aRudraprayag trip Itinerary will be super useful for those who are planning to travel to Rudraprayag for the very first time. From adventure seekers to pilgrims, Rudraprayag caters to every kind of traveler.
Rustic villages, ancient temples, sacred pilgrimages, verdant meadows, surreal lakes is what Rudraprayag has to offer. So lets get started with Rudraprayag trip Itinerary.
Rudraprayag Trip Itinerary
The town of Rudraprayag is one of the five holiest confluences (known as Prayags) in Uttarakhand.
But Rudraprayag district has much more to offer. So I am curating a 12-day Rudraprayag trip itinerary. In case you are short time on time feel free to cut down places accordingly.
Although Rudraprayag has an easy access but if its your first time, here is how to reach Rudrapayag from major towns and cities.
| Day 1
Board evening bus to Srinagar for ISBT Kashmiri Gate. |
| Day 2
Reach Rudraprayag from Srinagar. Explore the local temples and Confluence site. Overnight At Srinagar. |
| Day 3
Depart from Sonprayag and reach Triyugi Narayan. Explore the temple and the village. Overnight stay at Triyugi Narayan. |
| Day 4
Start Early leave For Gaurikund. Start the hike to Kedarnath. Overnight in Kedarnath. |
| Day 5
Descend early from Kedarnath and head to Ukhimath. Explore the Temple. Stay at Ukhimath for the night. |
| Day 6
Depart from Ukhimath and head towards Ransi. Explore the village. Overnight stay in Ransi. |
| Day 7
Start early from Ransi and head towards Madhmaheshwar. Overnight in Madhmaheshwar. |
| Day 8
Descend early from Madhmaheswar and head back to Ukhimath. Head towards Chopta. Overnight in Chopta |
| Day 9
Start early and head towards Tugnath. Reach Sari village by evening. Overnight at Sari. |
| Day 10
Explore Sari village. Head to Deoriatal. Overnight at Sari. |
| Day 11
Leave for Kanak Chauri and head to Karthik Swami Temple. Overnight at Srinagar. |
| Day 12
Leave for Delhi and Reach by evening. |
Day 1
Assuming that most people will be starting from Delhi, those relying on public transport can board overnight bus to Srinagar from ISBT Kashmiri.
In my opinion it will be your best and Rudraprayag is just km or an hour away from Srinagar. Buses and public transport is available throughout the day from Srinagar.
In case you wish to book in advance which I would recommend, Here is the link to UTC website.
Day 2
The bus will drop you Srinqagar. Rudraprayag is just an hour away with buses starting from 6.00 AM.
Once you reach Rudraprayag town, and check into a hotel. There are plenty of them in Rudraprayag.
After resting for a while, you can go out and visit the temples in Rudraprayag along with the confluence site. Overnight stay in Rudraprayag.
In case, if you are looking for what to pack on your trip to Uttarakhand, here is a blog on the same.
Day 3
Today you’ll be heading to a rustic village of Triyugi Narayan in Rudraprayag known for its ancient temple. Start early from Rudraprayag and get to Sonprayag.
Shared Cabs and buses both go to Sonprayag. Just confirm the timings once so that you can get ready to leave from Rudraprayag accordingly. Once you reach Sonprayag, Triyugi Narayan is just 7-8 km away.
The ancient temple of Triyugi Narayan is really revered and important because it said to be the place where Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati got married.
In case if you love going on hikes, there are numerous Bugyals perched above the village. Chauki Danda being one of them. Contact locals for more details. In case you do decide to hike around, your itinerary would extend.
Day 4
Today you’ll be heading one of the most important pilgrimages in Hinduism, Kedarnath. Brace yourself for a long journey to the abode of Lord Shiva.
Make sure you start very early from Triyugi Narayan village because the journey is taxing one.
From Triyugi Narayan, you’ll have to come down to Sonprayag and then proceed towards. Again the distance is not much and one can reach Gaurikund in under an hour.
The abode of Shiva is nothing short of a wonderland. Surrounded by snowy peaks, rugged glaciers, One of the tributaries of Ganga, River Mandakini rises from glaciers perched above Kedarnath.
Although a well-paved stone path exists to reach Kedarnath, the distance is around 23 km one way. Plenty of basic accommodation options near Kedarnath are available.
Do note that Kedarnath Temple is open to devotees only around 6 months in an year usually starting from May till Early November. Post which the Idols shift to Omakareshwar temple in Ukhimath.
Day 5
Start your descend early from Kedarnath and try to reach Gaurikund by at 11 AM. In this way, you’ll be able to reach Ukhimath before 2-3 PM.
This would ensure that you reach Ukhimath well before it turns dark. Check into a hotel. There are plenty in Ukhimath market.
Head to Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath which is another ancient temple with immense religious significance.
In addition to Idol of Kedar baba, the idol of Madhmaheshwar Baba also resides in Omakreshwar temple during winters.
Day 6
Today you’ll be heading to Ransi village the gateway to Madhmaheshwar. Try to leave early from Ransi so that you the whole day to yourself to explore the village.
The village of Ransi is the last road head and the base post which starts the hiking trail to Madhmaheshwar which is the 2nd Kedar.
There are a few homestays and guesthouses available in Ransi so accommodation should not be a problem. You can explore along with Rakeshwari Mata temple or just simply rest and do nothing.
In case, you were wondering how safe Uttarakhand is for solo travelers, here is a blog on the same.
Day 7
Today you’ll be heading to Madhmaheshwar from Ransi. The distance to Madhmaheshwar is around 18 km from the village of Ransi.
Gaundar is last village on the route post which only accommodation in form of basic guesthouses will be available. But throughout the Journey you have basic accommodation options.
Although the one way Journey can be easily complete in the day but someone who is not used to hiking a lot can break their Journey.
In case your short on time you can even complete the hike in a single but of course don’t do it unless you are used to hiking long distances. Stay options also exist near the Madmaheshwar temple where you’ll be spending the night.
In case you were wondering what networks works best in Uttarakhand, here is detailed blog on the same.
Day 8
Wake up very early and head towards Budha Madhmaheshwar temple to catch a glimpse of the sunrise with panoramic views of Himalayan peaks.
Once the sun rises make sure you quickly start your descent and reach Ransi by 10 AM.
Once you reach Ransi, head towards Ukhimath. From Ukhimath you’ll be heading Chopta valley, to one of the most popular destinations in Uttarakhand.
Chopta is just an hour away from Ukhimath. A handful of stay options are available in Chopta market. But stay options also exist at places 3-5 km before Chopta market like Baniyakund.
Do note that during peak season of Summers, getting accommodation option would be difficult at nominal rates. Also you can ditch the road and hike all the way from Sari village to Chopta which is what I did.
Day 9
Today you’ll be heading to the 3rd Kedar which is Tugnath. Unlike, Kedarnath or Madhmaheswar Tugnath is just a couple hours away from Chopta market.
The setting of Tugnath is just impeccable with surreal valleys views all around. If you want even more clearer views of majestic peaks of Uttarakhand, then head to Chandrashila which is just 1 km away from Tugnath.
On a clear day you should be able to spot Chaukhamba, Kedar ranges, from Chandrashila.
Although The trail to Tugnath is scenic throughout the year it is riddled with Pink and Red Rhododendrons during spring season which is a sight to behold.
Start your descent after you have spent a couple of hours at the top and head towards Chopta market. Try to reach Chopta market before noon. And then towards the famous Sari village.
Although Tugnath Mahadev temple is closed during the winters and the idol is shifted to Makku Math, you can still hike to the temple. Of course it won’t be easy due to several feets of snow.
In case you are solo traveler, make sure you reach Tala point where road diverts to Sari before 4 PM to catch the bus to Sari village which is just 4 km from Tala.
Day 10
Today you’ll be heading to the Beautiful Deoriatal perched around 3 km above the village of Sari. The Deoriatal has an easy access with paved stone path all the way to the lake.
The setting of the lake is absolutely stunning with colossal Chaukhamba peak standing tall in the backdrop along with several peaks like Chaukhamba, Kedar dome, Kedarnath, Thalaysagar, Nanda Devi, Trishul, Hathi parbat to name a few.
The lake is situated amidst beautiful grasslands which turns lush green during summers and monsoon. Although the altitude is relatively low at 2400m yet equally rewarding in terms of effort and vistas.
Even though landscapes are really pretty, a lot depends on the season you visit as you get the clearest views in winter and post monsoon in October.
If you are a fit individual you should have no problems reaching the lake in an hour. But an average person not into hiking might take over 1.5 hours.
In case, you are not tired you can head to Jhandi top which is a beautiful vantage point just another 3 km from Deoriatal with even grander views of the peaks along with a clear view of Tugnath and Chandrashila on a clear day.
Day 11
Before bidding your goodbyes to the district of Rudraprayag, hop on to one last adventure by visiting Karthik Swami Temple.
You’ll have to get to either Rudrarpayag or get down at Chandrapuri while coming back from Sari. A couple of buses run from Rudraprayag town, while shared cabs are available during the day Chandrapuri.
The hike to the temple is total 8 km and a fit person can complete it in around 2 hours from Kanak Chauri to Karthik Swami Temple and back.
There are a few stay options in Kanak Chauri and overnight stay at Kanak Chauri. In case if you are looking to save some time, try to reach Srinagar by the end of the day.
Day 12
Today you can head to Haridwar from Srinagar or Rudraprayag or Kanak Chauri wherever you spent the night. Haridwar is just 6-7 hours from here and you should be able to reach by evening latest.
The reason I suggested to make it Srinagar is because there is 7 AM direct bus to Delhi which will drop you in Delhi in the evening.
But if you manage to reach Haridwar by even 3-4 PM. You can easily make it Delhi by evening. In case if you were looking for some tips for solo travel in Uttarakhand, here are some super handy tips.
This brings me to the end of this blog. I hope the rudraprayag trip itinerary will come in handy for travelers. In case of any queries or doubts on Rudraprayag trip itinerary do reach out to me in the comments below.
