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QUICK INFORMATION ON KEDARKANTHA
TREK DURATION
6 days
HIGHEST ALTITUDE
12,500 feet / 3,810 meters
TRAIL LENGTH
Approx 22.5 km
TREK STARTS FROM
AGE GROUP
8 to 62
WHAT TO CARRY
RENT GEAR
High quality gear available on rent
CLOAKROOM
A cloakroom is available to keep one bag (No valuables must be kept)
INDIAHIKES SPIRIT OF TREKKING
TREK DURATION
6 days
HIGHEST ALTITUDE
12,500 feet / 3,810 meters
TRAIL LENGTH
Approx 22.5 km
Kedarkantha Trek
One of the Finest Summit Climbs For Beginners
Kedarkantha (not to be confused with the popular Temple Kedarnath) is a 6-day long trek in Govind Pashu Vihar National Park in Uttarakhand (6 when including the travel days from Dehradun to the base camp and back). Kedarkantha is easily one of the most popular treks in India — popular amongst seasoned trekkers and beginners alike.
There are many reasons why it is a very popular trek to do in the Indian Himalayas. The most important of them is this — the summit climb.
The summit climb of Kedarkantha is a very rewarding one. Right from the base camp of the trek, the summit looms large. As you start your trek in the early hours of the morning and steadily climb up the steep slope of snow, the world opens up around you.
The climb is not easy. The entire stretch is steadily steep. As you get closer to the summit, it gets tricky as well. But the big mountains of the upper Himalayas keep you company until you finally reach the summit.
As you stretch yourself and take in the views of the Himalayas from the summit, you feel a strong sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. This is an unparalleled feeling.
Very few treks offer the same adventure, making it popular among beginners for its finest summit climb.
Outside the summit, the trek is also unique for its beautiful clearings. Very rarely you will find stunning clearings on a trek that makes way for some rest spots and beautiful campsites. This trek is filled with clearings on all the different routes. What's more, the clearings are just at the right locations, giving you beautiful vantage points to appreciate the trek and its views.
The third biggest reason this trek is unique is its beautiful forests. All three routes have beautiful diverse forests that will immerse you. If you are not careful, you will get lost in them (in a good way).
Ever since Indiahikes explored and opened up Kedarkantha as a winter trek in 2011, many other organisers have followed suit. Having explored and trekked this route for over a decade, we know every nook and corner on the trail. Read more about this Untold story behind the trek that transformed India Trekking
Kedarkantha Videos
Recommended Videos Before Going For The Trek
Quick Itinerary for Spring, Summer Season (March to June)
Day-wise elevation chart of the Kedarkantha trek.
Day 1
Drive from Dehradun to Kotgaon
Drive Distance: 200 km | Duration: 10-11 hours | Pick up point for Indiahikes trekkers: Grand Legacy Hotel, near Laal Pul, Dehradun or Library Chowk, Mussourie | Pick up Time: 6.30 am | Location of Indiahikes basecamp: Kotgaon
Transport will be arranged at 6.30 AM. The cab can also pick you up from Library Chowk, Mall Road, Mussoorie at 7.30 AM. This cost has to be borne by trekkers and paid directly to the driver. Cost of the cab – Rs 6,500 per vehicle for an SUV, shared among 5-6 trekkers, or Rs 10,000 per vehicle for a Tempo Traveller, shared among 11-12 trekkers.
Day 2
Trek from Kotgaon to Khujaai
Trek Distance: 5.3 km | Trek Duration: 5 hours | Altitude Gain: 6,400 ft to 9,460 ft
Day 3
Trek from Khujaai to Dhoka
Trek Distance: 3 km | Trek Duration: 3.5 hours | Altitude Gain: 9,460 ft to 10,700 ft
Day 4
Trek from Dhoka to Shirpuri via Kedarkantha Summit
Trek Distance: 9 km | Trek Duration: 7-8 hours | Altitude Gain: 10,700 ft to 8,270 ft via 12,500 ft
Day 5
Trek from Shirpuri to Kotgaon
Trek Distance: 5 km | Trek Duration: 4-5 hours | Altitude Loss: 8,270 ft to 6,400 ft
Day 6
Drive back from Kotgaon to Dehradun
Drive Distance: 200 km | Drive Duration: 10-11 hours | Drop off point for Indiahikes trekkers: Grand Legacy (near Laal Pull) Hotel, Dehradun
This transport cost has to be borne by trekkers and paid directly to the driver. Cost of the cab – Rs 6,500 per vehicle for an SUV, shared among 5-6 trekkers, or Rs 10,000 per vehicle for a Tempo Traveler, shared among 11-12 trekkers.
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
➤Documents required: It is mandatory for trekkers to carry a copy of their photo id and medical certificate for entry at forest check posts on the trek. The medical certificate along with the disclaimer form will be part of the Safety Check-in done by the trek leader when you arrive at the base camp.
➤Stay facility: At the base camp, your stay will be arranged in lodges. Do not bring any packaged food, tags from your new clothes or any waste with you. We follow a Dustbin Free Zone and No Wet Wipes Policy at our base camps in line with our spirit of Green Trails.
- On the trek, you will be staying 2 in a tent.
➤Cloakroom facility for excess luggage: We have a Cloak Room facility at the base camp for excess luggage. Do not leave behind any valuables in the cloakroom.
Day-wise elevation chart of the Kedarkantha trek.
PRO-TIPS
Onward Travel
If you're planning your travel, choose to travel by bus instead of train. They're usually on time compared to trains. If you're travelling by train, choose the Jan Shatabdi Express and reach Dehradun one day before your travel to the base camp. This ensures you have enough rest before the long journey the next day.
Return Travel
While returning, you will reach Dehradun between 6.00 PM and 7.00 PM. Plan your travel any time after 9.00 PM from Dehradun. The Nanda Devi Express will suit your schedule well.
Download the GPX file for your Kedarkantha Trek
We go to great lengths to ensure you have a safe trek. So here’s a GPX file of all the trails to help you navigate without getting lost.
Quick Itinerary for Winter Season (Dec to mid Feb)
A trek map of the Kedarkantha trek
Day 1
Drive from Dehradun to Gaichawan Gaon
Drive Distance: 195 km | Drive Duration: 10-11 hours | Pick up point for Indiahikes trekkers: Grand Legacy (near Laal Pull) Hotel, Dehradun | Pick up Time: 6.30 am
Transport will be arranged at 6.30 AM. The cab can also pick you up from Library Chowk, Mall Road, Mussoorie at 7.30 AM. This cost has to be borne by trekkers and paid directly to the driver. Cost of the cab – Rs 6,500 per vehicle for an SUV, shared among 5-6 trekkers, or Rs 10,000 per vehicle for a Tempo Traveller, shared among 11-12 trekkers.
Day 2
Trek from Gaichawan Gaon to Julota
Trek Distance: 5.5 km | Trek Duration: 4-5 hours | Altitude Gain: 5,600 ft to 8,950 ft
Day 3
Trek from Julota to Pukhrola
Trek Distance: 3 km | Trek Duration: 3-4 hours | Altitude Gain: 8,950 ft to 10,800 ft
Day 4
Trek from Pukhrola to Akhoti Thach via Kedarkantha Summit
Trek Distance: 8 km | Trek Duration: 6-7 hours | Altitude Gain: 10,800 ft to 9,170 ft via 12,500 ft
Day 5
Trek from Akhoti Thach to Gaichawan Gaon
Trek Distance: 7.2 km | Trek Duration: 5-6 hours | Altitude Loss: 9,170 ft to 5,600 ft
Day 6
Drive back from Gaichawan Gaon to Dehradun
Drive Distance: 195 km | Drive Duration: 10-11 hours | Drop off point for Indiahikes trekkers: Grand Legacy (near Laal Pull) Hotel, Dehradun | Drop off Time: 7 pm
This transport cost has to be borne by trekkers and paid directly to the driver. Cost of the cab – Rs 6,500 per vehicle for an SUV, shared among 5-6 trekkers, or Rs 10,000 per vehicle for a Tempo Traveler, shared among 11-12 trekkers.
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
➤Documents required: It is mandatory for trekkers to carry a copy of their photo id for entry at forest check posts on the trek.
➤Stay facility: At the base camp, your stay will be arranged in lodges. On the trek, you will be staying 2 in a tent
➤Cloakroom facility for excess luggage: We have a Cloak Room facility at the base camp for excess luggage. Do not leave behind any valuables in the cloakroom.
A trek map of the Kedarkantha trek
PRO-TIPS
Multiple Routes of Kedarkantha
Kedarkantha summit can be approached using multiple routes or starting from different locations. During the winter season, we take this route from Gaichwaon Gaon. Read more about this reason here.
Kedarkantha in Spring is Best Discovered Through Pictures
Explore the Kedarkantha Trek in Winter
Winter is the most popular season on the Kedarkantha trek. From December to April, Kedarkantha makes for a terrific trek in virgin snow, with pretty campsites and astonishingly wide clearings in the forests. Here's a peek at how the trek looks in winter
What I Like and Don’t Like About the Kedarkantha Trek
What I Like About the Kedarkantha 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 Kedarkantha 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 the 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 Kedarkantha 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 Kedarkantha
Did you know that you'll be trekking inside a wildlife sanctuary on the Kedarkantha Trek?
The Kedarkantha trek begins in the majestic Govind Pashu Vihar Sanctuary and National Park. The area is rich and filled with biodiversity. Flora and fauna in the sanctuary are of a Western Himalayan type.
There are three categories of Western Himalayan flora: Broadleaved forests, Subalpine conifer, and Subalpine shrubs and bushes. One of the best things about Kedarkantha is that you get to witness all three kinds.
During the ascent, you'll notice the striking change in flora and fauna. From forests and shrubs to vast meadows, Kedarkantha has it all.
In Kedarkantha, you get breathtaking views of the river Tons and Thamsa. The blue turquoise colour of river Tons can wash away your worries.
Not only this, India's first Snow Leopard project began here. Huge efforts have been made to conserve the Snow Leopards by the Govind Wildlife Sanctuary.
Did you know the religious significance and culture of Kedarkantha?
Kedarkantha holds great religious significance among the locals. It is believed that the mighty Lord Shiva came here to hide from a demon and stayed there for a while. The three villages, Sankri, Gaichawan Gaon, and Kotgaon, have a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
While 'Kedar' means Lord Shiva, 'Kantha' is translated to be his neck. The locals consider this mountain to be holy and worship Lord Shiva religiously.
Although Kedarkantha is in Uttarakhand, the Kinnaur culture greatly influences the people. They dress up and talk similarly too. Since Kedarkantha is located close to Himachal Pradesh, the culture crosses over and merges with them.
Do you know about these treks around Kedarkantha?
The region of Govind Pashu Vihar National Park is famous for the start of many of the trekking trails of our country.
However, many are not aware of these treks which are surrounding our famous Kedarkantha. Here is a list of those treks:
- Har Ki Dun Ruinsara
- Phulara Ridge
- Bali Pass
- Maldaru Lake
- Devkyara Valley
- Fachu Khandi
- Lekha Top
- Rupin Pass
- Borasu Pass
- Baraadsar Lake
- Vijay Top
- Khimloga Pass
Available Dates
Dates Full? Choose our new trek, Ranthan Kharak for April
A Trek that takes you to the Heart of Kumaon Himalayas. Click here to know more and register.
Other Treks Like Kedarkantha
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