In the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, Tungnath is the third temple of Panch Kedar. Trek to Tungnath can be extended till Chandrashilla summit, which is famous for its legendary Sunrise view. We have explained complete guide for Tungnath, Chandrashilla summit in this blog.
Chopta is the base for trekking to Tungnath & Chandrashilla summit. Trails are well defined & in excellent condition despite that, this trek is not a simple walk. During your hike, you reach a peak and summit where the spectacular beauty of the mighty Himalayas reward you for your efforts.
Table of Contents
Brief Introduction of the Trek
| Heads | Information |
|---|---|
| Maximum Altitude | Tungnath: 3,470 m (11,385 ft), Chandrashilla Summit: 3,690 m (12,110 ft) |
| Difficulty Level | Easy to Moderate |
| Trek Distance | Chopta – Tungnath: 4 Kms, Tungnath – Chandrashilla Summit: 1.5 Kms |
| Trek Duration | Chopta – Tungnath: 3-4 Hours, Tungnath – Chandrashilla Summit: 1 Hour |
| Distance from Delhi (To the base point – Sari Village, Chopta) | 451 Km |
| Best time to visit | Summers (Apr-Jun), Winters (Oct-Dec), Snow Trek (Jan-Mar) |
| Most crowded time | May-Jun |
| Trek close time | – |
| Snowfall time (High Probability) | End of Dec – Start of Feb |
| Must to do things | Trekking, Camping, Photography, Bird watching & Sunrise at Chandrshilla summit |
How to Reach?
| Mode | Route | Way forward |
|---|---|---|
| By Air | Nearest Airport: Dehradun | Dehradun to Chopta needs to be covered by Road |
| By Train | Nearest Railway Station: Haridwar | Haridwar is the last railhead for Chopta. Haridwar to Chopta needs to be covered by Road |
| By Road | Step 1) Delhi to Haridwar : Public & Private buses available at ISBT Kashmiri Gate Step 2) Haridwar to Chopta : Option 1 : Private Transport (Direct cabs available at Haridwar) Option 2 : Public Transport (GMOU Buses & Shared Cabs) GMOU Buses : Haridwar – Kund, Shared Cabs : Kund – Ukhimath & Ukhimath – Chopta |
Trek starts from Sari Village (Chopta) |
Important Note :
- Pronounce the “GMOU bus” as “Geemu bus” when asking the locals.
- No “GMOU bus” will take you directly to Kund. You need to change the GMOU bus at Rudraprayag for Kund. Bus conductor will surely help you to understand the change points better.
- Route from Haridwar to Chopta : Haridwar > Rishikesh > Devprayag > Srinagar > Rudraprayag > Agastyamuni > Ukhimath > Duggalbita > Chopta
Where to Stay?
| Heads | Places to stay | Type of Accommodation available | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enroute | Ukhimath, Rudraprayag, Srinagar & Kund | Hotels, Camp Resort | 500-1500 per person |
| Base Point | Chopta & Duggalbitta | Homestay, Camp Resort, Daba Domintory, Tents | 400-1500 per person |
| Trek Top | Tungnath top | Dhaba Dorminorty, Tents | 400-1500 per person |
Detailed Itinerary
(Delhi – Haridwar – Chopta – Tungnath – Chnadrashilla Summit – Chopta – Haridwar – Delhi)
1st Day: Reach Haridwar
Start your journey from ISBT Kashmiri Gate by taking a bus to Haridwar. Distance from Delhi to Haridwar is around 220 km and it will take 4-5 hours to reach Haridwar bus stand. You can also take the train from Chandni Chowk/New Delhi to reach Haridwar railway station.
Suggestion: Start your journey at around 10 PM – 11 PM from Delhi to reach the Haridwar early in the morning.
2nd Day: Haridwar – Chopta
The GMOU bus will take 7-8 hours to take you to Kund covering a distance of around 200 km.
Take a shared taxi till Ukhimath once you reach Kund. Distance between Kund & Ukhimath is approx 6 kms and the taxi will charge you 20-30 rupees.
Once you are at Ukhimath, change the shared taxi for Chopta. This distance is around 29 kms and the taxi will charge you 50-60 rupees.
You should have your breakfast at Rudraprayag as the bus will stop there for 20-25 minutes. Mostly you will have options of Paranthas, Bread, and Tea at this place.
If you take the early morning bus from Haridwar, most likely you will reach Chopta by 3 PM. If you are an experienced trekker, then you can complete the trek on the same day and plan your stay for the night at Tungnath top. Chandrashilla summit is famous for Sunrise view, which can be easily planned from Tungnath top by starting the trek in the early morning hours (two hours before the sunrise). As this part of the trek will be in the complete dark so this will be a thrilling as well as a scary experience.
3rd Day: Chopta – Tungnath – Chandrashilla Summit – Tungnath – Chopta
Start your day by having a hot cup of tea in the middle of the mighty Himalayas. After breakfast, start the trek from Chopta. Enjoy the beautiful scenery on the way to Tungnath temple. You will reach Tungnath temple in 3-4 hours. Take a rest at Tungnath and have lunch in the Dhabas near the temple. After lunch, start your trek for the Chandrashilla summit. This portion of the trek is steep but we can cover it in one hour.
After enjoying the beautiful views from the Chandrashilla summit, Start descending towards Chopta. It will take 3.5 -4 hours to descend from Chandrashilla top to Chopta.
If you feel tired or want to stay in that environment for a while, you can always plan your stay at Tungnath temple.
4th Day: Chopta – Delhi
Plan your journey back to Delhi on the next day of the trek. The same route to be followed for the return journey as well.
Important Things to Consider
Things to carry for Trek
- Proper trekking shoes along with 4-5 pairs of socks
- Trekking paints & few full sleeve t-shirts
- Full sleeve jacket, raincoat & thermal clothes
- Woollen cap/scarf & Windproof jackets
- Water bottle & LED Torch
- Basic medicines like Crocin, Combiflam, Disprin, Band Aid, ORS, Cotton, Betadine, etc.
Facts related to road blockage
- Snow covers roads from the end of Dec to March. Also Dhabas & stay options will not be available at this time of the year. One should plan trek considering these points.
- Trekking in these months should be preferred with some trek operators.
I hope this blog helped you in planning the Tungnath – Chandrashilla trek. Send your opinion and feedback in the comment section.
Happy to help !!
Check more such trekking guides:
1. Complete Guide for Shrikhand Mahadev Trek, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh
ek no……mast kaam kiya….ek dum professional!!!
proud of u😘