Gaumukh Tapovan Trek

Short Itinerary 

Day 1: Dehradun to Gangotri (Drive – 250 km / 8–9 hrs, Alt: 3,100 m)

Day 2: Gangotri to Chirbasa (Trek – 9 km / 5–6 hrs, Alt: 3,550 m)

Day 3: Chirbasa to Bhojwasa (Trek – 5 km / 3–4 hrs, Alt: 3,800 m)

Day 4: Bhojwasa to Tapovan via Gaumukh (Trek – 6 km / 7–8 hrs, Alt: 4,450 m)

Day 5: Tapovan to Bhojwasa via Gaumukh (Trek – 6 km / 5–6 hrs, Alt: 3,800 m)

Day 6: Bhojwasa to Gangotri (Trek – 14 km / 6–7 hrs, Alt: 3,100 m)

Day 7: Gangotri to Dehradun (Drive – 250 km / 9–10 hrs)

Highlights:

• 5% GST will be applicable on Trek Cost and Add-on
• Services Gangotri to Gangotri.
• Meeting Point( Pickup/ Drop Point ):Prince Chowk, Dehradun
  (If transportation opted from Tripophilia)
• Reporting Time: 6:00 am
• Drop Time: 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm (Timings are subject to change based on weather and road conditions).
• Please reach Dehradun a day before to avoid any delays.

Detailed Day-by-Day Itinerary with Altitude, Distance & Duration

Day 1: Dehradun to Gangotri

• Altitude: 3,100 m / 10,200 ft
• Distance: 250 km
• Duration: 8–9 hrs (Drive)

Your adventure begins with a scenic drive from Dehradun, passing through picturesque hill towns like Uttarkashi and Harsil. The road meanders alongside the Bhagirathi River, offering magnificent views of pine-covered slopes, waterfalls, and snow-dusted peaks. By late afternoon, you arrive at Gangotri one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites and the gateway to this trek. After checking into your guesthouse, you can enjoy a short stroll around the village and witness the evening Ganga Aarti at the historic Gangotri Temple.

Day 2: Gangotri to Chirbasa

• Altitude: 3,550 m / 11,700 ft
• Distance: 9 km
• Duration: 5–6 hrs (Trek)

The trek officially begins with a gradual climb through deodar, pine, and fir forests. You follow the left bank of the Bhagirathi River, with constant views of Sudarshan Parbat (6,507 m) and other high peaks. The trail alternates between shaded forest paths and open stretches with sweeping valley views. Chirbasa meaning “abode of pines” is a serene campsite surrounded by coniferous trees, with the river flowing beside it. Evenings here are perfect for relaxing under a clear, starry Himalayan sky.

Day 3: Chirbasa to Bhojwasa

• Altitude: 3,800 m / 12,500 ft
• Distance: 5 km
• Duration: 3–4 hrs (Trek)

Today’s trail is gentler but more open, with fewer trees as you gain altitude. The landscape begins to shift to high-altitude desert terrain rocky paths, scattered shrubs, and a widening view of the Bhagirathi peaks. Bhojwasa gets its name from the Bhojpatra (Himalayan birch) trees that once grew in abundance here. The campsite sits on an open plain with panoramic mountain views, making it a favourite spot for photographers. Sunset over Bhagirathi I, II, and III is a sight you’ll never forget.

Day 4: Bhojwasa to Tapovan via Gaumukh

• Altitude: Tapovan – 4,450 m / 14,600 ft
• Distance: 6 km
• Duration: 7–8 hrs (Trek)

Start early to reach Gaumukh, the sacred snout of the Gangotri Glacier and the source of the River Ganga. Spend some time absorbing the energy of this revered site before tackling the steep climb to Tapovan. The route involves crossing glacial moraine, boulders, and ice patches. As you crest the ridge into Tapovan, a vast high-altitude meadow unfolds before you, with Mount Shivling (6,543 m) standing tall in the background. Tapovan is also home to sadhus and mountaineers a place where spirituality and adventure meet.

Day 5: Tapovan to Bhojwasa via Gaumukh

• Altitude: 3,800 m / 12,500 ft
• Distance: 6 km
• Duration: 5–6 hrs (Trek)

After witnessing the sunrise over Mount Shivling and the surrounding peaks, begin your descent back towards Bhojwasa. The trek retraces the route via Gaumukh, allowing you to spend more time admiring the glacier from different angles. The descent is easier but still requires caution due to loose rocks and moraine sections. Evenings at Bhojwasa are peaceful, with the river’s gentle sound and the mountains glowing in twilight.

Day 6: Bhojwasa to Gangotri

• Altitude: 3,200 m / 10,200 ft
• Distance: 14 km
• Duration: 6–7 hrs (Trek)

Continue your descent through Chirbasa and back to Gangotri. The familiar trail feels different as you walk it in reverse  what was once an uphill challenge now becomes a pleasant downhill stroll, allowing more time for photography and soaking in the views. Back in Gangotri, you can revisit the temple or simply relax after days in the wilderness.

Day 7: Gangotri to Dehradun

• Altitude: 700 m / 2,300 ft
• Distance: 250 km
• Duration: 9–10 hrs (Drive)

After an early breakfast, begin the long drive back to Dehradun. The route follows the Bhagirathi River before merging into the Yamuna Valley and finally descending into the Doon Valley. By evening, you’ll arrive in Dehradun, marking the end of your Gaumukh–Tapovan adventure a journey that blends natural beauty, spiritual significance, and the raw challenge of the high Himalayas.

Gaumukh Tapovan Trek is not an extremely hard trek, however, you need to prepare yourself physically as well as mentally to achieve the demanding trails of this exotic journey. You will have to cover around 9-10 km and the altitude will go high from 5,100 ft to a maximum of 14,202 ft in a short span of mere 5 days. To make this whole excursion, smooth, joyful, and less tiring, train yourself accordingly.

Cardiovascular stamina:

You need to develop the endurance to run almost 8-10 km in one hour. Stamina doesn’t build in a day. You need to start exercising at least a month prior to the commencement of the trek. Sprint is the best choice to boost your stamina however jogging will help to keep your energy up during the longer paths. Also, if you are just starting to maintain a fitness regime then jogging is the basic workout you should begin. You may add cycling and swimming in your routine to avoid boredom and to make your body more adaptive.

Strength:

Another area to cover in the process of your body development is to train your mind and body to tackle with the roughness of odd and unsteady tracks of mountains. You will have to walk these detours carrying your backpack on your shoulders, which can cause muscle soreness and ache. Strengthening your legs by working out regularly is the only option to prevent it. Squats can make back thigh and lower legs muscles so start doing 2-3 sets of squats regularly with 8-10 repetitions.  Walking up and downstairs is another option to add in your daily routine to strengthen your muscles.

Flexibility:

Flexibility is just like an extra topping on the Pizza in your schedule of body training. It does not only relax the muscles but helps you to open your body easily which will lead you to walk at a fast pace and cross even the roughest terrains comfortably. Flexibility can be induced by stretching muscles on a daily basis. This will help you lose extra inches on your body so you will be lighter to embrace this detour of Gaumukh Tapovan Trek.

Essential Things to carry for Gaumukh Tapovan Trek

Essentials are the first priority without them trek cant be started

• A Backpack:

For this extraordinary trek, your first requirement is a tough and strong backpack. A 50-60 liter bag is sufficient for the journey. The bag should be of waterproof yet light weight-stuff and must have good shoulder and hip support with ample small quick-access pockets.

Tip- Backpack can be bought of any brand like Decathlon, Wildcraft, Woodland, etc.

• Shoes:

Shoes are the next important item for the preparation list of Gaumukh Tapovan Trek. We need a pair of shoes that are rough from the outer side but soft from the inside, to make the journey comfortable and reliable. Good grip, adequate ankle support, water-resistance, and snow handling are the other qualities we should look for in our trekking shoes.

Tip- Decathlon has a good series of trekking shoes you can purchase from there. Eg- Trek series and MH series are good options.

• Clothes:

Trekking can be the best adventure of one’s life, however, it could be a disaster without the right choice of layers for the uncertain weather of the mountains.

• T-Shirt as a Baselayer:

Carry at least 3-5 t-shirts as per the length of the excursion. We prefer you to wear full sleeve collared t-shirts as they help to protect the body from the sun's harmful rays. If you don’t like to wear full sleeve t-shirt then you may buy sleeve covers, that will help to protect the skin from the sun. Dry-fit t-shirts are easy to carry as they tend to be light in weight and they dry quickly as compared to 100% cotton.

• Woolens and Jackets as an Insulation layer:

A padded jacket is appropriate for this trek which can be of non-water resistance material. But an outer padded jacket would serve the purpose of keeping the wind and the cold out. A couple of thin layer sweaters too can be handy in the high cold temperature at the altitude of 15000 ft. We discourage to pack the hand-knitted bulky sweaters.

We don’t prefer down and fur jackets as they are very costly and need maintenance.

• Trek Pants:

2-3 pairs of pants in this trek are suggested for the whole excursion. Pure cotton pants and jeans are to be avoided while shopping for trekking because hard and heavy stuff of these pants will create difficulties during the hill climbing. Cargo and quick-dry trousers top the list for trekking pants, apart from these stretchable pants can serve as thermal bottoms. Pants with zipper pockets prove to be useful to keep the tiny essentials for the way. You should always buy dark colored pants for trekking as they will not get dirty quickly.

Other Mandatory Accessories, Without these Trekking, Seems to be Almost Impossible:

• Caps:

Our head is most vulnerable to heat, whether it is sultry hot or too cold conditions. So, suncap and woolen cap or Balaclava make the next compulsory item on our list. The suncap protects the eyes and head in the sharp direct sunlight, while, woolen caps protect the head and ear from the attack of cold wind and snow in the winter seasons during the trekking.

• Glasses:

  Glasses do not only protect eyes from high-speed wind, but they become a crucial item to carry along to shield eyes from snow blindness (occurs by overexposure in high-frequency sun rays inside the wide snowfield). Only half an hour of exposure of naked eyes can make lead to this severe condition. We recommend buying sunglasses with UV protection for extra protection. 

  In case you wear spectacles, buy oversize glasses which can be worn over them. If you wear contact lens, you don’t need to worry about them, because you can easily change them in your tent if you are habitual and the lens solution doesn’t freeze up there. However, you need to carry enough cleaning solution to clean your fingers and lens.

• Socks:

  It is best to carry woolen socks along with the regular sports socks. Sports socks provide the stuffiness to the feet in the shoes to walk the longer detours comfortably and woolen socks help to keep the body warm while sleeping. Two layers of sports socks can also work equally well in the dearth of woolen socks. You should always buy synthetic socks or at least mix with synthetic stuff because they dry quickly and do not soak much water as compared to pure cotton socks.

• Headlamp: 

  The handheld torch is often the first choice to carry along in the trek, but a headlamp is more useful. I would help you to keep your hand free in the time of night to handle things like man tents, do dishes and carry other essential things.  Do not buy headlamps with a beam light, instead buy a headlamp that covers large areas.

• Trekking Pole:

  A trekking pole (A Pair ) for hiking is as helpful as a finger held by an infant while learning to walk. The unsteady trails and steeps of the mountains can be arduous to walk but a pole can make your journey pleasant. The usage of a pole, while climbing can almost reduce physical fatigue by 40-50 percent  People use only one pole as a normal practice but using two poles makes you walk even faster by supporting body balance.

• Raincover or Rainwear:

  The weather in the hills is so uncertain that it can rain to floods in some minutes even on a sharp sunny day. So carry a rain cover for this trek. Saving your backpack is also very important because your bag is the only support you can rely on during the whole trek. Some people carry different rain covers for them and their backpack however recommend you to carry a Poncho. It is a large size rain cover which can cover your body along with your backpack till knees. We discourage carrying rain pants, they will hinder your pace by making you walk uncomfortably and also the dry fit pants dry quickly.

• A daypack:

  A daypack can be used when you can't access your main backpack. Some people tend to offload their backpacks to the porters and for the hiking, you will have to keep the backpack at the campsite. In these scenarios, a 20-30 liters small daypack will help you to carry the essential things for the day.

Other Important Requirements

• Cutlery and Water Bottles:

  Carrying cutlery is also mandatory on this trek. Carry lightweight steel cutlery(a tumbler or mug, a plate, and a spoon) and avoid having plastic cutlery on your packing list. Plastic things tend to attract more germs and hard to clean. Along with these pack two  1-liter water bottles to keep yourself hydrated for longer hiking. We recommend carrying one of the thermal water bootle which can help you carry warm water in the cold weather.

• Toilet Kit:

  You should gather only basic toiletries like toothpaste and toothbrush, a soap, a moisturizer, a toilet roll, a deodorant, a facewash, oil, a paper soap, or sanitizer in your toilet kit. Collect the small size and quantity of all these above-mentioned things to keep it light. Taking a bath every day is not feasible up there so do not load your kit with soap and shampoos.

  Women can carry sanitary pads or menstrual cups if in case their periods are falling in during the trek date. Always carry 4-5 plastic poly bags to bring back used pads or any other waste generated during the whole journey. Keep in mind not to throw your used items to preserve the environment in the mountains.

• Medical Kit:

• Diamox - To prevent AMS
• Dolo 650 - For Fever
• Avomine - For motion sickness
• Avil 25mg -  For allergies
• Combiflam - Pain killer
• Disprin - For headache
• Digene - For acidity
• Norflox TZ & Lomofen - (diarrhea)
• ORS
• Omez/ Rantadine - (antacids)
• Crepe bandage - 3 to 5 meters
• Gauze - 1 small roll
• Band-aids - different sizes
• Cotton - 1 small roll
• Betadine or any antiseptic cream
• Moov/Volini spray (aches, & sprains)
• Knee caps
• Hot water bag in winter if needed

Cancellation Policy & Cost Terms

We understand that plans can change, and we aim to provide flexible options for our trekkers while ensuring fair policies for all. Please read our detailed cancellation, refund, and booking terms before confirming your trek.

How to Request a Cancellation

• Email your cancellation request to info@tripophilia.in using your registered email ID.
• Mention your booking details, trek name, and start date.

Cancellation Charges & Refund Options

1. Cancellations made 25+ days before trek start date

• Refund Options:
  • 5% deduction of trek fee.
  • 100% cash voucher (valid for any trek for 1 year).
  • Option to transfer your booking to a friend (any trek, any date).

2. Cancellations made 15–24 days before trek start date

• Refund Options:
  • 30% deduction of trek fee.
  • 100% cash voucher (valid for same trek for 1 year).
  • 85% cash voucher (valid for any trek for 1 year).
  • Option to transfer booking to a friend (same trek, any date).

3. Cancellations made 10–14 days before trek start date

• Refund Options:
  • 50% deduction of trek fee.
  • 80% cash voucher (valid for same trek for 1 year).
  • 70% cash voucher (valid for any trek for 1 year).
  • Option to transfer booking to a friend (same trek, any date).
  • Book same trek in the same season with any other batch.

4. Cancellations made less than 9 days before trek start date

• Refund Options:
  • No cash refund.
  • 20% cash voucher (valid for same trek for 1 year).
  • 10% cash voucher (valid for any trek for 1 year).
  • Option to transfer booking to a friend (same trek, same date).

Special Emergency Cancellation Policy

If you cancel due to:

• Death in immediate family (parents, siblings, spouse, children)
• Hospitalization (minimum 48 hours)
• Fracture (leg/arm) within a week before trek start

Even if cancelled 1 day before trek, you will receive:

• 90% cash refund
• 10% voucher (valid for 1 year, any India trek)

Note: Valid proof is required.

Important Terms & Conditions

• Change of trek batch is subject to seat availability.
• When transferring your trek to a friend, they must meet mandatory eligibility criteria.
• Tripophilia reserves the right to modify/cancel policies without prior notice.

Booking & Payment Terms

• Verify all booking details (dates, documents) at the time of reservation.
• Payment must be made within the given timeline to confirm booking.
• Cash refunds are applicable only for cash payments. Payments via voucher, discount, promo code, or non-cash methods are non-refundable in cash.
• Refunds, if applicable, are processed within 15–30 working days.

Voucher Terms

• Vouchers are non-transferable.
• Cannot be combined with other offers.
• Valid for treks booked directly with Tripophilia in India.
• Use voucher with your registered phone number or email ID.
• All standard trek booking terms apply to vouchers.

Itinerary Modifications

• Tripophilia may modify, shorten, or cancel a trek due to weather, transportation delays, health emergencies, or Force Majeure.
• If Tripophilia cancels before trek start:
  • Choose an alternate trek/date.
  • Get a credit voucher (valid for 1 year).
  • Transfer to another trek (paying any price difference).
• If trek is abandoned after it starts, no cash refund or voucher will be issued.

Force Majeure Clause

Tripophilia will not be held responsible for cancellations or changes due to:

• Natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, storms, heavy snowfall/rain)
• Strikes, curfews, wars, pandemics, government restrictions
• Road blockages, trail closures, withdrawal of permits

Inclusions

1. Accommodation (as per itinerary) 
   • Day 1 and Day 6 Stay in a guest house on a triple/quad sharing basis (separate arrangements for male and female).
   • Day 2 to Day 5 Accommodation in (twin/triple)-sharing tents while on the trek.
2. Meals (Vegetarian + Egg)
   • All meals from Dinner on Day 1 to Breakfast on Day 7(As per itinerary).
3. Support Team
   • 1 Versatile Base Camp Manager – handles communication and emergency manpower deployment.
   • 1 Mountaineering & First Aid certified professional trek leader.
   • 1 Experienced high-altitude chef.
   • Local, experienced trekking guides (number depending on group size).
   • Adequate support staff for smooth operations.
4. Trek Equipment
   • Sleeping bag, sleeping liners (on request), mattress, and utensils.
   • All-season trekking tents (Dual/Triple), kitchen & dining tent, toilet tent.
   • Camping stools, walkie-talkies.
   • Ropes, helmets, ice axe, harness, gaiters, and microspikes (if required).
5. First Aid
   • Complete medical kit, stretcher, oxygen cylinder, blood pressure monitor, oximeter, stethoscope.
6. Transportation (as per itinerary)
   • Dehradun to Gangotri & Gangotri to Dehradun (if booked through Tripophilia as an add-on).
7. Mules/Porters – for carrying central luggage.
8. Permits & Entry Fees – all necessary permits included (for Indian Nationals).
9. Trek Insurance – included for Indian Nationals.
10. Trek Completion Certificate – issued by Tripophilia after successful trek completion.

Exclusions

1. Trek Insurance for Non-Indian Nationals (including NRI or OCI card holders).
2. Food during transit.
3. Any kind of personal expenses.
4. Mule or porter service for personal luggage.
5. Emergency evacuation, hospitalization charges, etc.
6. Additional costs due to itinerary changes caused by natural calamities, roadblocks, vehicle breakdowns, or factors beyond control.
7. Anything not mentioned in the "Inclusions" section.