Uttarkashi Tourism (2024) - Uttarakhand > Top Places, Travel Guide

Uttarkashi Travel Essentials

Rating:

4.0 /5 (28 ratings) Rate This Destination

Weather:

Ideal duration: 1-2 days

Best Time: March to June, September to November Read More

Planning a Trip? Ask Your Question

Uttarkashi Tourism

Endearingly called as Devbhoomi, Uttarkashi, literally meaning 'Kashi of the North', is a quaint little town tucked away in the hill state of Uttarakhand. Revered by the Hindus as one of their propitious religious sites, the townhouses two of the total four holy shrines of Hindu mythology. It is one of the most visited cities of religious relevance in the area and gives you a sense of heightened divinity and an out of the world experience. The region was more in the favour of religious tourism initially but lately the spurring of trekking and adventure activities invites a lot of non religion tourists as well. Replete with ashrams and mandir, the town has got a spiritual vibe to it. All in all, the entire place boasts of divine heritage, mesmerising natural beauty, scenic panoramas and a wonderful irenic atmosphere.

Uttarkashi is one of the younger parts of Uttarakhand, formed in 1960. There is an uncanny purity about the place, making it one of the most visited cities of religious relevance in the area. Totally untouched by industrialism, except to simplify the existence, without over altering, the town is like no place you have ever spent your time in. While lakes and temples are in great numbers, the whole aura of religion is not over powering. Uttarkashi will give you a sense of heightened divinity and an out of body experience, and it is one of the fewest places doing so, even on the trekking routes it has to offer. Visit Uttarkashi, only if you're truly ready to revamp yourself, inside out.

Dodital Lake

Nachiketa Lake

Dodital Dayara Pass Trek

Dayara Bugyal Trek

Shakti Temple

Nehru Mountaineering Institute

View All Places To Visit In Uttarkashi

Top Hotels In Uttarkashi

50 Homestays In Uttarkashi

$ 5 onwards

8 Resorts In Uttarkashi

$ 27 onwards

2 5 Star Hotels In Uttarkashi

1 Camping In Uttarkashi

$ 48 onwards

View All Hotels In Uttarkashi

More on Uttarkashi Travel

Varanasi of North

Uttarkashi literally translates to "Kashi or Varanasi of the North". True to its name, Uttarkashi is a home to a number of ashrams and temples located on the banks of the holy Ganges that offer solace and peace to the true devotees of God. Apart from the temples, there are several ashrams in Uttarkashi that offer the right path of meditation, balancing and yoga to its followers.
Sivananda Kutir, Shivana ashram and Adi Shankara Brahma Vidhya Peeth are few of the yoga and meditation retreats in Uttarkashi. Uttarkashi is also famous for the Nehru Institute of mountaineering where thousands of adventure enthusiasts come to learn the various mountaineering courses to trek the rugged Himalayas.

Mythology

History of Uttarkashi goes back to the mythical times of Mahabharat and has a lot of spirituality and religion attached to it. It has a rich culture and fascinating mythology and is considered a holy place of worship by the pilgrims. It is a meditational grounds for a lot of sages and hermits. History suggests that a great sage in the name of Jada Bhagatha performed penance on the lands of Uttarkashi and attained enlightenment. It thus came to be a place of worship by the Hindus. Dodi Tal, the pristine lake in the region is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ganesha and is highly revered by the Hindus. The legend also suggests that Yamunotri was the dwelling place of Goddess Yamuna and therefore holds a lot of religious significance. It is also one of the four sites of the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage. Just like Yamunotri, Gangotri is also a holy site of worship. Other than being the origin of the holy river Ganges, the myth goes to say that Goddess Ganga took the form of a river to shrive the sins of King Bhagiratha’s predecessors. Kashi Vishwanath Temple is another sacred site believed to have built by Hermit Parshuram (as in the Mahabharat). Also, Lord Shiva considers the temple his abode for the latter part of Kalyuga.

Itinerary

About two days are enough to explore Uttarkashi unless you're planning on taking up a trek, which can put in 2-3 days more to your vacation.
Day 1- Begin with a visit to the three temples of the utmost religious relevance, situated right next to each other, the Shakti Temple, the Vishwanath Temple and the Kuteti Devi Temple. While these three are enough to round off your day, with an early dinner watching the waterfalls at the Kuteti Devi, the second day will be more adventurous.
Day 2- This day is all about the liquid phenomenon of the hills, the Dodital and Nachiketa Lake. Both the lakes are a bit of a trek's distance away, but equally liberating with the picture perfect scenery they have to offer. Carry your running shoes and camera along, it will be quite the trip for the both of them. The day will mostly be about trekking, but you can split the lakes individually into two days since the trek to Dodital can take a toll on you if you aren't an intermediate trekker or have a strong stamina.
Day 3- The third day can then be your day of visiting the Nehru Mountaineering Institute. As you leave Uttarkashi on an adrenaline high, why not give a try to the Gangotri and Yamunotri too, which are about 80 km from the town, and explore the shrines and sightseeing options from there as well? Your trip is only as good as you make it.

Gateway of Treks

Uttarkashi with its eternal beauty of Garhwal Himalayas and rich green valleys offers a number of treks for the avid adventurers. Dayara Bugyal trek is the scenic trek that takes you through the meadows of Uttarkashi at an elevation of 3048 m. The meadows of Dayara Bugyal turn into ski destinations in winters when loaded with the sheet of snow.
Another trek that begins from Uttarkashi is the trek from Dodital to Yamunotri. The end point of the trek is the picturesque freshwater lake at an elevation of 3085 m, surrounded by the beautiful vistas of Himalayan hills. The other famous treks from Uttarkashi are Gaumukh Tapowan, Har Ki Doon and Kedarkantha trek.

Best Time to Visit Uttarkashi

Nearby Places

Places To Visit

Places To Visit

Places To Visit

Places To Visit

Places To Visit

Places To Visit

Places To Visit

Places To Visit

Places To Visit

Places To Visit

Places To Visit

Places To Visit

How to Reach Uttarkashi

How to Reach Overview

The most convenient way of travelling to Uttarkashi is by reaching Rishikesh or Dehradun by flight or train and then hiring a taxi to Uttarkashi.

How to reach Uttarkashi by flight

Uttarkashi does not have its own airport, the nearest airport to the hill station is Dehradun airport. From Dehradun, you can take a bus or taxi to Uttarkashi.

How to reach Uttarkashi by road

There are a number of the buses plying to Uttarkashi from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and cities nearby. However, if you're not comfortable travelling on a steep terrain, you should not consider travelling by road.

How to reach Uttarkashi by train

The nearest railway station to Uttarkashi is Dehradun railway station, at 143 km away from Uttarkashi. You can take a cab or bus from Dehradun to Uttarkashi.

Local transport in Uttarkashi

The travelling in the mountains is a bit of a stressful trip, with the steep terrain causing slow speeds and a bit of road sickness if you're not comfortable with it. If you aren't acquainted with the hills, make sure you go for a more comfortable vehicle, to make your ride easier. Ample of travel agents in the city provide transportation. Bargain if you must, but the deals in packages are usually good enough for your trips.

Browse Hotel Collections

Uttarkashi Photos

+ 11
photos

FAQs on Uttarkashi

Who should visit Uttarkashi?

Uttarkashi can be visited by pilgrims and trekkers

What are the places near Uttarkashi?

The top places near to Uttarkashi are Rishikesh which is 73 km from Uttarkashi, Mussoorie which is located 47 km from Uttarkashi, Shimla which is located 128 km from Uttarkashi, Kanatal which is located 36 km from Uttarkashi, Auli which is located 109 km from Uttarkashi

What are the things to do in Uttarkashi?

The top things to do in Uttarkashi are Dodital Lake, Nachiketa Lake, Dodital Dayara Pass Trek, Dayara Bugyal Trek, Shakti Temple, Nehru Mountaineering Institute. You can see all the places to visit in Uttarkashi here

What is the best way to reach Uttarkashi?

The most convenient way of travelling to Uttarkashi is by reaching Rishikesh or Dehradun by flight or train and then hiring a taxi to Uttarkashi.
Read More

What is the local food in Uttarkashi?

Uttarkashi has small and big eating joints with a huge variety of cuisines, chiefly because the diversity of tourists is huge, and it is increasingly commercializing on the food front, to suit the tastes of the tourists. Both the options of budget food and luxury dining are available. From the Shangri La to the smaller eateries, like the popular Hotel Shiv Dev, you have enough to choose from.
Read More

What is the best time to visit Uttarkashi?

March to November is the best time to visit Uttarkashi. Essentially summers, monsoons and autumn are the best seasons to enjoy the city of Uttarkashi when the season complements the happiness of the festivities. During summers, temperature goes up to a breezy 30 degrees Celsius maximum, and monsoons are the time when the festivals are at their peaks.
Read More

What is not so good about Uttarkashi?

Very few places to visit in Uttarkashi. All the major tourist destinations lie at some distance from Uttarkashi.

What is famous about Uttarkashi?

It is an ideal destination for trekking. An all year long hill station destination. Houses Nehru Institute of Mountaineering which offers mountaineering training. Also, is an important pilgrimage site of Hindus (Char Dham Yatra)

Have a Question on Uttarkashi?

Ask a question from the travellers who have
experience.

Uttarkashi Reviews

Your rating

Kumar Kislay

6 years ago

- Uttarkashi, being a huge pilgrimage town, can be quite crowded, and a bummer specially if you don't have your travel plans and reservations in place, especially when travelling with family or for b (Read More)usiness. Make sure you book your accommodation in advance and have a charted out course for sightseeing.
- Pack enough clothes to layer on at night if you are travelling during monsoon, and you may want to give a thought to carrying gum boots as well.

View All Reviews About Uttarkashi

Uttarkashi

Top Hotel Collections

Uttarkashi Travel Essentials

Uttarkashi Tourism

Places To Visit In Uttarkashi

Top Hotels In Uttarkashi