Tungnath Trek: Distance, Height, Route and Packages

Tungnath Trek: Complete Guide to Route and Packages

Let me tell you what most trek guides skip. The Tungnath trek is 3.5 km from Chopta, yes. Takes about 2 hours uphill. And it ends at the highest Shiva temple in the world, sitting at 3,680 meters above sea level. Technically an easy trek. Altitude-wise, not so simple.

People underestimate this one because the numbers sound friendly. 3.5 km does not scare anyone. But 3,680 meters will remind you that your lungs are not working at full capacity, especially if you drove up from Delhi the same morning and think you can just start climbing.

The good news is the trail itself is forgiving. No ropes, no scrambling, no navigation required. If you have got the basics sorted and you are not rushing, Tungnath is genuinely one of the more rewarding short treks in Uttarakhand.

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Chopta to Tungnath: The Distance Actually Worth Knowing

Chopta village sits at 2,680 meters. The trek to Tungnath covers 3.5 km with about 1,000 meters of elevation gain. That gain happens consistently, there are no flat sections where you get to recover.

Going up takes most people 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Coming back down, around 1 to 1.5 hours. Budget 4 hours total for just the Chopta to Tungnath and back route.

If you want Chandrashila peak too, add 1.5 km beyond the Tungnath temple. That section gains another 450 meters and is noticeably harder than everything below it. Open terrain, rocky ground, strong wind, no shade. Total from Chopta to Chandrashila and back comes to 10 km, and the full day runs 6 to 7 hours.

Most people who do this trek regret not attempting Chandrashila. Very few regret attempting it.

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What the Route Looks Like When You Are Actually On It

The first kilometer from Chopta goes through rhododendron and oak forest. In April and May those trees are blooming and the trail turns a deep red from fallen flowers, honestly one of the better forest walks in this part of Uttarakhand. Above the treeline, around 3,200 meters, the landscape opens completely.

From there to Tungnath temple, the views start. Kedarnath, Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi on a clear morning. The trail is stone-paved in sections near the temple, steep enough that your calves notice.

At Tungnath itself the temple complex is small, ancient, quieter than you might expect for something this significant. It is one of the Panch Kedar temples and it draws pilgrims who start walking before dawn. Tourists and devotees sharing the same narrow trail, same steep steps. That part of the experience is worth something on its own.

Above Tungnath toward Chandrashila the trail gets rocky, narrow, and fully exposed. Wind there can be strong enough to affect your footing on gusty days. The summit has a small temple and a view that stops most people mid-sentence. Kedarnath, Badrinath, Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi, Trishul all visible in one sweep on a clear morning. Plan to be there before 11 AM, cloud cover builds over these peaks fast after noon.

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Tungnath Trek Height: Why These Numbers Matter

Point	Altitude	Distance from Chopta
Chopta Base	2,680 meters	Starting point
Treeline	~3,200 meters	~2 km
Tungnath Temple	3,680 meters	3.5 km
Chandrashila Peak	4,130 meters	5 km

That 1,450 meter gain from base to summit sounds fine on paper. In practice, anyone coming straight from a low altitude city and starting the trek within a few hours of arriving in Chopta is going to feel it. Slower pace, elevated heart rate, possible mild headache. All normal at this altitude.

What is less normal is pushing through if those symptoms worsen rather than ease with rest. Descend first, push further another time.

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Tungnath Temple Trek: What the Temple Actually Is

Tungnath is not just the highest Shiva temple, it is part of the Panch Kedar circuit, the five Shiva temples in the Garhwal Himalayas that form one of Hinduism’s most significant pilgrimage routes. The others are Kedarnath, Kalpeshwar, Rudranath, and Madhyamaheshwar.

The temple structure itself is believed to be over a thousand years old, Nagara style architecture, small carved stone exterior, not particularly large. The priest community from Makkumath village manages it. During winter when the temple closes, usually after Diwali in November, the deity moves to Makkumath and stays there until the season reopens in April or May.

Photography is fine outside. Not inside the inner sanctum.

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Best Time for the Chopta Tungnath Trek

April through June works well. Temple is open, rhododendrons bloom through May, daytime temperatures at Chopta hover between 8 and 15 degrees Celsius. Snow clears from the main trail by mid-April most years. Busiest period, book accommodation early.

September and October are arguably better for the actual trekking experience. Post-monsoon air is cleaner, views from Chandrashila are sharper, crowds drop considerably. October mornings from the summit are some of the clearest of the year. Nights at Chopta drop to 2 to 5 degrees by mid-October though, pack accordingly.

November the temple closes, usually first or second week. Snow starts appearing on the upper trail. Doable in early November but the window is short.

Monsoon, July and August. Wet trail, slippery stone steps, leeches in the forest section, cloud cover blocking the views that make Chandrashila worth the effort. Skip it if you can.

Winter, December through March. Deep snow, temple closed, road to Chopta blocked some years. This becomes a serious snow trek requiring mountaineering experience. Not the standard Tungnath trek.

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Getting to Chopta

No direct public bus runs to Chopta reliably. The most practical option is a private vehicle from Rishikesh or Haridwar.

From Rishikesh, Chopta is about 200 km. Route goes through Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Ukhimath. Expect 6 to 8 hours by road. Private vehicle one way costs INR 3,000 to 4,500 depending on vehicle type.

Shared jeeps run between Ukhimath and Chopta (25 km) on some days but the schedule is not consistent enough to rely on for timed arrivals. If you need to reach Chopta by a specific evening, private vehicle is the safer option.

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Where to Stay at Chopta

Uttarakhand Forest Department has a guest house in Chopta, bookable through the forest department portal, decent rooms, limited availability. Book this well in advance during April through June and in October.

Private tent camps and basic guesthouses operate through the trekking season. Standards vary considerably. Most cover bedding, shared bathrooms, basic meals. Solar power only, so do not expect consistent electricity for charging overnight.

Weekends in May and during any long Indian holiday weekend, Chopta fills up fast. Mid-week visits are noticeably calmer and easier to book last-minute.

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Tungnath Trek Package Options

Most operators running packages out of Rishikesh structure them as 3 days, 2 nights: travel on Day 1, full trek on Day 2, return journey on Day 3.

Packages typically include transport from Rishikesh to Chopta and back, accommodation at Chopta, breakfast and dinner at camp, a trek leader for the route, and basic first aid.

Per person cost runs INR 4,000 to 8,000 depending on group size and accommodation type. Solo bookings cost more per head than group rates. Groups of six or more get the best per-person pricing usually.

Some operators offer 2-day compressed packages where Day 1 is travel and acclimatization and Day 2 is the trek and return. Tight but possible. Not ideal for first-timers at altitude.

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What to Carry

Layers, not one heavy jacket. Temperature at Chopta in the morning and temperature at Chandrashila summit in the same morning differ by 15 degrees or more. Base layer, fleece, windproof outer layer.

Trekking shoes with actual grip. Wet stone on the temple steps is where most slips happen, and the rocky terrain above Tungnath requires footwear that bites. Running shoes are fine in dry conditions and unreliable the moment anything gets damp.

Trekking poles help significantly on descent. Knees take the most impact on the stone-paved lower section. Rent them in Chopta if you do not have your own.

Minimum 2 liters of water per person. SPF 50 sunscreen regardless of whether it feels sunny, UV exposure at 3,500 meters is much higher than at sea level. Snacks since dhabas on the trail are not reliably open.

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Difficulty Level

Easy to moderate is the standard classification and it is accurate, mostly.

The trail requires no technical skill. Pilgrims of all ages including elderly visitors complete it regularly. What makes it harder than it looks is the altitude. Fit people who have never trekked above 3,000 meters often find themselves going slower than expected and that is completely normal.

Kids above 10 and in reasonable physical shape generally handle this well. Adults with respiratory or cardiac conditions should talk to a doctor before anything above 3,500 meters.

The Chandrashila section above the temple is harder than the rest, not technically, just more exposed, steeper gradient, and the altitude effects hit harder in that last 450 meters.

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The Trek Is Worth the Planning

Short distance does not mean easy altitude, and the Tungnath Chandrashila trek is proof of that. 10 km round trip, 1,450 meters of gain, a thousand year old temple at 3,680 meters and a summit view at 4,130 meters that covers half the Garhwal Himalaya in one frame.

Get to Chopta the night before. Start early. Do not skip Chandrashila if your legs are cooperating. That view from the top is what the whole thing is for.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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