to do the trek?
March-April for rhododendron bloom with snow still on the upper slopes, October-November for the clearest mountain views after the monsoon, and December-February for a full snow trek. Avoid July-August because of monsoon landslides on the approach roads.
In an emergency
Save these numbers before you lose signal. Tap to call.
- 112All emergenciesIndia’s single emergency number — works in every state
- 108Ambulance
- 1077District disaster control room
You are in
District: RudraprayagUttarakhand
- Nearest hospital
- Government hospital at Ukhimath, about 15 km by road from Sari; Dehradun for serious cases (7-8 hours)
- Last ATM
- Ukhimath (no ATM at Sari or Chopta; carry cash)
- Phone network
- Good. Operators report Jio and Airtel 4G along most of the trail, and Indiahikes reports signal even on the Chandrashila summit; it can drop in the forest between Deoria Tal and Rohini Bugyal.
Before you set off
- Tell someone your route and when you will be back.
- Carry a charged phone and a power bank.
- Download an offline map of the route.
- Turn back if the weather turns bad — the mountain will wait.
Questions about Chopta Chandrashila
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Deoriatal Chandrashila Trek — Indiahikes
- Tungnath Chandrashila Trek (Via Deoria Tal) — Bikat Adventures
- Deoriatal Chopta Chandrashila Trek — Himalaya Shelter
- Chandrashila — Wikipedia
- Tungnath Temple Guide: Distance, Height, Weather & 2026 Dates — Indiahikes
Photos: dr ashok kolluru, CC BY-SA 4.0; Drashokk, CC BY-SA 4.0; Rajborah123, CC BY-SA 4.0; Vvnataraj, CC BY-SA 3.0
