Milam Glacier Trek
Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand
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- Max altitude
- 3,900 m
- Days
- 11 days
- Distance
- 108 km
- Difficulty
- Difficult
Eight walking days of 8-17 km on a narrow, rocky mule path through the Gori Ganga gorge, with landslide zones, snow bridges and a long day of about 17 km back from Milam; the remote upper valley has no evacuation road for much of the route.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Kathgodam → Munsiyari
554 m → 2,290 m
Day 2
Munsiyari → Lilam (via Jimighat)
2,290 m → 1,850 m
Day 3
Lilam → Bugdiyar
1,850 m → 2,500 m
Day 4
Bugdiyar → Rilkot
2,500 m → 3,130 m
Day 5
Rilkot → Milam village (via Martoli)
3,130 m → 3,430 m
Day 6 · highest point
Milam village → Milam village (via Milam Glacier snout)
3,430 m → 3,900 m → 3,430 m
Day 7
Milam village → Rilkot
3,430 m → 3,130 m
Day 8
Rilkot → Bugdiyar
3,130 m → 2,500 m
Day 9
Bugdiyar → Lilam
2,500 m → 1,850 m
Day 10
Lilam → Munsiyari
1,850 m → 2,290 m
Day 11
Munsiyari → Kathgodam
2,290 m → 554 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 · Munsiyari (Munsyari, Munsiari)
at 2,290 mLoading forecast…
High point · Milam Glacier snout (Zero Point)
at 3,900 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
- Munsiyari (Munsyari, Munsiari)
- Nearest railway
- Kathgodam
- Nearest airport
- Pantnagar Airport (about 250 km from Munsiyari)
- By road
- Kathgodam (about 275-278 km via Almora and Bageshwar, 9-11 hours)
- Drive
- About 10 h from Kathgodam
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
₹15,000–25,000
With an operator
₹45,000–75,000
Per person, ex-Kathgodam. Few operators publish a Milam price: Bikat Adventures, Himalayan High, Himalayan Dream Treks and Thrillophilia quote on request. The one published figure found (October 2026) is Trip Arrangements' 16-day Nanda Devi East and Milam Glacier package at ₹75,000 per person; the guided lower bound is our estimate for a shorter Milam-only group trip. Self-guided is an estimate: shared jeep Kathgodam-Munsiyari both ways, a local guide and porter or mules for about 9 days, tent and stove hire, and food from Munsiyari.
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 34
Nights near 3,900 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
- Mobile signal in Munsiyari; operators publish no coverage beyond it, so plan for no signal on the trail.
- Last ATM
- Munsiyari
- Nearest hospital
- Health centre at Munsiyari for first care; Pithoragarh district hospital for serious cases
- Water
- The Gori Ganga and side streams all along the route; glacial water is silty near Milam. Boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- The snout of Milam Glacier, source of the Gori Ganga, beneath Hardeol and Tirsuli
- Walking the old Johar valley trade route to Tibet through the deep Gori Ganga gorge, with waterfalls and snow bridges
- The stone villages of Martoli and Milam, summer homes of the Johari Shauka people, largely empty since trade stopped in 1962
- Views of the north side of Nanda Devi from the upper valley near Burphu and Milam
Risks
- July to early September monsoon brings landslides, floods and slippery trail in the Gori Ganga gorge; operators do not recommend it.
- From December to March heavy snow blocks the upper trail and temperatures fall well below freezing; one operator says trekking is not possible from November to February, another that winter is for experienced mountaineers only.
- This is a border area with ITBP check posts and Inner Line rules; carry photo ID and confirm permit requirements at the SDM office in Munsiyari before starting.
- The BRO is building the Munsiyari-Milam road, so blasting, debris and changed road heads may affect the trail; ask locally how far vehicles now go.
- Remote: no road evacuation for much of the route and little or no mobile signal after Munsiyari.
Know before you go
Questions
How long is the Milam Glacier trek?
Operators give 90-116 km on foot. A full walk in and out from Munsiyari takes about 9 walking days; with the drive from Kathgodam both ways most itineraries run 11-13 days. Some operators shorten it by driving from Munsiyari to the road head near Lilam.
What is the best time for the Milam Glacier trek?
April to June and mid-September to October. July to early September is monsoon, with landslides in the gorge, and from December to March snow blocks the upper trail.
Do I need a permit for Milam Glacier?
Milam lies in a border area near Tibet with ITBP check posts, and Inner Line rules have changed over the years. We could not find a current official notice, so carry photo ID and check with the SDM office in Munsiyari before you start.
How high is the Milam Glacier snout?
About 3,870-3,960 m. Wikipedia, citing the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research map, gives 3,870 m for the snout; Himalayan Dream Treks gives 3,960 m for Zero Point. Milam village, the last camp, is at about 3,430 m.
Where does the trek start?
From Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district, about 275 km and 10 hours by road from Kathgodam railway station via Almora and Bageshwar.
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: PithoragarhUttarakhand
- Nearest hospital
- Health centre at Munsiyari for first care; Pithoragarh district hospital for serious cases
- Last ATM
- Munsiyari
- Phone network
- Mobile signal in Munsiyari; operators publish no coverage beyond it, so plan for no signal 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 Milam Glacier
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Milam Glacier Trek — Himalayan Dream Treks
- Milam Glacier & Nanda Devi Base Camp Trek — Bikat Adventures
- Milam Glacier Tour — Thrillophilia
- Milam Glacier Trek — Tour My India
- Milam Glacier Trek — Himalayan High
- Milam Glacier — Wikipedia
- Nanda Devi East & Milam Glacier Package — Trip Arrangements
Photos: L. Shyamal, CC BY-SA 3.0; Kurt Boeck, Public domain; Kurt Boeck, Public domain
