Deoriatal Chandrashila is one of the most popular treks in the Garhwal Himalayas. A trek that offers majestic views of Himalayas and valleys, alluring views of rare Himalayan birds, blossoms and serene environment. A trek which is well loved for trekking enthusiasts and nature lovers. It remains accessible almost throughout the year and offers a variety of views and experiences. Duration of the trek is 3 days and is perfect for weekends and extended long weekends. The trek amazes you all the 3 days from its beauty and experiences. The highlights of this trek include magnificent views of Mt. Chaukhamba, Tungnath temple (World's highest Lord Shiva temple) and scenic Deoriatal Lake. One can be a nature lover or a pro trekker or a photographer or a bird watching amateur, the trek disappoints none. 

The trek begins from a small village named, Sari located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand at a height of 6,601 Feet and it terminates at Chopta, which is a tiny settlement and is the gateway to Tungnath temple and Chandrashila peak (3998 meters). The difficulty level of this trek is easy and is recommended for novice trekkers as well as experienced ones.

Itinerary

Day 0

Drive from Delhi to Sari via Rishikesh (450 KM drive)

We assemble at Akshardham Metro Station at 9 PM. Sari is 450 km away from Delhi and it takes around 14 hours to reach the village.

We have our dinner near Modinagar and take the next halt at Rishikesh. We do an overnight journey to Rishikesh and then from there get ready for an 8 hours mountain drive. We drive through Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Roorkee, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Devprayag, Srinagar and Rudraprayag. Amidst the way, don't forget to take pictures at the confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers at Devprayag. From Rudraprayag, we take the route to Kedarnath and drive towards Sari village via Agastyamuni and Ukhimath.

Day 1

Arrive at Sari and Trek to Deoriatal (2.3 Km Trek)

Sari is a small and quaint village situated at a height of 6,601 feet. We reach the village by noon and after having lunch there, we start our trek to Deoriatal. Trek to Deoriatal is a short trek of about 2.3 km. The trail is mild steep and completely paved with stones. The trek is not tiring as the distance is less and it usually takes 2 hours to reach the lake. We start our trek from the gateway on which it is written: "Welcome to Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary".

We start our walk through the trail and reach a temple and few houses. We continue our trek and after about 1 km, turn around and enjoy the bird’s eye view of Sari village. There are few shelters available on the trek where one can relax. Though the trek is easy but it can be a bit tiring for first-timers. The trail passes through the scenic forest of Rhododendron and Oak. After reaching the lake, you see a forest check post and green pastures of land. Enjoy the views and the starry night if the weather is clear. The lake is girded by forest and meadows. Dinner and overnight stay in dome tents.

Day 2

Trek from Deoriatal to Chopta (14 KM trek)

Wake up early and enjoy the sunrise and early morning views of Chaukhamba massif at Deoriatal. After having breakfast, we start our trek towards Chopta with the packed lunch. The trek from Deoriatal to Chopta is 14 km long and the trail passes through dense forest. We start the trek by 8 AM and take the route towards the watch tower which is standing behind the lake. The watchtower gives the clearest views of Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Mandani peaks.

After clicking photos there, we move further where a signboard is there showing the distance of Chopta. From that point, we enter the forest and it continues for about 15 minutes. Then we reach a dead-end from where one can see the complete Sari village. We take the left turn and proceed towards Jhandi top on the steep trail. This is one of the three steep stretches that comes in the today's trek. We cross the Jhandi top and again enter the forest that continues till the end of the trek. After completing the half of the trek, we reach small meadows where we have our packed lunch. The meadows are encircled by dense forest. We can also spot Jackals and Giant Squirrels there depending on the weather and rush on the trail. Later, we resume our trek through the forest and reach a steep and sharp descent. The descending trail can be a bit tricky during the rainy season.

Then we arrive at a small water stream where we can fill our water bottles and get fresh with the cool water. After all this, we take the uphill route and reach the road head in the next hour. The total time it takes to complete the trek is around 7-8 hours. We move towards our campsite and enjoy the sunset at Chopta. Dinner and overnight stay in camps.

Day 3

Trek from Chopta to Chandrashila via Tunganath and back (10 KM trek)

Wake up and gear up for the most important day of the trek. If weather permits, we try to start our trek by 5 in the morning to see the sunrise from the summit. Firstly, we drive to Chopta and then we start the trek to Tungnath Temple and Chandrashila. The trek from Chopta to Tungnath is 3.5 km in distance and further 1.5 km steep trek leads to the summit of Chandrashila. The trail till Tungnath is rocky and well paved and further from Tungnath, there is no rocky trail. You can also notice a change in the landscape due to increase in the altitude. The tree line ends at Tungnath and after that, you may find only bushes. It normally takes around 3 hours to reach Tunganth temple and another 1 hour to reach Chandrashila summit from the temple.

The Tungnath Temple is one of the Panch Kedar temples and is considered the highest temple of Lord Shiva in the world. The summit of Chandrashila is standing at an altitude of 4000 meters above the sea level. It offers perfect panoramic views of remarkable peaks of Uttarakhand such as Kedarnath, Mandani, Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi, Nanda Ghunti, Hathi, Ghodi, etc. 

After clicking photos at the summit, we start descending back to Chopta through the same route that we took while ascending. It takes 2-3 hours to come down and then we depart for Delhi. start our drive towards Rishikesh. We retrace the same route and reach Rishikesh by late evening. Reach Delhi by early morning next day.

Inclusions

-Accommodation in dome tents/guesthouse

-Meals: from Lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 3 

-Bonfire (optional)

-Trekking guide for trekking.

-Exclusive Non-AC Vehicle dedicated for the Group during entire Tour

-Vehicle type: Tempo Traveler / Taxi

-Driver Allowances, toll taxes, parking, state taxes.

-Forest entry fees

Exclusions

-Any meals during travel from New Delhi to Chopta and vice versa.

-Any expenses for optional activities or tickets, unless quoted in Inclusions.

-Insurance, Items of personal nature like porterage, tips, laundry etc

-Any Entry Fees

-Any additional expenses caused by disturbance in trip program due to circumstances like weather conditions, sickness, natural disasters, riots etc.

-Any additional expenses arising out of unforeseen circumstances like cancellation / roadblocks / landslides / strike or any other natural causes out of human control or any emergency evacuation expenses.

-Anything not mentioned in Inclusions

-Any kind of Expense for Loss / Misplaced / Theft of personal belongings.