Scenery That Demands a Detour
These are the sights that slow you down, make you pull over, and remind you why you came. Consider this your visual briefing for what’s coming.
Expedition Itinerary - Day Wise
Route Focus: Remote valleys, off-road trails, ancient temples, less-traveled mountain passes
Day 1 (09-Feb-2026, Sunday)
●Distance: 145 km
●Duration: 6-7 hours
●Route: Ganga Bhogpur Talla → Kotdwara → Lansdowne → Pauri →Devprayag → Rudraprayag
Highlights:
Lansdowne - Colonial hill station with War Memorial
Dhari Devi Temple - Ancient goddess temple on Alaknanda riverbank (between Srinagar and Rudraprayag)
Devprayag - Sacred confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers forming Ganga
Rudraprayag - Confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers
Trail Conditions: Mountain roads with scenic ghats
Stay: Rudraprayag
Day 2 (10-Feb-2026, Monday)
Day 3 (11-Feb-2026, Tuesday)
●Distance: 125 km + trekking
●Duration: Full day
●Route: Rudraprayag → Chopta (50 km) → Tungnath trek →Gopeshwar → Chamoli → Gwaldham
Highlights:
Tungnath Temple - World's highest Shiva temple at 3,680m(3.5 km trek from Chopta)
Gopeshwar - District headquarters of Chamoli with ancienttemples
Chamoli - Historical town on Alaknanda river
Gwaldham - Spiritual center with Kali temple, stunning valleypanoramas
Trail Conditions: Mountain roads; Chopta-Tungnath is trekking trailonly
Stay: Gwaldham or Chamoli
●Distance: 185 km
●Duration: 8-9 hours
●Route: Gwaldham → Karnaprayag → Kausani → Jageshwar → Patal Bhubaneswar
Highlights:
Kausani - Scenic retreat with 300 km Himalayan panorama
Jageshwar Dham - Ancient temple complex with 124 stonetemples (8th-12th century)
Patal Bhubaneswar - 160m deep limestone cave temple, oneof India's most mystical caves
Distances: Jageshwar to Patal Bhubaneswar: 105 km
Stay: Patal Bhubaneswar or Gangolihat
Day 4 (12-Feb-2026, Wednesday)
●Distance: 195 km
●Duration: 8-9 hours
●Route: Patal Bhubaneswar → Berinag → Chaukori → Champawat →Dharchula
Highlights:
Chaukori - Remote tea estate village with Panchachuli peakspanorama (38 km from Patal Bhubaneswar)
Champawat - Ancient Chand dynasty capital with Baleshwartemple and Purnagiri shrine
Dharchula - Remote border town, last inhabited area before Tibet/Nepal borders
Trail Conditions: Winding mountain roads through remote Kumaon hills
Stay: Dharchula
Day 5 (13-Feb-2026, Thursday)
● Distance: 140 km roundtrip
● Duration: 10-11 hours (full day adventure)
● Route: Dharchula → Tawaghat (17 km) → Sobla → Nagling → Dar → Dugtu (70 km one way) → Return
Highlights:
Tawaghat - Confluence of Kali and Dhauli rivers, gateway to Kailash Mansarovar route
Darma Valley - One of Uttarakhand's most pristine and remote trans-Himalayan valleys
Remote Bhotiya villages: Sobla, Bon, Nagling, Dar, Dugtu with traditional culture
Snow-capped peaks and glacial landscapes
Trail Conditions: EXTREME OFF-ROAD - Mostly unpaved with boulders, rocky sections, narrow mountain ledges, multiple river crossings
Duration: 4 hours one way on rough trail
Stay: Dharchula (return by evening)
Note: This is the most challenging and rewarding day - pure adventure riding through one of India's remotest valleys
Day 6 (14-Feb-2026, Friday)
● Distance: 230 km
● Duration: 8-9 hours
● Route: Dharchula → Lohaghat → Champawat → Bhimtal → Kainchi Dham → Almora → Kasar Devi
Highlights:
Kainchi Dham - Famous Neem Karoli Baba ashram, spiritual pilgrimage site visited by Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg
Kasar Devi - Mystical temple village with cosmic energy field ("Van Allen Belt"), 8 km from Almora
Hippie haven from the 1960s-70s, frequented by Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens
Distance: Kainchi Dham to Kasar Devi: ~90 km
Stay: Kasar Devi or Almora
Day 7 (15-Feb-2026, Saturday)
● Distance: 320 km
● Duration: 10-12 hours
● Route: Kasar Devi → Ranikhet → Kotdwara → Herbertpur → Chakrata → Hanol → Koti Kanasar
Highlights:
Chakrata - Remote hill station, least commercialized in Uttarakhand
Hanol - Ancient Mahasu Devta temple (Bashik Mahasu temple) with unique architecture
Koti Kanasar Bugyal - High-altitude alpine meadow with pristine scenery
Trail Conditions: Chakrata to Hanol section is OFF-ROAD trail with challenging terrain through forests and meadows
Stay: Chakrata or basic accommodation near Kanasar/Hanol
Day 8 (16-Feb-2026, Sunday)
● Distance: 300 km
● Duration: 8-9 hours
● Route: Kanasar → Tiuni → Chakrata → Vikasnagar → Dehradun → Haridwar → Meerut → New Delhi
Highlights:
Tiuni - Base for Tiger Falls (India's highest direct waterfall)
Descend from mountains to plains
Return to Delhi via NH334 and NH9
Trail Conditions: First section off-road/trail, then highway from Dehradun onwards
Arrival: New Delhi by evening
Important Notes:
This route maximizes remote trail experiences, spiritual sites, and off-beat destinations while ensuring we reach New Delhi on Day 8!
This is not a leisure tour. This is a remote trail expedition requiring preparation, discipline, and teamwork.
The mountains will decide the pace, We decide how we show up.