Gaumukh–Tapovan Trek
also Tapovan, Gangotri–Gaumukh–Tapovan
Gaumukh–Tapovan is a 7-day trek in Gangotri, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, topping out at 4,463 m. On TrekBaba's normalized scale — the same formula applied to every trek in this catalogue — it scores 55.1/100, which puts it in the Moderate band: you want a few weekends of walking in your legs and no fear of long days. With a high point of 4,463 m, AMS risk is high; plan the acclimatization days in, and do not push through a headache that is getting worse.
Operator says Moderate — normalized grade: Moderate.
Photo: Lokeshwar23 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Explore the route
Scrub the trail — satellite view, live altitude. 20.5 km
Route drawn from real OpenStreetMap geometry (588 sampled points simplified to 105), elevations from the Copernicus DEM. Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics | Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Gaumukh–Tapovan route, point by point
4 recorded points from Gangotri to Tapovan meadow over about 21 km. Operators' day splits vary — compare them below.
- Day 1GangotriRoadhead · 3,100 m
- Day 2BhojwasaCamp · 3,790 m
- Day 2GaumukhViewpoint · 4,000 m
- Day 3Tapovan meadowViewpoint · 4,463 m8 peaks in view
Why Gaumukh–Tapovan is graded Moderate
- Max altitude 4,463 m — altitude is weighted 35% and non-linearly, because AMS risk climbs steeply above ~3,500 m.
- Total ascent 2,500 m over 7 days — how much climbing your legs actually do.
- Longest day 14 km (about 9 h) — one brutal day makes a trek harder than the average does.
- Trail type: scree — exposure (snow, scree, ice, pass crossings) is weighted 35%, the same as altitude.
Score 55.1/100. Bands: Easy <40 · Moderate <64 · Difficult <85 · Very Difficult ≥85. How the formula works. Easier alternative: Valley of Flowers. Next step up: Milam Glacier.
What you'll see from Tapovan meadow
From Tapovan meadow, a line-of-sight computation over the terrain model proves Shivling (6,543 m), Nandi Paravt (5,938 m), Meru Peak (6,660 m), Meru North (6,481 m), Baghirathi Parbat II (6,512 m) and Sudarshan Parbat (6,507 m) are actually visible — not merely nearby. The model looks 40 km out, so a famous giant further away (Kangchenjunga from the Singalila ridge, say) is not listed even where it is visible.
Only peaks proven visible by line-of-sight over the terrain — not nearby-but-blocked ones — placed by true bearing and sized by how much they fill the view.
Dawn & dusk from Tapovan meadow
In May, sunset drops right behind Nandi Paravt at 19:02 — from Tapovan meadow.
Nothing lines up this month.
- Meru North31°
- Nandi Paravt0°
- Baghirathi Parbat II1°
- Baghirathi Parbat III11°
- Bhagirathi 118°
Sun times and azimuths come from the NOAA solar-position equations for this viewpoint's GPS; the peak bearings are our own viewshed moat. Times assume a flat horizon — a ridge to your east delays real first light on the ground, often by 20–60 minutes, while a high summit opposite catches it a few minutes early. The 12° and 35° bands are editorial choices, not physics: a peak 90° from the sun is side-lit, which is often the better photograph.
Best time to do Gaumukh–Tapovan
The best months for Gaumukh–Tapovan are May–June and September–October. April is shoulder season — doable, with more weather risk. July–August are risky (Jul–Aug: landslides on the Gangotri road; Gaumukh moraine unstable). The route is effectively closed in November–March. Expect snow on the trail in November–April. Reanalysis climate data for the route's own altitude puts the coldest camp night at about -19 °C in January, and the warmest daytime high near 12 °C in August.
Jul–Aug: landslides on the Gangotri road; Gaumukh moraine unstable
What the thermometer actually does up there
Computed from 10 years of Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis (2016–2025), with every sample point lapse-rate-downscaled to its true altitude — this is Tapovan meadow at 4,310 m, not the valley town. Temperatures are downscaled to the point; wet and snow days come back at the reanalysis grid scale (~10 km), so read them as weather over the area. A climate estimate, not a forecast.
Gaumukh–Tapovan trek cost — operators compared
Gaumukh–Tapovan costs ₹13,599–₹45,000 per person with an organised operator (14 of 14 listed operators publish a price; the cheapest captured is Trekos). That works out to roughly ₹2,333 per trek day. Fees typically cover meals, tents and guides from the base village; transport from the railhead, gear rental and permits vary — see the inclusion grid below. Prices are read from each operator's own page (latest capture 2026-09-22) and link straight to it.
- ₹13,599as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ✓Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹13,999as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 6
- They grade it
- Moderate to Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹14,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Easy to Moderate
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹15,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- Moderate to Difficult
- ✗Transport
- ·Meals
- ✓Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹15,400as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 6
- They grade it
- Moderate
- ✗Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹15,950as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
Show 8 more operators
- ₹16,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- Trekmunk ↗ATOAI · IMF₹16,500as of 2026-05-18 ⚠
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- Moderate
- ✓Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✗Permits
- ✓Gear
- ₹17,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹18,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹18,950as of 2026-09-22flat
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate-Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹19,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ✓Stay
- ·Permits
- ✓Gear
- ₹25,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹45,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Difficult
- ·Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
Operators self-declare difficulty. TrekBaba grades every trek by one formula — normalized: Moderate. We link out to each operator; we never copy their words or photos. Prices were read from each operator's own page on the date shown — confirm with the operator before booking. Where we have read a price more than once, the sparkline is our own dated capture log, not the operator's.
Not affiliated with any operator. Prices are dated facts read from each operator's own page; confirm before paying. See every operator on the operators index.
How to reach Gaumukh–Tapovan & staying safe
To reach Gaumukh–Tapovan, the nearest railhead is Rishikesh / Dehradun and the nearest airport is Dehradun (Jolly Grant). The road ends at Gangotri, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Uttarkashi (none at Gangotri — carry cash) — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Gangotri.
Plan 1 acclimatization day into the itinerary. At its most remote point the route is about 7.6 hours from the nearest drivable road (near Tapovan meadow) — a floor for any evacuation, not a promise. The nearest hospital is District Hospital, Uttarkashi, 99 km from the trailhead. Water: Bhagirathi-fed to Bhojwasa; springs at Tapovan meadow.
How far you are from a road
Computed against our own route line and the OpenStreetMap drivable road network over Copernicus GLO-30 elevations: hours = (crowfly_km x 1.4) / 4.0 + max(0, elev_point - elev_road) / 600 [terrain factor 1.4, 4 km/h walking, 600 m/h descent]. It is a floor, not a promise — a real evacuation with a casualty is slower, and a crow-fly line ignores what stands between you and the road. Read it as relative remoteness: which part of this trek commits you. Nearest drivable ways: unnamed service, unnamed service.
Estimated, not measured. Remoteness is computed from our own route geometry against the OpenStreetMap drivable road network (motorway-track) and Copernicus GLO-30 elevations; mobile coverage is a terrain line-of-sight estimate, not a carrier guarantee. Treat both as planning aids.
Gaumukh–Tapovan permits & restrictions
Permit required: Yes · Gangotri National Park (forest check-post at Gangotri / Kanchan Ganga)
Park entry per day (Indian/foreigner differ) + camping
Foreigners pay higher park fees; passport at check-post
⚠ Daily entry quota into Gangotri NP; Tapovan camping limited
Crowding, and where to go instead
When the interest arrives, relative to this trek's own busiest month (July).
A percentile of trailing-12-month English Wikipedia pageviews for Gomukh (44 months observed)— measured within TrekBaba's own catalogue, bots excluded. It is a proxy for attention, not headcount. Read with care: counted on Gomukh, the source of the Ganga — a religious landmark with readership beyond trekkers.
Same state, within one difficulty band, and at least half the peaks — and quieter: it scores 7/100 against this trek's 82.
Gaumukh–Tapovan trek FAQ
How difficult is the Gaumukh–Tapovan trek?
Gaumukh–Tapovan is graded Moderate (55.1/100) on TrekBaba's normalized scale, which weighs max altitude (4,463 m), total ascent (2,500 m), the longest day (14 km) and terrain exposure identically for every trek. Operators label it "Moderate".
What is the best time to do Gaumukh–Tapovan?
May–June and September–October. April is shoulder season — doable, with more weather risk. July–August are risky (Jul–Aug: landslides on the Gangotri road; Gaumukh moraine unstable). The route is effectively closed in November–March. Expect snow on the trail in November–April. Reanalysis climate data for the route's own altitude puts the coldest camp night at about -19 °C in January, and the warmest daytime high near 12 °C in August.
How much does the Gaumukh–Tapovan trek cost?
Between ₹13,599 and ₹45,000 per person with an operator, based on 14 published prices captured from operator pages (latest 2026-09-22). The cheapest listed is Trekos.
How many days does Gaumukh–Tapovan take?
7 days is the standard itinerary; operators run it as 6/7/8 days including travel from the base town. The longest walking day is 14 km (~9 h).
What is the maximum altitude of Gaumukh–Tapovan?
4,463 m (14,642 ft), which TrekBaba rates as high AMS risk. Plan 1 acclimatization day.
Is a permit required for Gaumukh–Tapovan?
Yes — issued by Gangotri National Park (forest check-post at Gangotri / Kanchan Ganga). Park entry per day (Indian/foreigner differ) + camping. Foreigners pay higher park fees; passport at check-post.
Which operators run Gaumukh–Tapovan?
Trekos, Universal Adventures, Moxtain, Danu Adventure, Trekveda, Trekup India, Trekkers of India, Trekmunk, Bikat Adventures, Trek The Himalayas, Indiahikes, Thrillophilia, Himalayan Hikers, Himalaya Shelter list Gaumukh–Tapovan. Each is linked to its own trek page above with the captured price, days and inclusions.
How do I reach the Gaumukh–Tapovan trailhead?
To reach Gaumukh–Tapovan, the nearest railhead is Rishikesh / Dehradun and the nearest airport is Dehradun (Jolly Grant). The road ends at Gangotri, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Uttarkashi (none at Gangotri — carry cash) — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Gangotri.
Is Gaumukh–Tapovan suitable for beginners?
For a fit beginner, yes — but it is a Moderate trek, with a 14 km longest day and a 4,463 m high point. One easier trek first makes it far more enjoyable.
Which peaks can you see from Gaumukh–Tapovan?
From Tapovan meadow, a line-of-sight computation over the terrain model proves Shivling (6,543 m), Nandi Paravt (5,938 m), Meru Peak (6,660 m), Meru North (6,481 m), Baghirathi Parbat II (6,512 m) and Sudarshan Parbat (6,507 m) are actually visible — not merely nearby. The model looks 40 km out, so a famous giant further away (Kangchenjunga from the Singalila ridge, say) is not listed even where it is visible.
Treks like Gaumukh–Tapovan
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Difficulty grade, peak horizon, per-camp climate, remoteness, sun alignment and the crowding index are all computed — the moats — and every one of them is an estimate, labelled as such where it appears. Found-fact and operator values are public approximations pending field + source verification, not citations. Peaks named on this page: Shivling, Nandi Paravt, Meru Peak, Meru North, Baghirathi Parbat II.