Day 1:
Arrive in New Delhi late evening and drive (7-8 hours) overnight to Mussoorie, a lovely hill station, which gives you your first views of the snowy peaks. Upon arrival, check in at guesthouse, rest and have a late breakfast or early lunch. The day is yours to unwind and acclimate to your new surroundings. Yoga class will be held in the afternoon before dinner.
Day 2: Mussoorie (1,921m/6,320ft)
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
After breakfast we will go for a short day hike to Cloud's End or Everest House to help with acclimatization. Return to town for lunch and prepare trekking gear and bags for next days departure.
Overnight in guesthouse
Day 3: Uttarkashi (1,158m/3,809ft)
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
Drive (approx. 7hrs) from Mussoorie north on a beautiful ridge road through Devdar groves, and then along the banks of the Bhagirathi River to the holy town of Uttarkashi. Uttarkashi is a famous destination for pilgrims going to Gangotri and an important center for yogis and sadhus.
Check into guesthouse
Day 4: Uttarkashi
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
Group will walk to main temple in Uttarkashi (5km) and return to Guesthouse after darshan—stay over night.
Overnight in guesthouse
Day 5. Gangotri (3,048m/10,000ft)
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
Drive 4–5 hours to Gangotri.
Gangotri lies in the northwest Himalayas of Garhwal, and is one of the four Holy dhams (pilgrim sites) of the North. The Ganga is believed to have first descended to earth at Gangotri (Uttari means descended).
The Bhaironghati bridge, said to be the highest in Asia, is built across one of the deepest gorges in the world, and connects Gangotri to the rest of the world over the Jahnavi River. Gangotri sits at the very end of National Highway 108.
Overnight in rest house
Day 6: Gangotri
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
We will make a visit to Swami Sundaranand's orchard and kutti. Swamiji is renowned for his photographs, Himalayan expeditions and contributions towards the preservation of the Mighty Himalayas. It is a true honor and privilege to have darshan with one of India's great Sadhus.
The rest of the day will be spent acclimatizing, visting temple and surrounding sights. An optional Ganga Puja (offering) can be done on the banks of the River.
There is an 18th century temple made of granite rock at Gangotri that was built by Amar Singh Thapa, a Gorkha commander, and later rebuilt by the Maharaja of Jaipur. The temple here is dedicated to the Goddess Ganga.
Overnight in rest house
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Day 7: Depart for Chirbasa (3,606m/11,830ft)
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
Trek 9 kms above the Bhagirathi River on a relatively groomed path to Chirbasa. Though there are trees, we are walking on the side of the mountain and there is little shade most of the time. We will camp in a small, forested area next to the river, and if possible we will meet the Baba who lives there.
Overnight stay in tents
Day 8: Trek to Gaumukh (3,892m/12,770ft)
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
This day we walk for 9 km's to the source of the River Ganga. It is a beautiful walk with views of Mt. Shivling and the Bhagirathi peaks. We will cross through a small landslide prone area just approaching Bhojbasa, where we will want to walk briskly! The views from just above Bhojbasa are truly memorable, and it is nice to take a rest here and gaze upon the mountains. We will arrive relatively early and can take a bath in the holy waters.
Overnight stay in tents
Day 9: Scramble to Nandanvan (4,337m/14,230ft)
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
The trek up from Gaumukh crosses over the glacier and large boulders for almost 4 km, but then smoothes out a bit for the last 2 km. It is important to pace yourself here, so that you can keep walking without getting too winded. The terrain has a lot of loose scree making the trail challenging at times, but the solitude and peaceful vibrations make up for it. Nandanvan is at the junction between the Gangotri and Chaturangi Glacier, and is known for being an ideal place for meditation.
Overnight stay in tents
Day 10: Trek up to Vauskital (4,880m/16,055ft)
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
Vasukital, the base camp for Mt. Satopanth and Mt. Vasuki Parbat, is a small glacial lake surrounded by towering peaks. It is a steep hike of 11km up to this point, where we will rest and enjoy the views and lunch before returning to our camp. This will be a long day (22km), but one you are sure to remember throughout your life.
Overnight stay in tents
Day 11: Trek to Sundarvan (4,550m/14,969ft)
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
Sundarvan is south of Tapovan and we must cross the Gangotri Glacier off the path to Tapovan to arrive there. The conditions of the glacier will dictate the exact route, and in fact whether or not we can cross. Sometimes new crevasses open up and make the crossing impossible, requiring us to retrace our steps or re-route to Tapovan. Most people do not visit this area unless they are going to climb Bhagirathi III peak, which Sundarvan is the base camp for. The remoteness of this location is what makes it such a wonderful place to go and meditate in solitude.
The exact distance from Nandanvan to Sundarvan is not well documented.
From Nandanvan to Tapovan it is 14km and roughly 7 hr's trekking, the distance should not be this long, but plan on walking this long in any case.
Overnight stay in tents
Day 12: Trek to Tapovan (4,463m/14,683ft)
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
Tapovan is a vast meadow of golden grass and is surrounded by a natural ampitheater of peaks: Mt. Shivling (6543m) flanked by Mt. Meru (6630m) and Kedar Dome (6808m), Sudarshan (6,507m) and Bhagirathi I (6,856m), II (6,512m) and III (6,454m) are some of the peaks which can be seen from here. This is truly one of the most breathtaking views imaginable.
Overnight stay in tents
Day 13: Trek to Chirbasa (3,606m/11,830ft)
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
We begin this 13km trek by crossing the meadows and then descending a 300m vertical wall (very rocky) before crossing the Gangotri Glacier (lots of boulders) and coming to rest at Gaumukh. We will take our final darshan (viewing) here and another bath (time permitting), before trekking back down to Chirbasa.
Overnight stay in tents |
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Day 14: Trek down to Gangotri (9 km)
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
Upon reaching Gangotri we will go to have final darshan with Swami Sundaranand. We will have lunch in Gangotri and then drive to Uttarkashi.
Overnight guesthouse
Day 15: Stay in Uttarkashi
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
We will visit the NIM (Nehru Institute of Mountaineering) Musueum, and then go for darshan at the Vishwanath temple (this is the main temple of Uttarkashi).
Day 16: Drive to Mussoorie
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
We will return to Mussoorie via the same route taking in the beautiful scenery and say goodbye to India's Holiest River.
Overnight guesthouse
Day 17: Mussoorie
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
Spend day relaxing and gathering things for return home. We will enjoy an evening celebration to end our journey together.
Day 18: New Delhi
Morning yoga at 6:30 before breakfast
We will say our goodbyes and depart for Delhi in the morning around 9:00. Most flights leave between midnight and 2:00AM, so we will rest for a while at the Radisson Hotel and wash up before going to the airport.
Cost per person: US $4,250 based on a 4 person group, US $3,750 based on a 6 person group.
(Prices are subject to change, contact us to confirm quote or to arrange for a private trek quote)
Price Includes: daily yoga instruction, roundtrip ground transportation from Delhi, accommodations and meals while not in Delhi; and equipment such as: two-person tents, dining tent, foam mats, stools and all cooking and kitchen gear; all trekking expenses, support crew and sightseeing within the tour program; professional guides and escorts throughout the trip; all admissions and special service charges as per itinerary.
Price Excludes: international flight and airport taxes; visa and passport fees; medical and trip cancellation insurance; accommodation while in Delhi; any personal expenses such as: laundry, phone calls, alcoholic beverages, gratuity for our crew and any personal medical expenses; personal camping gear such as: sleeping bags, sleeping pads etc. are not included.
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