Maldaru Tal Trek
Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
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- Max altitude
- 4,370 m
- Days
- 8 days
- Distance
- 50 km
- Difficulty
- Difficult
Long days on shepherd trails with little help on the way: a steep 60-70 degree descent from Rashi Top on day 5, then a long day up to the 4,370 m lake and about 9 km down to Chilurgaad. Operators rate it moderate to difficult.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Dehradun → Sankri
640 m → 1,950 m
Day 2
Sankri (drive to Taluka) → Dharkot
1,950 m → 2,554 m
Day 3
Dharkot → Batgoera
2,554 m → 3,268 m
Day 4
Batgoera → Rashi
3,268 m → 3,734 m
Day 5
Rashi → Maldaru Base Camp (via Rashi Top)
3,734 m → 4,020 m
Day 6 · highest point
Maldaru Base Camp → Chilurgaad (via Maldaru Tal)
4,020 m → 4,370 m → 2,368 m
Day 7
Chilurgaad → Sankri (via Taluka)
2,368 m → 1,950 m
Day 8
Sankri → Dehradun
1,950 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 · Taluka
at 1,950 mLoading forecast…
High point · Maldaru Tal
at 4,370 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
- Taluka (nearest town: Sankri)
- Nearest railway
- Dehradun
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
- By road
- Dehradun to Sankri (about 177-190 km via Mussoorie, Naugaon, Purola and Mori; buses leave Dehradun from about 5:30 am); Sankri to Taluka (about 12 km by shared jeep or taxi)
- Drive
- About 10 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
₹8,000–15,000
With an operator
₹16,500–22,600
Per person. Guided prices published October 2026: eUttaranchal ₹16,500 + 5% GST for 8 days ex-Sankri; Himalaya Shelter ₹21,500 + 5% GST (about ₹22,600) for 7 days ex-Dehradun. Self-guided is an estimate ex-Dehradun for a group of four: bus to Sankri and back (about ₹800), two guesthouse nights, a local guide and porter or mule for six trekking days split between the group, tent and stove hire, food and Govind National Park entry fees. The route is unmarked above Batgoera, so a local guide is strongly advised.
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 32
Nights near 4,370 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
- No mobile network after Mori; Sankri has little 2G and Taluka only patchy BSNL/Vodafone. Nothing on the trail.
- Last ATM
- Purola, on the road to Sankri
- Nearest hospital
- Mori and Purola for first care; AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Water
- Streams and the Thamsa (Supin) river on the lower days; small streams near the meadow camps. Boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- A small high lake at about 4,370 m, sacred to the people of Osla village and rarely visited compared with nearby Har Ki Dun
- Swargarohini view point on the ridge beyond Rashi Top, and views of Ranglana peak from the lake
- Batgoera, a large grazing meadow with snow-peak views, and Rashi, a high camp above the treeline
- Brahmakamal flowers near the lake from August to September and rhododendron forest in spring
- Exit through Seema, Osla and the Har Ki Dun trail along the Supin river, past Osla's carved wooden temple
Risks
- The descent from Rashi Top to Maldaru Base Camp is very steep (about 60-70 degrees) through gullies and is dangerous when wet or snowy.
- Day 6 is long: up to the lake at 4,370 m, then about 9 km and 2,000 m down to Chilurgaad; altitude sickness is possible above Rashi.
- September and November are shoulder months: late monsoon rain in early September and the first snow in November can close the high section; Himalaya Shelter advises avoiding November to March.
- There is no mobile signal on the trail and the upper route is unmarked shepherd paths, so a local guide is needed.
- Forest permission must be taken at the check post before leaving Taluka; rules and fees change by season.
Know before you go
Questions
How difficult is the Maldaru Tal trek?
Operators rate it moderate to difficult. Trekking days are 5.5 to 13 km, the descent from Rashi Top is very steep, and the lake day climbs to about 4,370 m and then drops about 2,000 m to Chilurgaad. It suits trekkers who have already done a moderate Himalayan trek.
When is the best time to visit Maldaru Tal?
May-June and September-November. July and August are the monsoon, when most routes in Govind National Park are closed, and December to February bring heavy snow above 3,000 m. Brahmakamal flowers around the lake from August to September.
How do I reach the start of the Maldaru Tal trek?
Take a train or flight to Dehradun, then a bus or taxi to Sankri (about 177-190 km, around 10 hours via Mussoorie, Purola and Mori). From Sankri a shared jeep or taxi goes 12 km to Taluka, where the walk begins; some operators now drive further to Dharkot on a new road.
Do I need a permit for Maldaru Tal?
Yes. The trek is in Govind National Park, so you need forest permission from the check post before leaving Taluka, and park entry fees apply (higher for foreign nationals). We could not find a current official fee, so check at the forest office in Sankri or Taluka.
Is there mobile network or an ATM on the way?
There is no network after Mori apart from patchy BSNL/Vodafone at Taluka, and none on the trail. The last ATM is in Purola, so carry enough cash.
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
- Mori and Purola for first care; AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Last ATM
- Purola, on the road to Sankri
- Phone network
- No mobile network after Mori; Sankri has little 2G and Taluka only patchy BSNL/Vodafone. Nothing on the trail.
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 Maldaru Tal
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Maldaru Lake Trek — Indiahikes
- Maldaru Lake Trek - Itinerary, Altitude, Best time to visit — Himalaya Shelter
- Maldaru Lake Trekking Tour from Sankri - Best Maldaru Lake Trek Package — eUttaranchal
- Dehradun with Sankri Tour (Maldaru Lake trek, 7D/6N) — Abc Trekkers (Tour Travel World)
- Govind Pashu Vihar National Park: Permits, Best Time, Major Attraction & How to Reach — Himalayan Dream Treks
- Lake placid — Outlook Traveller
Photos: Biswajit Majumdar, CC BY-SA 3.0; Anjan Kumar Kundu, CC BY-SA 4.0
