Gangotri is a pilgrimage, not a resort. A cluster of ashrams, lodges and shops sits around a small white-stone temple to the goddess Ganga on the Bhagirathi, high in the Garhwal Himalaya in Uttarkashi district. In Hindu tradition this is where Ganga came down to earth when Shiva caught her in his hair, and the temple is one of the four Chota Char Dham shrines.
The season is short and fixed by the calendar. The temple opens on Akshaya Tritiya, in April or early May, and closes around Diwali and Bhai Dooj. For the winter months the goddess's image is carried down to Mukhba village near Harsil, and the road up is left to the snow. Dates move each year, so check them before you book anything.
Most visitors come for a night or two: the morning darshan, a walk to the ghat and the evening aarti, a look at the Surya Kund waterfall and the river itself, which is close, fast and noisy at this height. A smaller number carry on to Gaumukh, the snout of the Gangotri Glacier, an 18 km walk that needs a forest permit and a night at Bhojbasa.
The drive is the hard part. It is a long mountain road from Rishikesh or Dehradun, usually split with a night in Uttarkashi or Harsil, and it can be closed by landslides in the monsoon. Older travellers do well here if they accept the altitude, keep the first day light and treat the Gaumukh walk as optional.
Before you plan
Gangotri at a glance
- Best months
- May and JuneMay and June, then September and October. The temple is open only from Akshaya Tritiya (April/May) to about Diwali; July and August bring monsoon landslides.
- Ideal trip length
- 1 night at Gangotri1 night at Gangotri, ideally 2–3 days from Uttarkashi or Harsil; add 3–4 days if you plan the Gaumukh trek
- Airport
- Jolly Grant Airport, DehradunJolly Grant Airport, Dehradun (DED), about 250–270 km away; the drive to Gangotri is a full day, so many people overnight en route
- Railway station
- RishikeshRishikesh (RKSH), Haridwar (HW) and Dehradun (DDN) are the usual railheads; no train reaches the Bhagirathi valley
- Getting around
- Shared or private taxis run the…Shared or private taxis run the mountain road from Rishikesh and Uttarkashi; once in Gangotri the temple, ghat and lodges are all within walking distance
- Daily budget
- Roughly ₹1,500–₹3,500 per person per…Roughly ₹1,500–₹3,500 per person per day excluding the long road journey, for basic lodging, simple vegetarian meals and local transport; prices rise in May and June
- Senior comfort
- Reasonable for the temple itselfReasonable for the temple itself, which is level near the road, but altitude, cold and a long road journey need planning; Gaumukh is demanding
- Language
- Hindi and Garhwali locallyHindi and Garhwali locally; English is understood in some lodges, but fewer people speak it than in larger pilgrimage towns
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Gangotri: May, June. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Gangotri itinerary
One good day
1 day in Gangotri
Start from Harsil or Uttarkashi early so you arrive in the morning, when the road is clearest and the queue at the temple is shorter. Do darshan first, then walk the ghat and, if a guide or local points it out, the Bhagirath Shila beside the temple. After lunch and a rest at your lodge, walk to the Surya Kund waterfall while you still have energy. Return for the evening aarti at the ghat if you are staying, or head back down while it is still light. Note that a day trip from Uttarkashi is a very long day on the road.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Gangotri
Leave Uttarkashi after breakfast and stop at Gangnani for the hot spring if you are not rushed. Look in at Harsil and Bhaironghati on the way, reach Gangotri in the afternoon and check in. Rest for the altitude, then walk to the ghat for the evening aarti.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Gangotri
Take the road up slowly, with stops at Gangnani and the Bhaironghati bridge. Stay in Harsil, which sits lower than Gangotri, and walk a little through the apple orchards and along the river to acclimatise.
Day-by-day plan →
