Har Ki Dun Trek
Har Ki Dun trek is a few of the treks in India that remains accessible both in winter and summer. This trek is a fascinating journey into the gorgeous valley of Har Ki Dun. Owing to its beauty, the valley is known as the valley of gods. This trek is in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarkhand and lies in the Garhwal Himalayas.
This presents itself so well that it has never disappointed any trekkers with its beauty. The trek has everything that makes one wonder about nature. It has a lovely river valley with diverse and dense flora and fauna. Its landscape is staggering and the village life is a rejuvenation to the city life. The meadows are long and serene. The mountains are enticing with their snow-capped peaks and varied texture and formation.Har Ki Dun trek traverses beside the gorgeous Supin River. The crossing of bridges over river streams that pass through beautiful villages is a fascinating experience.
The best feature of this trek is that you can do it both in summer and winter. In summers it has a mild and pleasant temperature. Spring has full flower bloom and wildlife is thriving all around. During the winters the snowfall makes this valley like a fairy. This entire trek becomes like passing through a winter wonderland. The entire white carpet of snow completely transforms this valley into a fantastic Winterland.
Another feature of this trek that we don’t find in all the treks is the summit feel. Yes, the Har Ki Dun trek is a summit trek. The feel when you summit on this trek is the feeling of joy and conquest. The conquest of one’s weakness and tiredness. As you see the ever-inspiring peaks of Swargarohini, Hata, and Black mountains, you feel that you have left all the worry that has burdened you. Nature refreshes you into a liberated soul.
The gradient of the trek is moderate and it covers a total distance of about 67 km. The trek starts at Sankri in Uttarakhand. It has a drive till Taluka. The trek starts from Taluka and goes beside river Supin River via Pauni Garaat. The trail has an overhead cover of walnut trees, pine, and cedar trees. It goes through the farm of potatoes and maize. On your first trek day, you will be camping beside the Supin river.
The next after leaving early morning, you will be ascending towards Kalkattiyadhaar. This is 8 km away from the campsite. The gradient of the day is tough owing to its steepness. The trail winds through farms that have the river adjacent to it. The trail offers some fantastic vantage points that give a panoramic view. Savor yourself into the photography and capture the moments. You will get a view of two beautiful mountain ranges i.e Banderpoonch and Swargarohini. This day you will be trekking for around 4 hours.
The next day trail again turns into a steep ascend. Today is the summit day. You will be starting early morning from your campsite at Kalkattiyadhaar. The distance is long and is around 14 km. The trek goes over ascends and descends and then climbs all the way up the summit of Har Ki Dun.
Har Ki Dun trekking is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. This offers everything with a short itinerary which is delightful to all the senses.
How difficult is Har Ki Dun Trek?
The gradient of this trek is easy to moderate. It is definitely easy for seasoned trekkers or those with quite a fair level of physical fitness. However, beginners can certainly do this trek. This will be feeling a moderate level of difficulty of this trek.
This trek is for 6 days, however, the during two days there is driving only. The difficulty that this trek might give to the beginners is because of its altitude gain. It goes from 1950m to 3566. Also, the distance of the trek is touching 50, and every trekking day one has to trek for around 5 hours.
In winters the snowfall makes it a bit more challenging. The frequent rainfall of June makes the trail slippery and tricky.
Having said this, Har Ki Dun still makes the best beginners trek.
How long is Har Ki Dun Trek?
This trek has a moderate level of distance. It is around 50 km in length which is a moderate length to finish in the duration of a total of 4 trek days. Har Ki Dun distnce is mild. The trail is easily manageable and it offers a fantastic landscape.
Sankri to Har ki dun distance?
The distance is around 220 km. This is a complete drive that goes through a beautiful landscape. This is the first day of the journey and you will be taking the same drive on the last day of your trek journey.
Delhi to Har ki dun distance?
The road distance from Delhi to Sankri which is the base for Har Ki Dun is around 430 km. From Dehradun, the distance is 220km.
Dehradun to Har Ki Dun Trek distance?
This distance is 220km. This is all drive and the drive is rewarding. The road goes through a beautiful landscape.
What is the height of Har Ki Dun Trek?
Har Ki Dun reaches the highest altitude of 3566. This is the summit of the trek and you will reach this on the fourth day of your journey. The trek starts from Sankri which is at an altitude of 1950m. So there is a total gain of around 1500m.
Can I do Har Ki Dun trek solo?
This trek is an easy to moderate trek. This trek has a long history of trekking. You will see a lot of trekkers and the local population traversing Har Ki Dun valley. This makes it ideal for solo trekkers. Har Ki Dun solo trek is quite safe and doable. You can hire your guide or join any of the fixed departures of Cliffhangers India to embark on this journey.
How to Reach
- By Air, Dehradun has the Jolly Grant Airport which is around 25 km from the main city. There is a flight from Delhi to Dehradun every day.
- By Train There is a daily train service going and coming from Delhi to Dehradun. You can book either Nandadevi Express or Dehradun Express.
- By Bus There is an easy and regular bus service from Delhi. You can either book a shared cab or the government-run bus service.
Short ItineraryDay 1 – Dehradun to Sankri
- Drive Time: 10 hours
- Drive Distance: 220km
- Sankri Altitude:1950m
Day 2 – Sankri to Pauni Garaat via Taluka
- Drive Time: 1 hour
- Trek Time: 6 hours
- Trek Distance: 10km
- Altitude:1950m to 2500m.
Day 3 – Pauni Garaat to Kalkattiyadhaar via Osla
- Trek Time: 5 hours
- Trek Distance: 8km
- Altitude:2500m to 3024m.
Day 4 – Kalkattiyadhar to Har Ki Doon & back to Kalkattiyadhart
- Trek Time: 9 hours
- Trek Distance: 10km
- Altitude:3024m to 3566m (summit altitude)
Day 5 – Kalkattiyadhar to Pauni Garaat via Osla
- Trek Time: 5 hours
- Trek Distance: 8km
- Altitude: 3024m to 2500m
Day 6 – Pauni Garaat to Sankri via Taluka
- Drive Time: 1 hour
- Trek Time: 6 hours
- Trek Distance: 10km
Day 7 – Sankri to Dehradun
- Drive Time: 10 hours
- Drive Distance: 220km
- Sankri Altitude:1950m
Day 1: Dehradun to Sankri
- Drive Time: 10 hours
- Drive Distance: 220km
- Sankri Altitude:1950m
The trek journey for Har Ki Dun begins with a long drive from Dehradun to Sankri. Sankri is the base camp for the trek and is very much famous for many other treks as well. From Dehradun, you will have to leave early morning at around 6 in the morning. The drive takes around 10 hours and is around 200km.
The drive of the day is fantastic and scenic. The drive goes through the beautiful landscape of Uttarkashi. The drive winds through Mussoorie. It goes through other villages like Naugaon, Purola, Mori. The drive is all scenic with forests and mountain ranges welcoming you all the way. Since the drive is long, you will have to stop at some lunch spot. There are many go-to lunch spots for trekkers, you will stop for the delicious lunch on the way.
By evening you will reach Sankri. Gear yourself for tomorrow’s trek, get your trekking stuff on rent, or buy whatever you want to that can help during your trek days. There is a beautiful bazaar at Sankri.
Day 2: Sankri to Pauni Garaat via Taluka
- Drive Time: 1 hour
- Trek Time: 6 hours
- Trek Distance: 10km
- Altitude:1950m to 2500m.
On the second day, there is a short drive from Sankri. The drive is to a place called Taluka. From Taluka is what your trekking starts. This short drive is quite thrilling as it goes through thick forests and water streams.
Before you start trekking now, fill your snacks properly, and don’t forget to fill your water bottle. The trail starts beautifully along the river Tons and enters into a conifer forest. It then reaches the bridge. There is a river crossing, and then a wooden bridge comes up after a walk of around 20 minutes and that leads to the waters down.
The hike then becomes pleasant with many shades. This is ideal for photography as it is devoid of that killing brightness of the day. As you will be walking under the canopy of the forest, you will hear the music of the river stream and birds chirping.
In summers this trail is busy with load ferrying by locals. And in autumn you will see them hoarding the essentials for the winters.
A few hours into the trek, you will see a quaint village called Gangar. Here you will find some snack shops. This is unique to a few of the treks in India. Stop here for your lunch break.
Post lunch, your trail will have a fantastic view of long potato and maize farms. Immediately afterward, you will be reaching your campsite at Pauni Garaat.
Day 3: Pauni Garaat to Kalkattiyadhaar via Osla
- Drive Time: 1 hour
- Trek Time: 6 hours
- Trek Distance: 10km
- Altitude:1950m to 2500m.
On the second day, there is a short drive from Sankri. The drive is to a place called Taluka. From Taluka is what your trekking starts. This short drive is quite thrilling as it goes through thick forests and water streams.
Before you start trekking now, fill your snacks properly, and don’t forget to fill your water bottle. The trail starts beautifully along the river Tons and enters into a conifer forest. It then reaches the bridge. There is a river crossing, and then a wooden bridge comes up after a walk of around 20 minutes and that leads to the waters down.
The hike then becomes pleasant with many shades. This is ideal for photography as it is devoid of that killing brightness of the day. As you will be walking under the canopy of the forest, you will hear the music of the river stream and birds chirping.
In summers this trail is busy with load ferrying by locals. And in autumn you will see them hoarding the essentials for the winters.
A few hours into the trek, you will see a quaint village called Gangar. Here you will find some snack shops. This is unique to a few of the treks in India. Stop here for your lunch break.
Post lunch, your trail will have a fantastic view of long potato and maize farms. Immediately afterward, you will be reaching your campsite at Pauni Garaat.
Day 4: Kalkattiyadhar to Har Ki Doon & back to Kalkattiyadhart
- Trek Time: 9 hours
- Trek Distance: 10km
- Altitude:3024m to 3566m (summit altitude)
This is the summit day. You will be leaving the campsite early morning. Savor the delicious breakfast, get yourself geared for the beautiful and most delightful day of the trek. This day has some different landscapes. You will be traversing some moraines and fantastic meadows. The glacier basin walk could be challenging but rewarding at the same time. The trail has long pine trees.
The trail of the day is a blend of steep and mild ascends. There are frozen waterfalls during winter cold temperatures and covered in thick snow. In early summer, the waterfall is all cascading beautifully. With the final push, you will reach the summit of Har Ki Dun. Behold the entire view of the beautiful valley down and the snow-capped mountains in the surroundings. The summit gives a gorgeous view of the peaks of Swargarohini, Hata, Black mountains.
Spend some time at the summit. Savor the beauty of your surroundings. You will not be seeing nature at its best in cities and hometowns. Post lunch, you will walk the same route. And descend to the same campsite of Kalkattiyadhar.
Day 5: Kalkattiyadhar to Pauni Garaat via Osla
- Trek Time: 5 hours
- Trek Distance: 8km
- Altitude: 3024m to 2500m
This starts your return journey. The trek towards Sankri is the same as you followed before. So the trek is the repeat. You will be now ascending and losing the altitude till your last day. This however offers a chance to relive those moments in valleys and landscape again. Try to capture every landscape, scenery, and moment with your camera. You will be cherishing these moments later.
The campsite is at Pauni Garaat and it goes via Oslo village.
Day 6: Pauni Garaat to Sankri via Taluka
- Drive Time: 1 hour
- Trek Time: 6 hours
- Trek Distance: 10km
- Altitude: 2500m to 1950m
Repeat the trek on the same trail. By now you are familiar with the trail and you will be gossiping around on the trail. The hangover of the trek will remain for long with you.
You will be trekking to Taluka which will take around 6 hours. The distance is 10 km. Once you reach Taluka, there is a short drive to Sankri. As all along you will be descending, be careful with your steps. Be firm with your steps and tie your laces ankle-high.
Day 7: Homwas – Aru – Srinagar
- Drive Time: 10 hours
- Drive Distance: 220km
- Sankri Altitude:1950m
This is the last day of the trekking journey. This is what you took on your first day. A long drive from Sankri to Dehradun and then to your respective locations. This is a 10-hour drive and will make you reach Dehradun by evening only. However, the drive is quite scenic and winds through beautiful jungles and landscapes.
What is the best time for Har Ki Dun Trek?
Har Ki Dun trek is doable in almost all seasons. Here is how it looks in different months and seasons:
Winters: This trek is beautiful in the winter. Enjoy the fresh snowfall here. Since the gradient of the trek is easy to moderate it is doable in winters as well. However, in extreme snowfall cases, the trek gets canceled.
- Har Ki Dun in December: As December is the start of the winter and snowfall, this trek has December as the ideal winter month. Come and enjoy your Christmas, New Year in the scenic landscape of this valley. The temperature this month isn’t as freezing as in January. Har Ki Dun trek is very much possible in December.
- January Har Ki Dun is cold and freezing. You will see ponds and waterfalls frozen and the icicles formed around. Cherish the trek in the fresh snowfall of the valley. This month receives quite a fair amount of snowfall which is frequent.
- Har Ki Dun in February: This month is somewhat similar to January. However, there is a cold chill during this month. The nights are very much freezing. During the days the temperature also hovers around below zero degrees.
- Har Ki Dun in March: This is the start of the end of harsh winter. In this month you will see a fair increase in the temperature. Although the temperature is still cold, it gets relatively bearable. This is also the best month in winter to do this trek.
Summer
- April: April Har Ki Dun is pleasant. This is the perfect season to see both snow and pleasant weather without harsh freezing cold. This is the month the snow has started melting and the grass is starting to grow again. This month will give you a glimpse of both the summer and winter seasons while on this trek.
- Har Ki Dun in May: This is the month when the sun will be out with its sunshine. The weather is mild. There is no summer heat and no winter cold. This month is ideal as it provides you with the best of its flora and fauna. The fields are full of greenery, the meadows and alive and the streams are thriving with water.
- Har Ki Dun in June: If you do this in early June, this will be similar to May and better in terms of greenery and temperature. However, by the end of June Monsoon winds start to hit this place causing heavy rainfall. And from July this makes the trek afterward quite tricky and difficult to maneuver.
- Har Ki Dun Trek October: This is the best season for an autumn trek to this valley. The entire valley is covered in its autumn colourful vibe. This is quite a different and colorful month to do the Har Ki Dun trek. The temperature is neither hot nor cold. It is moderate.
Har Ki Dun weather?
This trek runs through almost three seasons. One is winter, the second is spring, and then the summer. In January and February, the temperature is cold and harsh. And it frequently receives snowfall. In December, the weather is cold but not harsh and it doesn’t receive frequent snowfall. The same is with March. The temperature is cold but not as cold as in January and February.
In the spring month of April, the temperature is pleasant and mild which is also in the month of October. However, October has all the autumn colors and in April you will see the spring colors of bloom.
In June the temperature is of summer and there starts the rainfall as monsoon winds start coming.
So, the temperature of the Har Ki Dun trek varied depending upon the month in which you are doing this trek.