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Himalaya · India
Chopta & Tungnath
The highest Shiva temple in the world at the end of a three-kilometre walk, with the whole Garhwal range in front of it.
Tungnath sits at 3,680 m and is reached by a paved three-kilometre path from Chopta — which makes it the most accessible high Himalayan temple in India. Another kilometre up is Chandrashila, where Nanda Devi, Trisul and Chaukhamba all line up on a clear morning. Chopta itself is a handful of tea shops and tented camps in a meadow. It is the Himalaya for people with two days.
Instead of Kedarnath in season. Works for everyone. Best months: Mar–Jun, Sep–Dec.
When to go
April to June and September to November. The temple closes for winter around November and the deity moves down to Mukku; the path is snowbound December to March, which is beautiful and needs proper gear.
Getting there
One-way ticket price per person — double it for the return, which is what the cost example below uses. The cheapest sensible option is marked.
| Option | Notes | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus + shared jeep CHEAPEST Rishikesh → Ukhimath → Chopta | Change at Srinagar or Rudraprayag. Start early; jeeps stop running by mid-afternoon. | 9 h | ₹800 one-way |
| Train + road → Haridwar/Rishikesh, then 9 h road | Haridwar is the rail head for all of Garhwal. | varies + 9 h | ₹1,200 one-way |
| Flight + road → Dehradun (DED), then 9 h | Dehradun is the nearest airport. | 1 h + 9 h | ₹11,000 one-way |
| Shared jeep, last leg Ukhimath → Chopta | Fills in the morning at the Ukhimath stand. | 1 h 30 m | ₹200 one-way |
What it actually costs
Example for a couple, 7 days, mid-range, starting from Rishikesh. Return transport, a bed each night, three meals a day, local travel and entry tickets are all included. This is one example, not a quote — use the live planner to price your own dates, party size and budget style.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Return bus + shared jeep (Bus + shared jeep one-way ₹800 × 2 × 2 people) | ₹3,200 |
| Beds, food, local travel & tickets (7 days, mid-range) | ₹19,516 |
| Total for the couple | ₹22,716 |
Getting around
| Option | Notes | Suits | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| On foot | Chopta to Tungnath is 3.5 km on a paved path; Chandrashila is 1 km more on rock. | Solo, Couple, Group, Family | Free |
| Shared jeep | Between Ukhimath, Chopta and Gopeshwar. | Solo, Couple, Group | ₹200/trip |
| Pony to Tungnath | Available at Chopta for anyone who cannot walk it. | Family | ₹1,200/return |
| Private taxi | For Deoria Tal and the Ukhimath temples in one day. | Family, Group | ₹3,500/day |
Where to sleep
| Tier | Notes | Suits | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tented camp Camp with meals · Chopta meadow | Half a dozen operators. Cold at night in every month — check the bedding. | Solo, Couple, Group | ₹1,500/night |
| Homestay Village family home · Sari / Ukhimath | Warmer, cheaper and the base for Deoria Tal. | Solo, Couple, Family | ₹800/night |
| Guesthouse Simple room · Chopta roadside | A few permanent rooms. Book by phone; online listings are unreliable. | Couple, Family | ₹1,200/night |
| GMVN rest house Government room · Ukhimath / Gopeshwar | Dependable and plain, an hour from the trailhead. | Family | ₹1,400/night |
Eating
Entirely vegetarian by default — this is a temple region and meat is not served at Chopta or Tungnath at all. Garhwali cooking is millet, pulses and local greens.
| Tier | What | Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹80 | Dal, rice and roti at a Chopta dhaba | There are about four of them and they are all the same and all fine. | ₹80 |
| ₹60 | Maggi and chai at the top | There is a tea shop most of the way up Tungnath. In the cold it is worth ten times that. | ₹60 |
| ₹120 | Garhwali thali with mandua roti | Finger millet roti and bhatt ki churkani. Ask at a homestay, not a dhaba. | ₹120 |
| Included | Camp dinner and breakfast | Tented camps include both. Confirm when you book. | Included |
What to actually do
| Activity | Notes | Takes | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tungnath temple | 3.5 km paved path to the world's highest Shiva temple at 3,680 m. Free. | 3 h | Free |
| Chandrashila summit at sunrise | One kilometre above Tungnath. Start at 4 am from Chopta for the light on Chaukhamba. | 4 h | Free |
| Deoria Tal | A lake that reflects the range, 2.5 km up from Sari village. Camping permitted with a permit. | Half day | ₹150 |
| Kartik Swami temple | A ridge temple on a knife edge, 3 km from Kanakchauri. Almost nobody goes. | 5 h | Free |
| Ukhimath Omkareshwar temple | Where the Kedarnath deity spends the winter. | 1 h 30 m | Free |
| Chopta meadow bird walk | Monal and koklass pheasant in the rhododendron. Early morning. | 2 h | Free |
More of Chopta & Tungnath
What goes wrong here, and how to do it cheaper
What goes wrong:
Chopta is at 2,700 m and Chandrashila at 4,000 m. It is cold at night in every month including June.
Tungnath temple closes for winter and the path ices over. Micro-spikes December to March.
Uttarakhand's Char Dham registration rules can apply to this route in season — check before travelling.
How to do it cheaper:
Tungnath is free, paved and 3.5 km. It is the cheapest way to stand at 3,680 m in the Himalaya.
Stay at Sari village instead of Chopta: warmer, half the price, and Deoria Tal starts at the door.
Start Chandrashila at 4 am. Everyone else arrives at nine, when the cloud has come up.
Nearby
| Place | How | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kedarnath 70 km + 16 km walk | Jeep to Gaurikund, then the climb | 2 days | ₹1,200 |
| Badrinath & Mana village 120 km | Bus via Gopeshwar and Joshimath | Onward | ₹400 |
| Rishikesh 210 km | Bus via Rudraprayag | Onward | ₹600 |
| Auli 140 km | Bus to Joshimath, then cable car | Onward | ₹500 |
Money & connectivity
| Notes | |
|---|---|
| Cash | Everything above Ukhimath. |
| Card & UPI | No. |
| Mobile signal | Patchy at Chopta, none at Tungnath. |
| ATMs | Ukhimath and Gopeshwar. Draw before you go up. |
When is the best time to visit Chopta & Tungnath?
Mar–Jun, Sep–Dec is the best window. April to June and September to November. The temple closes for winter around November and the deity moves down to Mukku; the path is snowbound December to March, which is beautiful and needs proper gear.
How do you get to Chopta & Tungnath?
The cheapest sensible option is bus + shared jeep (Rishikesh → Ukhimath → Chopta), around ₹800 one-way per person.
How much does a trip to Chopta & Tungnath cost?
For a couple travelling mid-range for 7 days from Rishikesh, budget roughly ₹22,716 total — return transport, stay, food, local travel and entry tickets. Shoestring and comfortable budgets run lower and higher; use the live planner on tripunder.com to price your own dates and party size.
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Open the planner →Costs are indicative ballparks for budget travel and change with season and demand — always check live fares and rates before you book; the live planner links straight to where you'd book each piece. Photographs are sourced from Wikimedia Commons, credited above and in full at /credits/. Trip Under features underrated destinations only, is reader-planned, and takes no affiliate commission on any booking link.