Here are the 22 best Himalayan treks to do this year. Although it was not easy to pick the best Himalayan treks as every trek is beautiful in its own way, we have put together the best Himalayan treks that we think you should not miss!

Beginner-friendly treks like Dayara Bugyal, Brahmatal and Kedarkantha are great to do all year round, except in monsoon.

In monsoon, between July and September there are treks like Hampta Pass, Valley of Flowers, Kashmir Great Lakes and Tarsar Marsar.

If you want to trek in snow, target trekking between November and April. And, if you’d like to trek in spring, look out for treks in March and April, like Sandakphu Phalut, Khopra Ridge and Goechala.

To help you choose your trek based on your level of fitness, we have divided the treks into three categories of difficulty — Easy – Moderate, Moderate – Difficult and Difficult.

For easy navigation, here is the Table of Contents to quickly jump to your favourite section:

• 10 Best Easy – Moderate Himalayan Treks

• Brahmatal Trek
• Dayara Bugyal Trek
• Kedarkantha Trek
• Har Ki Dun – Ruilsara Tal Trek
• Deoriatal – Chandrashila Trek
• Phulara Ridge Trek
• Sandakphu – Phalut Trek
• Valley of Flowers Trek
• Tarsar Marsar Trek
• Hampta Pass Trek
• 7 Best Moderate – Difficult Himalayan Treks

• Gidara Bugyal Trek
• Annapurna Base Camp Trek
• Khopra Ridge Trek
• Buran Ghati Trek
• Rupin Pass Trek
• Gaumukh Tapovan Trek
• Kashmir Great Lakes Trek
• 5 Best Difficult Himalayan Treks

• Kedartal Trek
• Everest Base Camp Trek
• Goechala Trek
• Pin Bhaba Pass Trek
• Bali Pass Trek

To see the complete list of treks and choose a trek based on the season, difficulty level, and month of your choice, head over to our  Upcoming Treks page.

10 Best Easy – Moderate Himalayan Treks

Let us begin with some of our most popular treks that are beginner-friendly and offer stunning scenery. Watch out for the best time to do each of these treks so that you can time it better for an amazing experience.

1. Brahmatal Trek

Duration:6 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Brahmatal Trek:

Altitude:

Like several other treks, the Brahmatal too was explored and documented by Indiahikes. The highest point on this trek is the Brahmatal Top at 12,250 ft. It is a stunning trek. A new set of mountains open themselves up before you – Mt Chaukhamba, Mt Neelkanth, Mt Hathi Ghoda, Mt Trishul and Mt Nanda Ghunti are by your side throughout the trek.

Brahmatal is a great trek to do solo as well. In December, January, and February, there is a lot of snow on the trail. The trek runs until the end of April.

Click here to know more about the Brahmatal trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

2. Dayara Bugyal Trek

Duration: 6 Days

Difficulty level: Easy – Moderate

Region: Uttarakhand

Best time to do the trek Dayara Bugyal Trek: September – June

Altitude:

Dayara Bugyal has all the elements of a perfect Himalayan trek — superb forests, beautiful campsites, ancient villages, thrilling climbs to high points, wonderful mountain views and few of the best alpine meadows of Uttarakhand. These meadows are completely blanketed in snow in winter. All of this in an easy-moderate trek– a gift we rarely see.

Click here to know more about the Dayara Bugyal trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

Duration: 6 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Kedarkantha Trek:

Altitude:

Kedarkantha is one of the first few treks we began organizing. It has a stunning summit climb, and is a perfect trek to do in all seasons. The Kedarkantha peak stands at an altitude of  12,500 ft with a 360 degree view of other Himlayan peaks. Over the year we have discovered new and adventurous routes to the summit.

Click here to know more about the Kedarkantha trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

4. Har Ki Dun – Ruinsara Tal

Duration: 8 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Har Ki Dun trek:

Altitude:

“The Har Ki Dun – Ruinsara Tal trek brings out the perfect blend of culture and beauty in the Himalayas. Getting to experience the ancient Himalayan villages along with breathtakingly beautiful valleys, lakes and meadows is a very rare combination to come by”, says our co-founder Sandhya.

Indiahikes added the Ruinsara Tal trek, to the Har Ki Dun itinerary because Har Ki Dun trek is incomplete without the Ruinsara Tal.

Ruinsara Tal is located in complete isolation, and the Ruinsara valley is said to be prettier than the Har Ki Dun valley itself!

Click here to know more about the Har Ki Dun – Ruinsara Tal trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

5. Deoriatal Chandrashila Trek

Duration: 6 Days

Difficulty level

Region:

Best time to do the Deoriatal Chandrashila Trek:

Altitude:

The Deoriatal Chandrashila trek with Indiahikes is a 6 day trek. It is an extremely special trek because it is not just a section of the Himalayan ranges that you see, but all the major summits of Western and Eastern Uttarakhand from the summit.  

Not only that, if you trek during March – April, you will walk amongst the full bloomed rhododendrons too! And because of the different species of birds you get to see on the trail, it is rightly called as a paradise for bird watchers.

Click here to know more about the Deoriatal Chandrashila trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

6. Phulara Ridge Trek

Duration: 6 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Phulara Ridge Trek:

Altitude:

The Phulara Ridge trek is great to do in September, October, November, May and June. It is a unique ridge trek in India, and one of the newer treks. The beautiful Pushtara meadows are another reason why every trekker must do this trek. 

Further, for a short duration of a trek, the Phulara Ridge trek has a beautiful dense forest section. If you are a wildlife, or bird lover, this is definitely the trek for you. We have spotted over 10 species of Himalayan birds on this trek.

Click here to know more about the Phulara Ridge trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

7. Sandakphu Phalut Trek

Duration: 7 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Sandakphu Phalut

Altitude:

The Sandakphu Phalut trek is one of the few treks from where you can see 4 out of 5 of the tallest mountains in the world — Mt Everest, Mt Lhotse, Mt Makalu and Mt Kanchenjunga. Amongst all Himalayan treks, this view is what the Sandakphu treks stands out for. Along with this, you also see the Kanchenjunga range with other Himalayan mountains, famously known as the Sleeping Buddha — an image that will stay with you for years to come.

A unique feature of this trek are the tea houses you will find. They are similar to hotels and restaurants, but are indescribably different. You will have to stay in one, to experience the warmth of a tea house.

Click here to know more about the Sandakphu Phaluta trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

8. Valley of Flowers Trek

Duration: 6 Days

Difficulty level: Moderate

Region: Uttarakhand

Best time to do the Valley of Flowers Trek: July – September

Altitude: 14,400 ft

The Valley of Flowers trek is filled with legends. It is said the trekkers fall unconscious from the heavy scent of the flowers on the valley floor. The moment you enter the valley, you have a sweeping view of it’s vast expanse covered in a layer of flowers. Flowers, leaves, buds of various shapes, sizes, colours are seen here.

The trek also goes through the Hemkund Sahib, one of the highest places of pilgrimage and worship.

Click here to know more about the Valley of Flowers trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

9. Tarsar Marsar Trek

Duration: 7 Days

Difficulty level: Moderate

Region: Kashmir

Best time to do the Tarsar Marsar Trek: Mid-June – September

Altitude: 13,201 ft

The Tarsar Marsar trek in Kashmir is the prettiest trek in India. The only other trek that comes close to its beauty is the Kashmir Great Lakes trek. It is a moderate  trek, so you must come well prepared to do the trek.

The trek takes you from one lake to the other, from Tarsar to Marsar, and then to Sundarsar. You also get to camp beside two of these stunning lakes. In this aspect, Tarsar Marsar is better than the Kashmir Great Lakes trek.

At Indiahikes, we closely monitor the social, and political situation in Kashmir. The safety of our trekkers and staff on the slopes are always our first priority.

Click here to know more about the  Tarsar Marsar trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

Duration: 6 Days

Difficulty level

Region:

Best time to do the Hampta Pass Trek:

Altitude:

“Hampta Pass was the first trek that we explored outside our big ones in Uttarakhand. This was in 2010. It is perhaps one of the best treks to do in Himachal. It is a trek close to my heart because I know Indiahikes put it on the map for trekkers to do. It is a trek that I would do again. My list of great treks is incomplete without this one in it”, says our founder, Arjun Majumdar

You must do this trek because it is one of the most dramatic crossover treks in the country pass. It begins from the lush green valleys of Kullu through a narrow gorge-like valley to an overhang high in the mountains. From the pass, you can see the entire Spiti valley in one wide panoramic sweep.

Click here to know more about the Hampta Pass trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

7 Best Moderate – Difficult Himalayan Treks

We have seen the 10 best beginner-friendly Himalayan treks till now. Let’s go a step further and see the best treks that test your endurance, both physically and mentally. If you are a beginner, you can still do them with a very good level of fitness.

11. Gidara Bugyal Trek

Duration: 7 Days

Difficulty level: Moderate – Difficult

Region: Uttarakhand

Best time to do the Gidara Bugyal Trek: Late-June and September

Altitude: 13,900 ft

The Gidara Bugyal trek is an ancient, and well known trek amongst other Himalayan treks. It is one of the largest high altitude meadows you will set foot on. It is possibly larger than the popular Ali Bedni Bugyal trek. Further, this trek has a beautiful ridge walk that not many treks can boast about.

The campsites on this trek are incredible. They are nestled in the grasslands of Gidara, just as you leave the wonderful forest section. 

Click here to know more about the Gidara Bugyal trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

12. Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Duration: 10 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Annapurna Base Camp Trek:

Altitude:

The Annapurna Base Camp Trek is one of the most popular treks in the world. It is every mountain lover’s dream to climb this mountain, and if not the mountain itself, at least to trek till the base camp. The entire trek is about 70 km.

Click here to know more about the Annapurna Base Camp trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

13. Khopra Ridge Trek

Duration: 9 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Khopra Ridge Trek:

Altitude:

There are treks in Nepal, and there is Khopra Ridge trek. One of the many reasons why you must do this trek is because of the 22 big mountains you get to see on this trek!

The beauty of the Khopra Ridge is the fact that it is a ridge. You walk two whole days on this ridge. So for two days there are big mountains on either side of you. There are very few treks in this world where you walk for two whole days on a ridge. Leave alone a trek with such astounding mountain views. When you combine these two, the Khopra Ridge becomes a very special trek.

Click here to know more about the Khopra Ridge trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

14. Buran Ghati Trek

Duration:8 Days

Difficulty level

Region:

Best time to do the Buran Ghati Trek:

Altitude:

Buran Ghati is the trek you get when you take all the best elements of all our different treks and put it into one trek. It is adventurous, to say the least, and full of meadows, a thrilling pass crossing, and historical villages.

The Rupin Pass trek runs parallely to the Buran Ghati Trek. The trail begins at the historical town of Janglik and goes into a delightfully deep forest and then bursts into Dayara meadows.

Click here to know more about the Buran Ghati trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

15. Rupin Pass Trek

Duration: 7 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Rupin Pass Trek:

Altitude:

If there is a classic trek in India, it has to be the Rupin Pass. This trek is like an orchestra, building up momentum with surprises in scenery every hour or so. With every step, the trek throws up a new vista to see, a new scenery to unfold.

The Rupin Pass trek is a trek that gives you a true sense of adventure. There is a surprise in scenery at every turn. One of the biggest highlights of this trek is the climb to Rati Pheri from the Upper waterfall campsite, and the steep ascent to Rupin Pass through the Rupin Gully, all this at 15,279 ft.

Click here to know more about the Rupin Pass trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

16. Gaumukh Tapovan Trek

Duration: 8 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Gaumukh Tapovan Trek

Altitude:

The Gaumukh Tapovan trek is one of the oldest and legendary Himalayan treks in India. It offers a chance to experience beautiful sunsets, get a view of Mt Shivling from the base to the summit, and last but not the least, the Gangotri glacier, the source of river Ganga.

The base camp for the Gaumukh Tapovan trek is Rishikesh, a must visit place steeped in culture.

Click here to know more about the Gaumukh Tapovan trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

17. Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

Duration: 7 Days

Difficulty level: Moderate – Difficult

Region: Kashmir

Best time to do the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek: July – September

Altitude:

The Kashmir region is picturesque, with each lake being more beautiful than the previous. You get to experience the larger than life settings of the lakes on this trek.

After this trek, every other trek feels as though it is a movie on a small screen. Kashmir Great Lakes, however, is an IMAX 3D experience – such is the grandeur of the trek.  If you have not done this trek, put it on your bucket list!

Click here to know more about the Kashmir Great Lakes trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

5 Best Difficult Himalayan Treks

If you are an experience trekker who has done at least 2 to 3 high altitude treks above 14,000 ft, here are the best treks that fall under the ‘Difficult Trek’ category, whose rewards outweigh the efforts.

18. Kedartal Trek

Duration: 7 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Kedartal Trek:

Altitude:

Kedartal is a difficult trek compared to other Himalayan treks. This trek is for experienced trekkers, and adventure lovers. The trek climbs to the glacial Kedartal lake, that is surrounded by big mountains. Some of the most famous mountains rise in front of you in this cauldron – Mt Thalaysagar, Mt Bhrigupanth, Mt Nanda Parvat, Mt Jogin, and Mt Gangotri.

This trek is extremely challenging with river crossings, spider wall, and the sheer altitude itself.

Click here to know more about the Kedartal trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information. 

19. Everest Base Camp via Gokyo Ri Trek

Duration: 18 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Everest Base Camp Trek:

Altitude:

The Everest Base Camp via Gokyo Ri is a much more rewarding trail to the base camp of the highest mountain in the world.

The biggest attraction of trekking in Nepal is its big, precipitous mountains. They literally surround you on all sides! On this trail, you will see Mt Everest, Mt Makalu, Mt Lhotse and Mt Cho Oyu and traverse Himalaya’s largest glaciers like Ngozumpa and see Khumbu glacier. The sense of being among big mountains also gives you a sense of legacies of great mountaineers. You are literally walking on the same trails they have walked on, filled with landmarks to their memory.

Click here to know more about the Everest Base Camp via Gokyo Ri trek itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

20. Goechala Trek

Duration: 10 Days

Difficulty level:

Region:

Best time to do the Goechala Trek:

Altitude:

The Goechala trek route is almost 75 km long and it rises to an altitude 15,100 ft.  One of the biggest reasons to do this trek is the stunning mountain views that you get, not just one mountain, but 14!

The highlights of this trek are many. The most unforgettable one being the sunrise on the Kanchenjunga range. Further, in the summer months of April and May, you see countless, beautiful rhododendrons lining your path. The crystal clear Samiti Lake is another reason why you should do this trek.

Click here to know more about the Goechala trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

Duration: 9 Days

Difficulty level: Difficult

Region: Himachal Pradesh

Best time to do the Pin Bhaba Pass Trek:  July – September

Altitude: 16,105 ft

The Indiahikes Pin Bhaba itinerary is 9 days long. The base camp to do the Pin Bhaba Pass Trek is Kafnu. The vast expanse of the trek is overwhelming, you can do this as a solo trek as well. 

Pin Bhaba is known to be the most dramatic trek. Each day there is a complete change in scenery. It is almost like a brand new trek every day! When compared with its riskier cousin, the Pin Parvati Pass trek, where your life is at stake, the Pin Bhaba is not only a great alternative, but a more beautiful, and safer one.

Click here to know more about the Pin Bhaba Pass trek’s itinerary, price, dates and other important information.

22. Bali Pass Trek

Duration: 8 Days

Difficulty level: Difficult

Region: Uttarakhand

Best time to do the Bali Pass Trek: June, September

Altitude: 16,207 ft

The Bali Pass trek is a difficult Himalayan trek. This is partly due to the high altitude that rises to over 16,000 ft. The Bali Pass trek is more than an adventure filled trek, you also pass through some historical villages and trek to Ruinsara Tal – a stunning high altitude lake.

Another aspect  that stands out on the Bali Pass trek is the rocky approach to Bali Pass itself. In the month of June and July the higher regions of the pass are covered in snow! In monsoon it is a drier patch. If you enjoy high altitude pass traverses, this is the trek for you.

Click here to know more about the Bali Pass trek ’s itinerary, price, dates and other important

Conclusion

Do you know of any other Himalayan treks that you consider the best according to you? Let us know by naming them in the Comments section below.