5 Must-Have Apps That Will Change The Way You Trek

There are two ways to trek. The first is where you race from one camp to another, rush to the summit, and head back home. The second is where you slow down, take in the mountains, observe the trees around you, listen to bird calls, and truly enjoy your trek. The summit is just one part of the entire experience.

At Indiahikes, we believe in the second way of trekking. That’s why our Trek Leaders are extensively trained as naturalists — to bring the mountains to life around you, to make the entire trail come alive.

But what if you're not trekking with Indiahikes? Or what if you spot a beautiful tree and don’t know what it is — and your Trek Leader is far away?

So, I’m going to tell you about five apps we’ve been using extensively — apps that can bring your trek to life. All you need is to have them on your phone while you're trekking, and you’ll notice how the entire experience transforms around you.

Let’s get started.

1. PeakFinder

This is the first app we’ve been using for several years. You may have already heard of it, or even used it.

PeakFinder started as a website, then became a web app, and is now available as a mobile app too. What we love about it is how it helps you identify all the mountain peaks you see on the trek — not just the prominent ones. Even on smaller, local treks, it can identify the surrounding hills.

The best part? It works offline. Most treks don’t have internet access, so all you need to do is download the data for the region you’ll be trekking in — and it will show you every peak you're looking at.

It is a paid app — one of the only paid ones I’ll mention in this video. It costs around ₹330 on Android and ₹499 on Apple. It’s a one-time payment. But if you’re a regular trekker, it’s absolutely worth the investment.

• Available on: Android and iOS
• Offline functionality: Yes
• Pricing: One-time payment; approximately ₹330 on Android and ₹499 on iOS

2. Merlin Bird ID

The second app you must have — especially if you’re a birder — is Merlin Bird ID. This is an app we've come to love over the past six or seven months. It’s a bird identification app that’s surprisingly accurate in the results it gives.

How does it work? There are three ways:

• Audio ID: If you hear a bird call but can’t see the bird, just record the sound. The app identifies the bird based on its call — a brilliant feature.
• Step-by-step ID: If you’ve seen the bird but couldn’t photograph it or hear it, you can use clues like size, beak colour, tail length, and behaviour to identify it step by step.
• Photo ID: If you’ve taken a picture of the bird, upload it and the app will identify it.

What’s great is that the app has bird packs for specific regions of the world. If you're trekking in India, just download the India bird pack. It then limits its search to birds found in this region, which makes the data far more accurate than general tools like Google Lens.

It works offline (once you’ve downloaded the bird pack), and it’s completely free.

• Available on: Android and iOS
• Offline functionality: Yes (after downloading regional bird packs)
• Pricing: Free basic version
• Recommended sister app: eBird check listing app

3. iNaturalist

Next on the list is iNaturalist — a nature identification app we’ve also come to love. It helps you identify any natural element around you — plants, fungi, insects, anything.

All you need to do is take a picture and upload it as an observation. The app then gives you an idea of the species or family you're looking at, along with detailed information.

One limitation: It doesn’t work offline. So, you’ll need to make your observations and recordings on the trail and refer to them later when you’re back in a network area.

It’s available on both Android and Apple, and is free to use.

• Available on: Android and iOS
• Offline functionality: No
• Pricing: Free basic version
• Recommended sister app: Seek

4. Gaia GPS

The fourth app is Gaia GPS, which many of you may already be familiar with. It’s a trail navigation app, and excellent for recording trails during explorations.

We use Gaia extensively for our exploration treks. We also share GPX files with trekkers and recommend using Gaia to follow those files.

Here’s how it works:
Say you’re doing the Kuari Pass trek. Download the GPX file from our website, load it into the app, and you’ll be able to follow the trail offline, just like Google Maps, but for the trekking world.

• Available on: Android and iOS
• Offline functionality: Yes (with downloaded maps)
• Pricing: Free for basic version. Premium subscription approximately ₹6,000 per year

5. Stellarium

My final recommendation is for all night sky lovers — and who isn’t fascinated by the stars?

Stellarium is an app that replicates the night sky on your phone. Just point your phone at the sky, and it tells you exactly which stars or planets you’re looking at — along with detailed information about them.

It’s a deeply informative app, offering insights into the significance and history of stars, planets, and constellations.

It’s free, available on both Android and Apple, and works offline too — perfect for treks, where the sky is clear and free from light pollution.

• Available on: Android and iOS
• Offline functionality: Yes
• Pricing: Free version available. Stellarium PLUS costs approximately ₹1500 on Android and approximately ₹2000 on iOS

So, those are the five apps I’d recommend to every trekker, whether you're trekking in India or anywhere else in the world.

And just to clarify, this is not a paid promotion. These are simply apps we’ve loved using, and we genuinely believe they’ll help you bring your trek to life.

If you’ve used any other apps that you’ve found useful during your treks, I’d love to hear about them. Drop a comment below and tell us how they helped you experience your trek better.