Phulara Ridge Trek

It is great to see you going on the Phulara Ridge Trek, the Best Ridge Trek In Our Country.  While it is a great trek to do, you need to get your travel plan worked out perfectly.

Here is a step-by-step guide on what to do next. Use this guide and nothing else to plan your travel.  

1. Here’s a quick view of how to plan your travel. 

Day 0: Book your air ticket to Delhi or Dehradun. If Delhi, book a night train/bus to Dehradun.

Day 1: Transport will be organised from Hotel Grand Legacy, Dehradun.  Reach Kotgaon; 8-10 hours drive from Dehradun and 190 km.

Day 2 - 5: Trek

Day 6: Depart from Kotgaon by 7.00 am. You are expected back in Dehradun by 6.00 pm. The drive is 8-10 hours and is 190 km.
Book your return by train from Dehradun to Delhi on Day 6 after 8 pm. 

Day 7: Book your flight from Dehradun/to Delhi. If it's from Delhi book a flight after 8 am.

| Important points to note:

1. While getting to Kotgaon, we recommend you arrive a day earlier and stay at Dehradun (Day zero). Get a good night’s rest for the journey the next day.
2. We can also pick you up from Mussoorie which is about an hour and a half from Dehradun, the distance is 33 km. The pickup from Mussoorie is at the Library Chowk (Library end junction)

2. Planning your onward flight/train booking

If you are travelling from Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai or any other city, book your air tickets for Day Zero, which is the day before Day 1 on the itinerary. That is if your trek start day is 25 November, book your air tickets for 24 November to either Delhi/Dehradun. 

Here is a video that explains in detail how to plan your travel:

There are two options.

Option 1: Fly directly to Dehradun. 

We recommend this. It gives you an added rest day at Dehradun. Most metros are directly connected to Dehradun. However, if the cost of the flight ticket to Dehradun is too high, book to Delhi and connect to Dehradun by train/bus.  Dehradun Airport is Jolly Grant and 35 km from Dehradun.  

The Dehradun airport is somewhat inconvenient when it comes to city connectivity ( to Dehradun). Airport buses that ply to Dehradun via the airport run every hour. In our experience, the hour can stretch to even 1½ hours. 

Taxis are available from the airport (plenty). Prepaid taxis are available (look for the pre-paid taxi counter just out of the conveyor belt at the arrivals). You can also flag down a taxi (bargain a bit) with taxis outside the airport. Airport taxis are exorbitant, from Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 to Dehradun.

Usually, most passengers take taxis from the airport. Try to hook up with co-passengers on the flight for your taxi ride to Dehradun. 

Pro Tip: If you want to save real money try to catch an auto just outside the airport terminal complex. They usually come there to drop passengers off. Autos are not allowed to enter the airport complex. They charge approximately Rs 300 to Dehradun. 

If autos are not available, walk for a further 1.5 km to get to the Rishikesh Dehradun highway. From the highway, you can flag down regular town buses or shared autos (shared autos are called Vikram's). The bus fare is about Rs 30 to Dehradun. Shared autos charge about Rs 20. 

Option 2: Flying to Delhi

Flying to Delhi may be a lot cheaper than getting to Dehradun. Make sure to book a flight that reaches Delhi by 8.00 pm. You must arrive in Delhi on Day Zero and not on Day 1.

Note: If you notice the difference in air ticket prices between Delhi and Dehradun is less than Rs 1000 then book directly to Dehradun. The rest and shorter travel time are worth the difference.  

Delhi to Dehradun by train

Next, book yourself on the Nanda Devi Express to Haridwar (Train No: 12401). It is a fully AC train that leaves at 23.45 hrs from Hazrat Nizamuddin and gets to Dehradun at 5:40 am. 

Note: Earlier the Nanda Devi express would depart from New Delhi railway station. From 26 Aug 2019, it leaves from Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station. The train now comes from Kota. So expect about 15 to 30 mins delay in arrival. The train number has changed too from 12206 to 12401.

At Dehradun wait for Indiahikes pick up at 6.30 am. Contact your driver by 6.00 am. The number of your transport coordinator will be shared with you a week before your departure. 

Caution: Do not book on any other train except the Nanda Devi Express. The other option, Mussoorie Express, is notorious for its delay. Your pickup vehicle may leave without you. If you do not get tickets on the Nanda Devi Express, take a bus from Delhi to Dehradun, but do not book on the Mussoorie express.

Pro Tip: Take the afternoon Jan Shatabdi express( Train No 12055) from New Delhi railway station (leaves at 3.20 pm) to arrive at Dehradun by 9:10 pm. Stay overnight at Dehradun. Take the Indiahikes to pick up the next morning directly from Dehradun station.  

Option 3: Delhi to Dehradun by Bus

If in case you do not get a train ticket, there are ordinary, A/C and Volvo AC buses from  Delhi’s ISBT Kashmiri Gate to Dehradun ISBT. Buses are frequent and not usually crowded, there are buses till noon. You can get a bus almost every hour. Buses take 7-8 hours to get to Delhi. Ordinary buses cost Rs 400, A/C Rs  525 and Volvo Rs 700.

From Dehradun, ISBT takes a shared auto to the Dehradun railway station for Rs 10/.

3. Planning your return flight/train booking

Next, if your onward flight departs from Delhi, then book flight tickets for Day 7. 

Sometimes trekkers worry if they can book an early morning flight out of Delhi on Day 7. Yes, you can. But book flights that depart only after 8 am. Do not book any flight between 6.00 and 8 am. You may not reach Delhi in time.

Option 1: How to get to Delhi on time for an early morning flight. 

If your flight is early on Day 7, say between 8.00 and 9.00 am, then there are two options. 

Train: Take the Nanda Devi Express from Dehradun station (12402) which leaves at 22:50 to get to Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station at 4.30 in the morning. From Hazrat Nizamuddin, you get airport buses from outside the station as well as taxis. For the Metro train walk down to the Hazrat Nizamuddin metro station, take a metro to Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus, get off and connect to the Dhaula Kuan Airport line metro station (there are convenient traveller belts over a skywalk). From Dhaula Kuan you get the metro train to the airport. 

Note: Earlier Nanda Devi express would arrive at the New Delhi railway station. From 26 August 2019, it has been extended up to Kota. It no longer goes to the New Delhi railway station. Instead, it goes to Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station. The train number has changed from 12206 to 12402.    

Bus: 

If in case you do not get a train ticket, there are ordinary, A/C and Volvo AC buses from  Dehradun ISBT to Delhi’s ISBT Kashmiri Gate. Buses are frequent and not usually crowded, there are buses till noon. You can get a bus almost every hour. Buses take 7-8 hours to get to Delhi. Ordinary buses cost Rs 400, A/C Rs  525 and Volvo Rs 700.

From Kashmiri Gate ISBT you get Airport buses or taxis.

Note: Metro trains in Delhi do not start before 5.00 am.  

Option 2: Taking a flight out of Dehradun

If you are taking a flight out of Dehradun then stay overnight and book yourself on Day 7. Most metros are now well connected by Dehradun by flight.

4. Planning your hotel/stay

In Dehradun, look for hotels around your pick up point. There are quite a few options available online and it is not difficult to find last-minute hotel bookings.

Hotel options at Dehradun

1. Hotel Grand Legacy is where your pick up is. It's a nice option. It has clean rooms with good amneties. Rooms ranges from Rs 1,800 onwards depending on the booking website.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/tcbToJs1qnu3JP349

Phone: +91-9358774612

2. Nomads House is another new backpacker hostel in Dehradun. The atmosphere is good. The place is neat and clean. Indiahikes trek leaders love Nomads House. It is about 10 mins from the Dehradun railway station. Bunk beds start at Rs 400, rooms start at Rs 800. Shared autos are easily available to get to Nomads House.

Location: https://g.page/NomadsHouse?share

Phone: +91-9760596464

3. Hotel Drona, which is a government property owned by the GMVN is decent. It is an old, but large and spacious property. It is about 1.5 km from Dehradun railway station. Rooms start at Rs 750.

Phone: +91-9568006631

Book online https://gmvnonline.com/room-tariff.php?trhID=9&adults=&child=&checkindate=&checkoutdate=

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/sjWSkGhe5LfAN8wDA

4. Simran Guest house is another option near Grand Legacy. It has very basic amneties with rooms starting from Rs 700 onwards.

Location: https://g.page/simran-guest-house?share

Phone: +91 - 9219882447

Hotel options near Jolly Grant Airport

1. Sun n Soil Backpackers hostel is a great option, if you want to stay near Jolly Grant airport. It's a great place for the backpackers and travellers as it has a different ambience. Bunk beds start at Rs 450, rooms start at Rs 1,000.

Location: https://g.page/sun-n-soil-backpacker-hostel?share

Phone: +91 - 9634570743

What if you miss the Indiahikes pickup? Get to Kotgaon on your own.

If you miss the Indiahikes pick-up from Dehradun, here is how you can get to Kotgaon base camp on your own. 

Bus from Dehradun to Sankri

There is a direct bus from Dehradun Railway Station to Jakhol. It leaves at 7 am. The cost per ticket is Rs 400/-. Get down at Motwar. Kotgaon is about 3 km away from Motwar and is not on the same route as Sankri. Take a shared taxi from Motwar to Kotgaon. There are private buses that leave from outside Dehradun Railway Station 6:30-7:30 AM to Sankri as well.

Alternatively, there is a trekking route from Motwar to Kotgaon base camp. This is a well-marked 1 km long trail but is a steep ascent. It may become difficult if you have more luggage.

If you are reaching Dehradun late, you can take a bus to Purola/Naugaon and then a private cab to Motwar

Tip: While this bus hopping may sound cumbersome, we do it regularly at Indiahikes. They are a fun and a good way to know the real Uttarakhand. You also get to meet very interesting local people. So while no one wants to miss a pickup, don’t be too disheartened if it happens. You may just experience one of your best travel moments!

Network Connectivity
There is no network on this trek. At the base camp Kotgaon, you will get a patchy BSNL network if you are lucky.