Difficulty
Easy-Moderate | Level 1
Duration
6 days
Highest Altitude
11,950 ft
Age
8 to 58 years
Duration
6 days
Age
8 to 58 years
Difficulty
Easy-Moderate | Level 1
Highest Altitude
11,950 ft
Why Trekking in Jan and Feb is Better than December
Not many trekkers know that real winter sets in only in Jan and Feb in our country, making it a much better snow experience. Click here to read more.
Why Trek To Dayara Bugyal
Our Only Winter Trek with the Biggest Snow Expanse
Most people don’t know this, but Dayara Bugyal is a favourite trek among a few of the most seasoned trekkers at Indiahikes.
“This trek is superbly rewarding at any time of the year. The snowscape in winter is a world on its own. The forests are splendid in spring, the meadows are an unbeatable green in summer, and they turn orange in autumn, with striking mountain views. You can go any time, and you’ll not be let down,” shares Sandhya UC, co-founder and COO of Indiahikes.
However, we have a soft corner for the meadows on this trek, which are almost crafted to perfection. "The meadows are so perfectly landscaped, that there isn't a single rock or tree out of place. With the royal views of the Gangotri mountain range in the backdrop, the rewards are massively disproportionate compared to the effort you put in," shares Sandhya. It's no wonder that it's a favourite among beginners too.
Quick Itinerary
A route map of the Dayara Bugyal Trek
Day 1
Drive From Dehradun to Raithal
Drive Distance: 185 km | Drive Duration: 9 hours | Pick up point for Indiahikes trekkers: Grand Legacy Hotel, Dehradun.
Day 2
Trek from Raithal to Gui
Trek Distance: 3 km | Trek Duration: 4 hours | Altitude Gain: 7,142 ft to 9,630 ft
Day 3
Trek from Gui to Chilapada
Trek Distance: 2 km | Trek Duration: 2-3 hours | Altitude Gain: 9,630 ft to 10,515 ft
Day 4
Trek from Chilpada to Nayata via Dayara Top
Trek Distance: 9.25 km | Trek Duration: 6-7 hours | Altitude Gain and Loss: 10,515 ft to 9,186 ft via 11,950 ft
Day 5
Trek from Nayata to Raithal
Trek Distance: 8.30 km | Trek Duration: 4-5 hours | Altitude Loss: 9,186 ft to 7,142 ft
Day 6
Drive back from Raithal to Dehradun
Drive distance: 185 km | Trek Duration: 9 hours | Drop off point for Indiahikes trekkers: Hotel Grand Legacy, Dehradun
Please note: The distance between campsites may vary by 100 meters depending the weather conditions and the route you take. The altitude may also vary by 100 feet for similar reasons.
IMPORTANT POINTS
➤ Onward transport from Dehradun to Raithal: We will arrange transport from Grand Legacy Hotel, Dehradun to Raithal at 6.30 am. The cost of this transport has to be borne by trekkers and paid directly to the driver. Cost of the cab – Rs 6,500 per vehicle for SUV and Rs 10,000 per vehicle for Tempo Traveller.
➤ Return transport from Raithal to Dehradun: We organise return transport from Raithal back to Grand Legacy Hotel, Dehradun after the trek. This transport cost has to be borne by trekkers and paid directly to the driver. Cost of the cab – Rs 6,500 per vehicle and Rs 10,000 per vehicle for Tempo Traveller. You will reach Dehradun between 6.00 and 7.00 PM.
➤ Stay facility: Your accommodation will be organised in Swiss tents at the base camp. After getting on the trail, you will be camping in Hillman Tents designed for high altitude expeditions by Indiahikes.
➤ Documents required: It is mandatory for trekkers to carry a copy of their photo id for entry at forest check posts on the trek.
➤ Cloakroom facility for excess luggage: We have a Cloakroom facility at the base camp for your excess luggage. We do not charge for this. However, please do not leave behind any valuables (such as laptops and mobile phones) in the cloakroom.
➤ Thinking of offloading your backpack? Think again: Indiahikes practices low impact sustainable trekking in every aspect of the trek. Carrying your own personal backpack reduces your impact on the mountains by 20%. We expect all our trekkers to carry their own backpacks unless they have a justifiable reason not to. (Read our thoughts here)
A route map of the Dayara Bugyal Trek
PRO-TIPS
➤ If you're travelling by train, choose the Jan Shatabdi Express as it sits well in your travel plan. It leaves Delhi by 15:20 and reaches Dehradun station at 21:10. You'll get a good night's rest.
➤ While returning, the DNN Kota Special Train, which starts at 22.50 from Dehradun and reaches Delhi (H Nizamuddin Station) at 04:35 will suit your return schedule well.
Download the GPX file for your Dayara Bugyal Trek
We go to great lengths to ensure you have a safe trek. So here’s a GPX file to help you navigate without getting lost.
Stunning Photos To Take You Through Dayara Bugyal Trek
At the onset of peak winter in January, the forests, the meadows, the mountain tops are all blanketed in snow! This snow begins to melt slowly in early summer. So even until mid-April, expect to see a good amount of snow on this trek.
Picture by: Dhaval Jajal
Dayara Bugyal in peak winter
Why Dayara Bugyal Is A Great Trek For Families
At Indiahikes, we have always been on the lookout for a good trek where a family can trek together with children. Very few Himalayan treks are suitable for this, given the long distances, altitudes and tough terrains. But Dayara Bugyal creates the perfect atmosphere for families. Here is a small photostory:
The trek has beautiful forests where children can connect with nature. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan
We have always believed that nothing brings a family together like trekking can. This trek allows enough leisure time where families can spend quality time and create stronger bonds.
One of the biggest benefits of exclusive family treks is that children bond with other children. (Here are the benefits.) The campsite settings at Dayara allow children to safely step outside and engage with other children. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan
What I Like and Don’t Like About the Dayara Bugyal Trek
What I Like About the Dayara Bugyal Trek
Know Your Trek
We have always wanted trekkers to be well-informed before they go on a Himalayan trek. Knowledge is the difference between a safe trek and a dangerous one. It’s also the difference between a wholesome experience and a superficial experience.
Use this section to learn about the Dayara Bugyal trek. It has in-depth information about each day of the trek, what to expect, and how you need to prepare for it. Many years of expertise have gone into this content. Trekkers find that extremely useful.
PRO TIPS
Green Trails
Leaving mountains better than we find them
At Indiahikes, we focus on bringing in new practices that can reduce our impact on the environment. This is done through constant R&D. Once these new practices are implemented we focus on achieving the results consistently on all our treks. You will see this as part of our G6 practices.
Golden 1: Green Sweep - Clean the trail of visible litter. We have collected more than 1,00,000 kgs of waste since 2016.
Golden 2: Segregation At Source - Segregate all waste collected so that we do not add all this waste to the landfill. We have diverted 50% of the waste from landfill through segregation
Golden 3: Food Composting - All our kitchen waste is composted into useful humus for the mountain soil. All food waste is either eaten by mules or composted at source.
Golden 4: Biotoilets - All our human waste is composted at source through our specially designed dry toilet pits.
Golden 5: Water efficient dispenser - We have reduced our waste used per trekker by 70% through specially designed water dispenser systems.
Golden 6: Save energy - We use solar panels for our energy use at our campsites. We are also in the process of redesigning our stove and menu to reduce the amount of gas used on our treks.
Our trekkers are a big part of us keeping our promise to leave the mountains better than we found them.
- Indiahikes trekkers do not carry anything that can harm the environment - be it wet wipes, or any packaged food on the trek. In fact they practice a zero waste trek.
- Indiahikes trekkers do not buy any packaged food in the dhabas on the trek - they do not take part in feeding the demand for packaged food
- Indiahikes trekkers clean the trails of waste using the eco bag as part of the Green Sweep Initiattive
- Indiaihikes trekkers carry their own backpack on the trek. They do not offload unless absolutely necessary
- Indiahikes trekkers do not pee/poop near any water source
- Indiahikes trekkers do not stray away from the marked trail
Trekkers who sign up with us pledge to follow these practices. When you sign up with us, you do too.
Everything you do on a trek creates an impact. The trail you trek on, the water you use, the waste you generate, how you poop, how you cook, what you eat — everything has an impact. The higher the impact, the greater the damage to the environment.
Yet, when done sustainably, trekking is one of the most environment-friendly sports.
When you trek with Indiahikes, you trek to leave the mountains better than we found them. This is part of our Green Trails promise.
Why fitness matters on the Dayara Bugyal Trek
On Easy-Moderate treks, you’re likely to trek around 5-6 km each day. Expect gradual ascents and descents along the way. The maximum altitude will be about 12,500 ft. There are no technical sections on these treks, but there could be small sections of steep gradients or tricky patches that require you to be surefooted.
Your goal is to comfortably run 5 km within 38 minutes.
Note: If you are above the age of 58 years, you'll also need to submit your Treadmill Test within 7 days of registration.
Trek Trivia
Things Nobody Tells You About Dayara Bugyal
Did you know Dayara Bugyal is connected to two other alpine meadows?
If you have a bit of adventure in your heart, you can explore two more alpine meadows from Dayara Bugyal -- Siyari Bugyal and further ahead, Gidara Bugyal.
Siyari Bugyal is a lot easier to access, via Devkund, a ridge that leads to Siyari from Dayara.
Gidara Bugyal is a lot more difficult to access and requires good fitness levels.
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