Gidara Bugyal Trek
also Gidara Bugyal Trek
Gidara Bugyal is a 7-day trek in Bhagirathi valley, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, topping out at 4,250 m. On TrekBaba's normalized scale — the same formula applied to every trek in this catalogue — it scores 34.4/100, which puts it in the Easy band: a first Himalayan trek is realistic here if you can walk for several hours a day. Operators usually market it as "Moderate"; the gap between that label and the computed grade is exactly why the grade exists. With a high point of 4,250 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: Easy.
Photo: Himalayan Dream Treks · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Explore the route
Scrub the trail — satellite view, live altitude. 8.6 km
Approximate route. No surveyed track exists for this trek yet, so the line joins its real waypoint coordinates directly — treat it as a shape, not a trail. Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics | Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Gidara Bugyal route, point by point
2 recorded points from Bhangeli to Gidara Bugyal top (approximate pin) over about 9 km. Operators' day splits vary — compare them below.
- Day 1BhangeliRoadhead · 2,300 m
- Day 4Gidara Bugyal top (approximate pin)Viewpoint · 4,250 m
Why Gidara Bugyal is graded Easy
- Max altitude 4,250 m — altitude is weighted 35% and non-linearly, because AMS risk climbs steeply above ~3,500 m.
- Total ascent 2,400 m over 7 days — how much climbing your legs actually do.
- Longest day 10 km (about 7 h) — one brutal day makes a trek harder than the average does.
- Trail type: graded — exposure (snow, scree, ice, pass crossings) is weighted 35%, the same as altitude.
Score 34.4/100. Bands: Easy <40 · Moderate <64 · Difficult <85 · Very Difficult ≥85. How the formula works. Next step up: Pindari Glacier.
Best time to do Gidara Bugyal
The best months for Gidara Bugyal are May–June and September–October. November is shoulder season — doable, with more weather risk. April and July–August are risky (Jul–Aug: meadows waterlogged, Gangotri highway prone to landslides). The route is effectively closed in December–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 -15 °C in January, and the warmest daytime high near 12 °C in July.
Jul–Aug: meadows waterlogged, Gangotri highway prone to landslides
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 Gidara Bugyal top (approximate pin) at 4,250 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.
Gidara Bugyal trek cost — operators compared
Gidara Bugyal costs ₹12,000–₹25,000 per person with an organised operator (4 of 5 listed operators publish a price; the cheapest captured is Himalayan Hikers). That works out to roughly ₹1,929 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.
- ₹12,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- Moderate
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹13,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- Easy to Moderate
- ✓Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹13,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 7
- They grade it
- Easy
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹25,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 6
- They grade it
- Moderate
- ·Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ✓Gear
- Days
- —
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
Operators self-declare difficulty. TrekBaba grades every trek by one formula — normalized: Easy. 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 Gidara Bugyal & staying safe
To reach Gidara Bugyal, the nearest railhead is Rishikesh / Dehradun and the nearest airport is Dehradun (Jolly Grant). The road ends at Bhangeli (Gangotri highway), near Bhatwari, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Uttarkashi / Bhatwari — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Bhatwari.
No dedicated acclimatization day is needed at this altitude, but a steady first day still helps. At its most remote point the route is about 5.0 hours from the nearest drivable road (near Gidara Bugyal top (approximate pin)) — a floor for any evacuation, not a promise. The nearest hospital is CHC Bhatwari / District Hospital Uttarkashi, 40 km from the trailhead. Water: Streams in the forest; carry on the meadow ridge.
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 unclassified, unnamed track.
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.
Gidara Bugyal permits & restrictions
Permit required: Yes · Uttarakhand Forest Dept (Uttarkashi forest division) — entry fee at Bhangeli
⚠ Alpine-meadow camping restrictions (2018 Uttarakhand HC order on bugyals) — operators camp below the meadow; check current status
Crowding, and where to go instead
When the interest arrives, relative to this trek's own busiest month (June).
A percentile of trailing-12-month English Wikipedia pageviews for Gidara_Bugyal (44 months observed)— measured within TrekBaba's own catalogue, bots excluded. It is a proxy for attention, not headcount.
Gidara Bugyal trek FAQ
How difficult is the Gidara Bugyal trek?
Gidara Bugyal is graded Easy (34.4/100) on TrekBaba's normalized scale, which weighs max altitude (4,250 m), total ascent (2,400 m), the longest day (10 km) and terrain exposure identically for every trek. Operators label it "Moderate".
What is the best time to do Gidara Bugyal?
May–June and September–October. November is shoulder season — doable, with more weather risk. April and July–August are risky (Jul–Aug: meadows waterlogged, Gangotri highway prone to landslides). The route is effectively closed in December–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 -15 °C in January, and the warmest daytime high near 12 °C in July.
How much does the Gidara Bugyal trek cost?
Between ₹12,000 and ₹25,000 per person with an operator, based on 4 published prices captured from operator pages (latest 2026-09-22). The cheapest listed is Himalayan Hikers.
How many days does Gidara Bugyal take?
7 days is the standard itinerary; operators run it as 6/7 days including travel from the base town. The longest walking day is 10 km (~7 h).
What is the maximum altitude of Gidara Bugyal?
4,250 m (13,944 ft), which TrekBaba rates as high AMS risk.
Is a permit required for Gidara Bugyal?
Yes — issued by Uttarakhand Forest Dept (Uttarkashi forest division) — entry fee at Bhangeli.
Which operators run Gidara Bugyal?
Himalayan Hikers, Danu Adventure, Bikat Adventures, Himalaya Shelter, Indiahikes list Gidara Bugyal. Each is linked to its own trek page above with the captured price, days and inclusions.
How do I reach the Gidara Bugyal trailhead?
To reach Gidara Bugyal, the nearest railhead is Rishikesh / Dehradun and the nearest airport is Dehradun (Jolly Grant). The road ends at Bhangeli (Gangotri highway), near Bhatwari, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Uttarkashi / Bhatwari — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Bhatwari.
Is Gidara Bugyal suitable for beginners?
Yes. Gidara Bugyal is in the Easy band and is a sensible first Himalayan trek, provided you can walk 10 km in a day with a daypack.
Treks like Gidara Bugyal
EasyUttarakhandHar Ki Dun
Govind Pashu Vihar NP, Uttarkashi
7 days↑ 3,566 mfrom ₹8,799Mar–Jun and Sep–Nov
EasyUttarakhandKedarkantha
Govind WLS, Uttarkashi
6 days↑ 3,800 mfrom ₹5,238Dec–Apr
EasyUttarakhandDeoriatal–Chandrashila
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EasyUttarakhandBrahmatal
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6 days↑ 3,734 mfrom ₹4,762Dec–Mar
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.