Sahastra Tal Trek
Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
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4,600 mhighest point- Max altitude
- 4,600 m
- Days
- 9 days
- Distance
- 75 km
- Difficulty
- Difficult
Seven trekking days on a remote, little-used trail with long stages of 12-18 km, camps above 4,000 m at Kyarki and Lamb Tal, and a summit day to 4,600 m over boulders and late snow; operators ask for prior high-altitude experience.
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Dehradun → Bhatwari
640 m → 1,520 m
Day 2
Bhatwari → Gairi (via Malla and Silla)
1,520 m → 3,040 m
Day 3
Gairi → Kush Kalyan
3,040 m → 3,520 m
Day 4
Kush Kalyan → Kyarki Bugyal
3,520 m → 3,980 m
Day 5
Kyarki Bugyal → Lamb Tal
3,980 m → 4,330 m
Day 6 · highest point
Lamb Tal → Lamb Tal (via Sahastra Tal)
4,330 m → 4,600 m → 4,330 m
Day 7
Lamb Tal → Kush Kalyan (via Kyarki)
4,330 m → 3,520 m
Day 8
Kush Kalyan → Silla (drive to Bhatwari)
3,520 m → 1,520 m
Day 9
Bhatwari → Dehradun
1,520 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 · Bhatwari
at 1,520 mLoading forecast…
High point · Sahastra Tal (Shastru Tal on OpenStreetMap)
at 4,600 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
- Bhatwari
- Nearest railway
- Dehradun (also Haridwar and Rishikesh)
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
- By road
- Dehradun to Bhatwari (about 175 km via Uttarkashi, 8-9 hours); Uttarkashi to Bhatwari (about 30 km up the Gangotri road; shared jeeps run); Haridwar to Bhatwari (about 220 km)
- Drive
- About 8.5 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
₹12,000–20,000
With an operator
₹17,500–29,000
Per person, ex-Dehradun or ex-Bhatwari, 9 days. Guided prices published on operator pages accessed October 2026: Trek Venture ₹17,500 + 5% GST (Dehradun-Bhatwari transport ₹1,000-1,500 extra); eUttaranchal ₹18,000 ex-Bhatwari; Himalaya Trekker ₹27,500 + 5% GST ex-Dehradun (shared vehicle to Bhatwari extra, about ₹5,000 per vehicle each way). Premium operators charge far more (White Magic ₹1,39,000 for 11 days ex-Dehradun; Aquaterra ₹1,05,000 + GST for a 15-day traverse). Self-guided is an estimate for a small group hiring a local registered agency for permits, a guide, porters or mules, tents and food, plus bus or shared jeep to Bhatwari; Himalayan Dream Treks says only registered trekking companies can apply for the permit.
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 33
Nights near 4,600 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
- Himalaya Trekker says all major mobile networks work at Bhatwari and there is no signal after that.
- Last ATM
- One SBI ATM at Bhatwari (Himalaya Trekker); withdraw cash in Dehradun or Uttarkashi as well.
- Nearest hospital
- District hospital in Uttarkashi (about 30 km from Bhatwari); AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Water
- Gairi is the only water point above Silla on the first day, and there is no water for a long stretch beyond the Kush Kalyan plateau (Trek Venture). Higher up, camps use the lakes and snowmelt. Carry large bottles and boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- A chain of high alpine lakes along one ridge, among them Lamb Tal, Dhoni Tal and Sahastra Tal at about 4,600 m, which Bill Aitken called the lake district of Garhwal
- Two wide bugyals, Kush Kalyan and Kyarki, with long open ridge walks between the Bhagirathi and Bhilangana valleys
- Views of Bandarpoonch, Black Peak (Kalanag), Jaonli, Srikanth, Draupadi Ka Danda and the Gangotri range, with sunset over the western Garhwal range from Kyarki Khal
- Brahma Kamal and Fen Kamal flowers on the upper ridge in the monsoon and late summer
- Local katha: a king offered a thousand (sahastra) Brahma Kamal flowers to Bhagwan Vishnu on the shore of the lake, and villagers still carry their devta around it
Risks
- In June 2024 nine trekkers from a 22-member group died near Sahastra Tal after losing their way in bad weather on the way back from the lake. Go only with an experienced, registered operator and a local guide who knows the ridge, and turn back early if weather closes in.
- The upper ridge beyond Kyarki is exposed, with few landmarks in fog; Himalayan Dream Treks notes fog can last most of the day in winter.
- Snow lingers on the upper trail until about April and early June can still find the lake semi-frozen; fresh snow from autumn makes the summit day slower and harder.
- Monsoon (July-August) brings slippery trails and landslides on the Gangotri road; most operators run only May-June and September-October.
- Camps at Kyarki and Lamb Tal are above 3,900 m, so altitude sickness is a real risk. Himalayan Dream Treks advises people with anaemia, asthma or heart conditions not to attempt the trek.
- No mobile signal after Bhatwari and no rescue access on the ridge; evacuation means a walk of one to two days down to Silla.
Know before you go
Questions
How difficult is the Sahastra Tal trek?
Operators grade it moderate to strenuous. It has seven trekking days with stages of 12-18 km, two camps above 3,900 m and a long summit day to about 4,600 m and back to Lamb Tal (about 12 km, 7-8 hours). Himalaya Trekker asks for prior high-altitude trekking experience and good fitness.
What is the best time to do Sahastra Tal?
May to June and September to October. Snow stays on the upper trail until about April, and the monsoon (July-August) makes the route and the Gangotri road risky. October brings clear skies after the monsoon.
Where does the Sahastra Tal trek start and how do I reach it?
Most itineraries start from Bhatwari, about 30 km beyond Uttarkashi on the Gangotri road and about 175 km (8-9 hours) from Dehradun. The trail drops to Malla, crosses the Bhagirathi and climbs through Silla, the last village, to Gairi. Buses run from Dehradun and Haridwar to Uttarkashi, and shared jeeps run on to Bhatwari.
Do I need a permit, and can I trek to Sahastra Tal on my own?
Yes, a forest permit is needed. Himalayan Dream Treks says it is applied for online through the SWS Uttarkashi portal with ID, a medical certificate and insurance, and that only registered trekking companies can apply, so the trek cannot be done independently. We could not confirm the current fee from an official source, so check with the Uttarkashi forest division or your operator.
What happened on the Sahastra Tal trek in 2024?
In June 2024 nine trekkers from Karnataka, part of a 22-member group, died near Sahastra Tal after losing their way in bad weather while returning from the lake. Operators were still listing departures for 2026, but the accident shows why a registered operator, a local guide and early turnaround in bad weather matter on this ridge.
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 (about 30 km from Bhatwari); AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Last ATM
- One SBI ATM at Bhatwari (Himalaya Trekker); withdraw cash in Dehradun or Uttarkashi as well.
- Phone network
- Himalaya Trekker says all major mobile networks work at Bhatwari and there is no signal after that.
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 Sahastra Tal
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Sahastra Tal Trek — Himalayan Dream Treks
- Guide for Sahastra Tal Trek — Himalayan Dream Treks
- Sahastra Tal Summer Trek 2026: High-Alpine Lakes & Bugyals — Himalaya Trekker
- Sahastra Tal Trek - Trek Venture — Trek Venture
- Sahastra Tal Trekking Package ex Bhatwari — eUttaranchal
- Sahastra Tal Trekking - Uttarakhand Trip Trek — Uttarakhand Trip Trek
- Sahastratal Trek — White Magic Adventure
- Sahasratal Trek - The Lake Of Gods — Aquaterra Adventures
- Sahastra Tal Trek (7 Jun 2024) — Drishti IAS
Photos: Vaibhav78545, CC BY-SA 4.0
