Kush Kalyan Trek
Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
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3,789 mhighest point- Max altitude
- 3,789 m
- Days
- 6 days
- Distance
- 35 km
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Two days of steady climbing take you from about 2,000 m at Silla to roughly 3,800 m at the meadow, partly on steep slopes and narrow grassy ridges. The descent to Belak climbs again to Jorai Bugyal first, and the last day is a long 10 km walk down to Saura.
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Dehradun → Uttarkashi
640 m → 1,160 m
Day 2
Uttarkashi (drive to Silla via Malla) → Gairi
1,160 m → 2,400 m
Day 3 · highest point
Gairi → Kush Kalyan Bugyal
2,400 m → 3,789 m
Day 4
Kush Kalyan Bugyal → Belak (via Jorai Bugyal)
3,789 m → 2,970 m
Day 5
Belak → Saura (drive to Uttarkashi)
2,970 m → 1,160 m
Day 6
Uttarkashi → Dehradun
1,160 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 · Silla
at 1,160 mLoading forecast…
High point · Kush Kalyan Bugyal
at 3,789 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
- Silla (nearest town: Uttarkashi)
- Nearest railway
- Dehradun
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
- By road
- Dehradun to Uttarkashi (about 140-150 km); Uttarkashi to Malla on the Gangotri road (about 27 km), then about 7 km on a narrow road to Silla
- Drive
- About 7 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
₹5,000–9,000
With an operator
₹9,900–13,000
Per person, ex-Malla/Uttarkashi. Only one current guided price was found: eUttaranchal's 6-day package at ₹9,900 ex-Malla, taxes extra and no transport. Himalayan Dream Treks and Trek The Himalayas did not show a price on their pages; the upper end allows for GST and a shared taxi from Dehradun. Self-guided is an estimate: bus or shared taxi to Uttarkashi and Malla, a local guide and porter or mule, tent and stove hire, and forest entry fees.
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 31
Nights near 3,789 m can drop close to freezing even in summer. Pack one more warm layer than you think.
Tick each item as it goes in the bag.
Know before you go
Good to know
- Mobile network
- Not confirmed for the trail; expect little or no mobile signal above Silla. Himalayan Dream Treks says Silla is the last charging point.
- Last ATM
- Uttarkashi (cash supply can be limited; withdraw in Dehradun too)
- Nearest hospital
- District hospital in Uttarkashi; AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Water
- Streams on the forest trail from Silla to Gairi, the Devan Gad stream near the meadow, and small streams and pools on the Belak trail. Boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- A vast alpine meadow (bugyal) at about 3,800 m with views of Bandarpoonch, Kalanag and Swargarohini
- Forest trail of oak, maple and rhododendron from Silla village, with herders' huts (chhani) at Gairi and Belak
- Ridge walk over Jorai Bugyal on the old pilgrim footpath between Gangotri and Kedarnath Dham
- A small Hanuman temple at the Kush Kalyan campsite, and wildflowers and medicinal herbs across the meadow in summer
Risks
- Monsoon (July-August): Himalayan Dream Treks advises against trekking then because of cloudbursts, lightning and slippery narrow trails; the Gangotri road below can also be blocked by landslides.
- Some ridge sections are narrow and grassy, and the slope just before the meadow is steep; take care in wet weather.
- Night temperatures at the meadow can fall below freezing in autumn (Himalayan Dream Treks gives about -8 °C).
- Winter conditions on this trek are not documented by our sources; check locally before going between November and April.
- Few trekkers use this route, so go with a local guide who knows the way between Kush Kalyan, Jorai Bugyal and Belak.
Know before you go
Questions
Where does the Kush Kalyan trek start?
At Silla (Shilla) village above Malla, about 27 km from Uttarkashi on the Gangotri road. From Malla a narrow road climbs about 7 km to Silla, where the forest trail begins past a forest department checkpoint. Some operators count Malla as the base.
How long is the Kush Kalyan trek?
The common route, Silla - Gairi - Kush Kalyan - Belak - Saura, is about 35 km over four walking days, so 6 days from Dehradun. Silla to the meadow alone is about 15-16 km one way. Trek The Himalayas runs a longer loop of about 50 km via Bawani and Kyarki.
What is the best time for Kush Kalyan?
Summer (May-June) for green meadows and wildflowers, and September-October after the monsoon for clear mountain views and colder nights. Avoid July-August, when rain makes the narrow trails slippery.
Can I continue from Kush Kalyan to Sahastra Tal?
Yes. Experienced trekkers with 2-3 extra days continue over Kyarki Khal and Lamb Tal to Sahastra Tal, about 14 km beyond the meadow. That extension goes much higher and needs proper acclimatisation.
Do I need a permit for Kush Kalyan?
There is a forest department checkpoint near Silla, and guided packages include forest entry and camping fees. We could not confirm the current official fee, so self-guided trekkers should check at the forest office in Uttarkashi or at the checkpoint.
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: UttarkashiUttarakhand
- Nearest hospital
- District hospital in Uttarkashi; AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Last ATM
- Uttarkashi (cash supply can be limited; withdraw in Dehradun too)
- Phone network
- Not confirmed for the trail; expect little or no mobile signal above Silla. Himalayan Dream Treks says Silla is the last charging point.
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 Kush Kalyan
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Kush Kalyan Bugyal | Duration, Itinerary, & More — Himalayan Dream Treks
- Kush Kalyan Bugyal: An Exquisite Meadow Trek In The Himalayas — Trek The Himalayas
- Kush Kalyan 4 Nights Trek Package — eUttaranchal
- Kush Kalyan — Wikipedia
- Kush Kalyan/Garwhal Lakes — Walkopedia
- A walk through the meadows of Kush Kalyan — Deccan Herald
Photos: Vaibhav78545, CC BY-SA 4.0
