After exploring and volunteering in Tamil Nadu for a couple of months, I traveled back to the Indian Himalayas after my last year’s 4-month trip to Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Kashmir. This time I explored the Kumaon Region of Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand (One of the Northern states in India) is divided into two administrative divisions i.e. Garhwal & Kumaon. Last year, I explored the Garhwal side of Uttarakhand. During the course of a week or so, I explored various places in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in the month of May. Exploring the Himalayan region in different seasons can yield totally different experiences. In this post, I am going to talk about places to visit in Kumaon. Read on!
Last day of my volunteer stint
At work!
Bhumiyadhar
View of Nainital from Tiffin TopNainital Lake
IN AND AROUND NAINITAL
DAY 1: NAINITAL
I took a train to the nearest railway station to Nainital i.e. Kathgodam. It lies around 35 km from Nainital. I begin my trip with a shortvolunteerstint near Nainital at an organic farm. It was a mixed-bag experience. Later, I didCouchsurfing(after more than a year) near Nainital in a village called Bhumiyadhar. Great location as it is away from the maddening crowd of Nainital. I spent 3 days exploring in and around Nainital. On Day 1, I begin my exploration with a walk on Mall Road along the Nainital Lake. It is populated with many diverse food spots. I walked a lot that day. From Mall Road, I hiked all the way up to the Tiffin top viewpoint. It has some great aerial views of Nainital. I chose a different route for the descent. I came out at KhurpaTal Viewpoint. It has a nice view of Khurpatal Lake. 15 minutes walk from there took me to the Lover’s Point Viewpoint. Later, I hiked to the Snow view point in Mallital. Mallital is a quiet neighbourhood in Nainital with some beautiful views. From Mallital, I took the aerial ropeway back to the Nainital city centre. It costs INR 200 for one way. With that my day comes to an end. Also, Pangot is a quaint village near Nainital worth exploring.
Chafi Bridge
Pari TaalBhimtal lakeKayaking at Naukuchiatal lake
DAY 2: CHAFI, BHIMTAL, NAUKUCHIATAL
On Day 2, My Couchsurfing host recommended that I explore an offbeat village called Chafi. I took local public transport to reach Chafi. It has an old beautiful British-era bridge. From the bridge, I hiked to Pari Taal (30-40 minutes hike). Pari Taal is a hidden lake with a waterfall. I totally enjoyed my time there. Later, I hitchhiked from Chafi to Bhimtal lake. I wanted to do Kayaking but it was too crowded. I decided to walk from Bhimtal to Naukuchiatal. It was a 2-hour walk on a concrete-cum-dusty road. Naukuchiatal is a hill station famous for Naukuchiatal lake which translates to “Lake of nine corners”. I did Kayaking for 30 minutes there and quite liked the experience. It costs me INR 200. With that my day comes to an end.
Chauli Ki Jaali Sunset point
This hole holds religious significance to locals
View from Chauli Ki Jaali
DAY 3: MUKTESHWAR
Day 3 was all about exploring the touristic village of Mukteshwar. It lies around 50 km from Nainital. I took public transport to reach Mukteshwar. Things to do in Mukteshwar are Sitla Jungle hike, Bhalugarh Falls, Chauli Ki Jaali Sunset point, Mukteshwar Temple, Peora village trek etc. Rock climbing and Rappelling are popular adventure sports in Mukteshwar.
On the way to Chaukori
Hitchhiked in this truck: Got stuck for a while
View point from ChaukoriHiked to Musk deer park
Local Veg PlateOn the way to MunsiyariMunsiyari
Panchachuli peaks as seen from Munsiyari
Local Alcoholic beverageEntrance to Khaliya TopAlpine resort: On the way to Khaliya Top
Made it to Khaliya Top!View from Khaliya Top
ALMORA, BINSAR, KAUSANI, CHAUKORI, MUNSIYARI
After exploring Nainital, one can follow this route: Nainital-Almora-Kasar Devi-Binsar-Kausani-Baijnath-Chaukori-Munsiyari. I have not explored any of these places except Chaukori and Munsiyari. Kasar Devi is a hippie village, Binsar is known for the Binsar Wildlife sanctuary, and Kausani is an offbeat beautiful small town with stunning views of high peaks in Uttarakhand. Baijnath is noted for its ancient temples. I took multiple public modes of transport to reach Chaukori. I spent a night in Chaukori. At Chaukori, I head to KMVN guest house viewing tower for a stunning view of Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot, Panchachuli peaks etc. Other places of interest are Musk Deer Park hike to spot rare musk deers, Hanging rocks hike, and Tea gardens. After chaukori, I traveled to Munsiyari. The famous hill station lies at the elevation of 2200 m. It is the starting point of various treks like Milam Glacier Trek, Nanda Devi Basecamp, Thamri Kund trek, Namik glacier trek etc. I did the Khaliya top trek. It took me around 5 hours to do the roundtrip. It is a moderate trek for beginners. I strongly recommend downloading the “MAPS.ME” mobile application as the whole trail is properly marked on this app. Other places to visit in Munsiyari are the Tribal Heritage museum, Birthi waterfall, Balanti Potato farm etc.
KAILASH MANSAROVAR ROUTE: OM PARVAT & ADI KAILASH
PERMIT REQUIREMENT
After Munsiyari, I traveled to Dharchula. At Dharchula, I took a permit to visit the mountain peaks i.e. Om Parvat and Adi Kailash. This permit is valid to visit the base camps of Om Parvat and Adi Kailash i.e. Nabhidhang and Jolingkong respectively. Indians need 3 photos, a COVID vaccination certificate and an Aadhar card copy to apply for the permit at SDM Office in Dharchula. It took me a couple of hours to do the complete process. One needs to visit the police station and hospital in Dharchula for NOC and Medical certificate respectively. My total expense to obtain the permit was INR 500. The permit was valid for 8 days.
On the way to Gunji
Budhi Village
DAY1: REACHING GUNJI
I took a shared taxi to reach a village called Gunji. It took me around 7 hours to reach Gunji due to multiple stops, road work etc. This road was opened a couple of years ago. Before that, the trek used to begin near Dharchula. I made Gunji village my base to explore Om Parvat and Adi Kailash. They are situated on opposite sides of Gunji. These mountain peaks hold great significance in Hinduism and are part of the renowned Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage. Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage is closed for a couple of years due to the Covid pandemic. Mount Kailash is the end point of the Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage and it is situated in Tibet.
Early morning View from Gunji villageGunji villageHimalayan flower!Nag Parvat mountain
Look closely: There’s a cave in the mountain!
Hitchhiking on the top of the vehicle!
Nabhidhang!Looking at Om parvatCan you spot the OM symbol on the mountain?
DAY 2: OM PARVAT
On Day 2, I traveled to Nabhidhang Camp. It is located at the elevation of 4300 m. Nabhidhang Camp is an Indian army base with a clear view of Om Parvat. One can only cross this camp if they are part of the Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage. The India-Tibet border is around 10-15 km from here. Since it is a border area there is a lot of army movement. Nepal’s border is also nearby. I left Gunji early in the morning. I started walking towards Kalapani. My permit was checked by the army on the way. Many army officers who were doing their morning run greeted me with a big smile and appreciated the fact that I am hiking alone. After an hour or so I reached Kalapani army base. There is no separate walking trail. We have to use the same trail as the vehicles. At Kalpani, my permit was checked again. I spoke with army officers for a while. Luckily, I got a ride to Nabhidhang Camp from Kalapani. Since there was no space in the vehicle, I sat on the top of the 4*4 vehicle. It was a bumpy but fun ride😀 Even in the month of May, it was really cold. The ride lasts for around 30 minutes. After reaching the Nabhidhang camp, I was stunned by the view of Om Parvat. Om Parvat has an OM(sacred spiritual symbol) shape which is formed by the deposition of snow on the black mountain. It is truly a sight to behold. After spending some quality time there, I hitchhiked on the same vehicle but got down at Kalapani to use the WiFi at the Army base. Only BSNL works in this region. From Kalapani, I walked back to the Gunji village.
Beware!
Snow wall!Approaching Kuti villageA house in Kuti villageKuti villageShiva temple at JolingkongJolingkong LakeAnd it’s snowing!After the snowfall: Adi Kailash mountain
The Igloo where I spent the night!Snowy roads
Snow is melting awayBack to Gunji
DAY 3 & DAY 4: ADI KAILASH
On Day 3, I traveled to Jolingkong camp. Jolingkong is the base camp of Adi Kailash mountain. It is located at the elevation of 4630 m. Adi Kailash is known to be an abode of Lord Shiva. I woke up early in the morning and started walking towards the next village i.e. Nabi. Shortly, I got a ride in an army truck carrying petrol. Few more local people joined me at the back of the truck in Nabi. After half an hour or so, it gets really unbearable to sit in the back of the truck due to the strong smell of petrol and bone-shattering bumpy ride. We got down in the middle and bid the truck goodbye. They were all going to the next village i.e. Kuti but my destination was even more further ahead i.e. Jolingkong Camp. We started walking together but soon I left them way behind me. After 90 minutes or so, I reached Kuti village. It is such a beautiful village with labyrinth lanes and vibrant woodwork. I spend a couple of hours waiting for a ride. When I was losing hope and planning to spend a night at Kuti village, I got a ride to Jolingkong camp😃 As you must have understood by now, no public transport ply on these routes. After reaching the Jolingkong camp, it gets really cloudy. The Adi Kailash mountain was completely covered with clouds. I hiked to the Shiva Temple situated on the banks of Jolingkong Lake. It took me 20-25 minutes to do so. Such a serene site. While returning back to the camping ground. it starts snowing. What started as a light snow shower initially turned into a heavy downpour of snow. It was a magical sight. I was experiencing snowfall after a year since my last year trip to the Indian Himalayas. One can never get over the magical feeling of snowfall. I decided to stay back at Jolingkong while almost every tourist rushed back. Snowfall continued till late at night. The next morning, I woke up quite early to witness the stunning view of Adi Kailash. Snowfall had stopped by then and virtually everything was white around me. After soaking in the mesmerizing views around me, I decided to head back to Gunji. After a wait of a couple of hours, I finally hitchhiked back to the Gunji village and spent the night at Gunji village. The next day, I head back to Dharchula in order to begin my trip to Nepal. Stay tuned for the Nepalese adventure 🙂
ROAD MAP OF KUMAON
The road map of Kumaon are as follows: Bhumiyadhar-Nainital-Bhumiyadhar-Chafi-Bhimtal-Naukuchiatal-Bhumiyadhar-Mukteshwar-Bhumiyadhar-Bhowali-Almora-Kasar Devi-Binsar-Kausani-Baijnath-Chaukori-Munsiyari-Dharchula-Gunji-Kalapani-Nabhidhang(Om Parvat)-Gunji-Nabi-Kuti-Jolingkong(Adi Kailash)-Gunji-Dharchula
MODES OF TRANSPORTATION
Traveling In and around Nainital: One can take local buses (limited frequency) or shared Tata SUVs (uneven frequency). Hitchhiking is another possibility. There’s always an option for hiring a private taxi.
Nainital-Almora-Chaukori-Munsiyari: I took a bus from Nainital to Almora(INR 200). From Almora, I took a shared taxi to Ganai Gangoli village(INR 350). From there, I hitchhiked in a truck to Berinag. From Berinag, I took another shared taxi to Chaukori(INR 100). From Chaukori, I hitchhiked back to the Udiyari band intersection. From the intersection, I hitchhiked to Thal village. From Thal village, I took a government bus to Munsiyari(INR 160).
Munsiyari-Dharchula-Gunji: From Munsiyari, I took a shared taxi to Dharchula(INR 450). From Dharchula, I took another shared taxi(INR 800) to Gunji village.
My humble abode in Gunji
ACCOMMODATION
Nainital:I used Couchsurfing for accommodation. Chaukori:I paid INR 400 per night for a stay at Hotel Apna Ghar. Munsiyari:I paid INR 300 per night for a stay at Snow view Inn near the Bus stand. Gunji: I paid INR 300/- for a shared room and dinner per night. I stayed with Mangal Da(9410180974) Jolingkong: I stayed in an igloo-shaped shared cottage and paid INR 500 for tea, one night’s stay and dinner.
Hello! My name is Saurabh and I am the voice behind the “An Indian Traveler” blog. I'm a cinephile, travel writer, an avid traveler with a song stuck in my head which I keep humming till ad nauseam :)
Wow, this area is so remote and magestic, Love how you just travel naturally and go with the flow with any problems to buses and local transport in the area, that would be a challenge for anyone to visit these areas. Nature and those mountains are truly inspiring to visit and experience in person, I’m really in awe of your trip here.
Oh, wow! You always share the best places. I would love to make an entire trip out of visiting all of these spots.
Would love to visit Kumaon someday. Have heard a lot about it but never got a chance to go. Great place to add it to the bucket list.
Wow! The place is so good. Every area is just so mesmerizing. Plus the food here looks absolutely delicious!
I would love to visit northern India and the nations that are nearby like Nepal, Bhutan. I may need to wait until my kids are grown and out of the house- they have no interest in taking a trip like this.
What an incredible set of experiences in Kumoan! Visiting offbeat villages like Chafi and hidden lakes like Pari Taal make this journey all the more interesting. But I can only imagine what the Himalayan mountains look like in real life, as they are breathtaking in your photos! I especially loved the findings of a beautiful alpine flower (wow!). The Kuti village is fascinating as well, and sleeping in an igloo, too. Such a great mix of offerings! I would love to explore this area myself someday.
What an interesting itinerary to do in India.! One of my dreams is go to India one day and travel for several months. The places listed in this post are definitely worth to include in this upcoming trip. The photos are stunning and the Himalayan flower is so beautiful. That Khaliya top hike looks pretty amazing:-)
Such incredible places to see, remind me a little bit of the Northern Areas of Pakistan (where I’m living at the moment). Loved the look of Budhi Village and Jolingkong Lake and how cool of you to spend the night in a Igloo!
Wow! The view from Tiffin Top looks beautiful. Thank you for sharing this detailed itinerary. Love the idea of starting it with a volunteer stint. We’d love to visit in the future.
Amazing! The bridge especially grabbed my attention! Those big, what looks like iron chains really make it!
the place looks so unusual and so creative! absolutely LOVE it. such an enjoyable experience
I have not spent any time in the Indian Himalayas. I would love to walk across the Chafi Bridge and visit the hidden lake and waterfall at Pari Taal. That road to Gunji looks a little bit too scary for me
It is quite an adventure that you are enjoying! I would love to kayak and see a musk deer, as well as a tea plantation.
I really know nothing about the region of Uttarakhand In Northern India. So it was interesting to learn a little bit more about the Kumaon region. With all those hills and mountains, I am not surprised you got lots of great views. And got in a lot of hiking. Good tip about loading the MAPS.ME app to help on the trails.
You are quite adventurous! I don’t think I would have felt as comfortable as you traveling alone. And I’m amazed at the territory you covered. How many total miles did you travel?! I appreciate your details — love that there was a great variety of things to do in Kumaon. Most of all I would enjoy the hiking, the views, and the food!
Around 500+ km 🙂
I had never heard of Kumaon India before, but your pictures certainly make me want to go and visit there. It looks beautiful. I’m always amazed at the different landscapes and terrain that India has to offer, among many other things. It is definitely a place that is high on my travel bucket list.
Wow! What an incredible itinerary! Thank you for sharing – I am bookmarking for our future travels.
Happy to read about your experience in Kumaon. The view is magnificent and makes it really worth the trip. I admire people like you who are able to travel to these areas. The view from Khaliya Top is breathtaking.
Although I have traveled in the Kumaon region region quite a bit, it’s mostly been in bits and pieces over several visits. Your post makes me nostalgic recalling those wonderful moments. Am motivated after your post to do a longish tour and cover all the places not visited so far and follow your plan.
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Wow, this area is so remote and magestic, Love how you just travel naturally and go with the flow with any problems to buses and local transport in the area, that would be a challenge for anyone to visit these areas. Nature and those mountains are truly inspiring to visit and experience in person, I’m really in awe of your trip here.
Oh, wow! You always share the best places. I would love to make an entire trip out of visiting all of these spots.
Would love to visit Kumaon someday. Have heard a lot about it but never got a chance to go. Great place to add it to the bucket list.
Wow! The place is so good. Every area is just so mesmerizing. Plus the food here looks absolutely delicious!
I would love to visit northern India and the nations that are nearby like Nepal, Bhutan. I may need to wait until my kids are grown and out of the house- they have no interest in taking a trip like this.
What an incredible set of experiences in Kumoan! Visiting offbeat villages like Chafi and hidden lakes like Pari Taal make this journey all the more interesting. But I can only imagine what the Himalayan mountains look like in real life, as they are breathtaking in your photos! I especially loved the findings of a beautiful alpine flower (wow!). The Kuti village is fascinating as well, and sleeping in an igloo, too. Such a great mix of offerings! I would love to explore this area myself someday.
What an interesting itinerary to do in India.! One of my dreams is go to India one day and travel for several months. The places listed in this post are definitely worth to include in this upcoming trip. The photos are stunning and the Himalayan flower is so beautiful. That Khaliya top hike looks pretty amazing:-)
Such incredible places to see, remind me a little bit of the Northern Areas of Pakistan (where I’m living at the moment). Loved the look of Budhi Village and Jolingkong Lake and how cool of you to spend the night in a Igloo!
Wow! The view from Tiffin Top looks beautiful. Thank you for sharing this detailed itinerary. Love the idea of starting it with a volunteer stint. We’d love to visit in the future.
Amazing! The bridge especially grabbed my attention! Those big, what looks like iron chains really make it!
the place looks so unusual and so creative! absolutely LOVE it. such an enjoyable experience
I have not spent any time in the Indian Himalayas. I would love to walk across the Chafi Bridge and visit the hidden lake and waterfall at Pari Taal. That road to Gunji looks a little bit too scary for me
It is quite an adventure that you are enjoying! I would love to kayak and see a musk deer, as well as a tea plantation.
I really know nothing about the region of Uttarakhand In Northern India. So it was interesting to learn a little bit more about the Kumaon region. With all those hills and mountains, I am not surprised you got lots of great views. And got in a lot of hiking. Good tip about loading the MAPS.ME app to help on the trails.
You are quite adventurous! I don’t think I would have felt as comfortable as you traveling alone. And I’m amazed at the territory you covered. How many total miles did you travel?! I appreciate your details — love that there was a great variety of things to do in Kumaon. Most of all I would enjoy the hiking, the views, and the food!
Around 500+ km 🙂
I had never heard of Kumaon India before, but your pictures certainly make me want to go and visit there. It looks beautiful. I’m always amazed at the different landscapes and terrain that India has to offer, among many other things. It is definitely a place that is high on my travel bucket list.
Wow! What an incredible itinerary! Thank you for sharing – I am bookmarking for our future travels.
Happy to read about your experience in Kumaon. The view is magnificent and makes it really worth the trip. I admire people like you who are able to travel to these areas. The view from Khaliya Top is breathtaking.
Although I have traveled in the Kumaon region region quite a bit, it’s mostly been in bits and pieces over several visits. Your post makes me nostalgic recalling those wonderful moments. Am motivated after your post to do a longish tour and cover all the places not visited so far and follow your plan.