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NARMADA BACKWATERS TREK

Trek along Narmada's serene Waterfalls, Streams and Hills.

Have questions? Speak to our expert Trek Advisors

We have an expert team of Trek Advisors to help you choose the right trek. So if you have questions like, "Can I do this trek?" or "Who else is trekking?", please get in touch.Talk to our Trek Advisors

TREK DIFFICULTY

Easy Moderate

TREK DURATION

3 Days

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CLOSEST AIRPORT

Vadodara International Airport

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SUITABLE FOR

8 to 62 years

Trek along Narmada's serene Waterfalls, Streams and Hills

Narmada Backwaters Trek

We have always wanted trekkers to be well-informed before they go on any 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 Narmada Backwaters 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.

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Day 1: Drive from Vadodara to Kherwada Village. The trek to Gawani waterfall and back.

Drive Distance: 127 kilometres | Drive Duration: 3 hours

Trek Distance: 1.5 kilometres one way | Trek Duration: 2 hours

Difficulty: Easy

Highlight: A beautiful multistep waterfall

Reach Vadodara on the previous day. There are several stay options near Vadodara Junction Railway station.

On Day 1, the Indiahikes team will pick you up from either of the pickup points. This is not a part of your trek fee. Share the vehicle fee among yourselves and pay the driver directly. Let your Experience Coordinator know of your pickup point in advance. (Pickup points mentioned in the 'How to Reach the Basecamp' section.) Reach the basecamp.

Kherwada is a small village in the interiors of the Mathwad district of Madhya Pradesh. The village is inhibited by tribal communities. They are warm people who coexist with the land. But they come out as shy and reserved as the area is untouched by commercialization.

You will take approximately 3 hours to reach Kherwada, where you will stop at a homestay. From here you trek through a gorge for 1.5 kilometres. At end of this trail will leave you awestruck. A beautiful multistep waterfall comes out as surprise. And the gorge is the only entry and exit point to it.

From here, you trek back to the homestay and rest for night.

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Reach Vadodara on the previous day. There are several stay options near Vadodara Junction Railway station.

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Day 2: Drive from Kherwada to Khata Amli. Then trek from Khata Amli to Chilakda.

Drive Distance: 10 kilometres | Drive Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Trek Distance: 6 kilometres | Trek Duration: 5 hours

Difficulty: Easy

Highlight: Camping experience beside the Narmada backwaters

10 minutes as you start trekking, you get the first view of the grand Narmada backwaters. And this keeps getting grander as you walk.

As you reach Chilakda, you will realise the grandiosity of the Narmada river. Chilakda is an even smaller village with a fishing culture. And camping beside the backwaters, below a starry night, will be an experience to remember.

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10 minutes as you start trekking, you get the first view of the grand Narmada backwaters. And this keeps getting grander as you walk.

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Day 3: Trek from Chilakda Camp to Jalsindhi Top; Drive to Vadodara

Drive Distance: 150 kilometres | Drive Duration: 4 hours

Trek Distance: 3.5 kilometres | Trek Duration: 3 hours

Difficulty: Easy - Moderate

Highlight: Jalsindhi Top view point.

It is a 1 kilometre, 70 degree steep climb which the the first and last difficult section of the trek. But once you reach the top, the view will just leave you speechless. It feels like you are sitting on a drone, as the Jalsindhi ridge gets thinner descending into the Narmada river.

Here you witness the convergence of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat from a single vantage point.

The Indiahikes team will drop you at either of the drop points after the trek. This is not a part of your trek fee. Share the vehicle fee among yourselves and pay the driver directly. Let your Experience Coordinator know of your drop point in advance. (Pickup points mentioned in the 'How to Reach the Basecamp' section.)

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Packing List

These are documents required for legal purposes by Indiahikes and the forest department. Without any of these, you will not be allowed to trek.

Original and 2 (two) photocopies of government identity card. Anything such as a driver’s license, Aadhar Card, or passport will do. This is required by the forest department for your identification.
1 (one) passport-size photographs. This is required to obtain the trekking permits
Disclaimer certificate: There are two sections in this. The first part is a personal medical record. The second part is a legal requirement. Download the PDF, read carefully, fill in and sign it. This must be handed over to your Trek Leader during registration at the base camp. – Download disclaimer certificate
Medical certificate: The medical certificate needs to be filled out by an MBBS doctor, without which the forest department will not issue permissions for your trek. It is also a requirement by Indiahikes – Download medical certificate

Note: Indiahikes has a panel of doctors who can help you with a medical certificate. They are available for online consultation. To get in touch with them, please write to trekmedicalcertificates@gmail.com. They will respond to you within 24 hours.

Consultation fee: Rs 300

PRO TIPS

Keep important documents in a clear plastic cover and slide them into the inner pocket at the back of your backpack. This keeps them from getting wet.

Here is a list of everything you need for your trek.

Shoes and backpack

Shoes with good grip (non-waterproof trail running shoes or non-waterproof shoes with good grip)
Sandals
40-45 litres backpack with rain cover
A dry sack or a polybag

Warm Layers and Clothes

Warm layers: 1 layer (1 light sweater will suffice)
3 full-sleeved T-shirts (Wear one, carry two)
2 quick-dry trek pants (Wear one, carry one)

Accessories

Sunglasses
Sun cap (Available for purchase), preferably with flaps
4 pairs of socks (normal cotton/ sport high ankle socks. Waterproof socks are a bonus.) (Waterproof socks are available for purchase)
Headlamp + Extra Batteries
Trekking poles
Rain jacket + pants / Poncho

Toiletries:

Sunscreen
Moisturiser
Light towel
Lip balm or vaseline
Toilet paper (Wet wipes are strictly not allowed on our treks)
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Hand Sanitizer
Odomos or any other insect repellant
Reusable plastic covers (for used clothes/sanitary waste)

Cutlery:

Steel lunch box, spoon and a coffee mug
Two water bottles

Once you run through this list, don't miss this ultimate guide on what gear to take on a trek. It contains tips on what gear to choose, where to get it from and how much to spend on it.

Our only tip: Keep your backpack light. 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.

Carry these medicines with you, easily accessible at all times. Do not take any medicine unless you have consulted your trek leader.

Crocin (Paracetamol) – 6 tablets (fever)
Norflox TZ – 3 tablets (diarrhoea/ severe GI issue)
Band-Aid – 4 strips
ORS – 4 packets
Volini Spray - aches, & sprains
Knee Cap (Optional), if you are prone to a knee injury
Anti Fungal Powder
Odomos or any other insect repellent

Our trek leaders carry a medical kit with them. If there is an emergency our trek leaders know how to tackle it. Meanwhile, contact your trek leader before consuming any of these medicines listed here.

Pro Tip: We find that these medicines by trekkers are rarely used. But you cannot do away with them. At the end of the trek please donate unused medicines to your trek leader. Some of these medicines get distributed to villages on the trek and some are added to the Indiahikes medical kit.

Photo Gallery

5 Reasons Why Indiahikes

We are India’s safest trekking organisation

When we brought out new trails in Indian trekking, safety came with us. Back in 2012, we were the first to introduce microspikes, and two years later, pulse oximeters became standard thanks to us. Nobody does safe treks like Indiahikes. In the mountains, emergencies don't care who you're with – everyone knows that when trouble hits, you look for the yellow tents of Indiahikes.

We are pioneers of treks in India

We are pioneers in trekking. Since 2007, we have brought out treks that have become India's most famous treks: Roopkund, Rupin Pass, Buran Ghati, Kedarkantha, Kashmir Great Lakes, Tarsar Marsar, Brahmatal, Phulara Ridge—the list goes on. In 2023 alone, we brought out five new treks in Indian trekking. We know treks better than anyone. This comes directly from the reason why Indiahikes was born: to bring out trek information and enable trekkers to trek on their own.

We are India’s largest trekking organisation

More than 25,000 people trek with us every year. We are the largest trekking organisation in India. 24% of our trekkers come back to trek with us every year. Over 4,000 students from the top educational institutions trek with us every year. Aside from this, families with children choose to trek with Indiahikes knowing that our treks are the safest. We have taken over 8000 children trekking so far, and the number continues to grow.

Our treks are transformative

We focus on designing transformative experiences. Our trek leaders conduct thought-provoking exercises that help you reflect and contemplate. This impact stays with you for a long time. Trekkers return feeling energised, more confident, or developing abilities to deal with difficulties. Many have changed careers, rethought their core values, become more humble, shown gratitude to others, or started a new fitness journey.

We are India's most sustainable trekking organisation

Since 2012, we have pioneered sustainable practices that have become standard in trekking. Using eco-bags, our trekkers have cleared over 120 tonnes of litter from the mountains. We do not carry packaged foods; instead, we serve freshly made food. We do not light campfires; we carry coal to light angethis to keep you warm. Our bio-toilets not only keep our toilets odour-free but also enrich the soil. When you trek with us, you leave mountains better.