Ganges Source Trek

Overview

The walk from Gangotri to Gaumukh is only 18 km, but it carries more meaning per step than almost any trail in the Himalaya: this is the sacred source of the Ganges, where the Bhagirathi bursts milky and freezing from the ice cave at the snout of the Gangotri Glacier at 3,900 m. Sadhus walk it barefoot, pilgrims bottle the water, and above it all the granite spear of Shivling (6,543 m) and the triple-crowned Bhagirathi peaks stand like the temple architecture the whole valley imitates. Push one day further, steeply up the moraine, to Tapovan at 4,463 m — the meadow directly beneath Shivling where a handful of ascetics live in stone huts. Camping there, with dawn light crawling down the west face, is the trek's true summit. The trail sits inside Gangotri National Park, which caps daily visitor numbers: arrange the permit in Uttarkashi or online before driving up. The glacier itself is in visible retreat — locals will point out where the snout stood a generation ago. May-June and September-October avoid both monsoon washouts and winter closure (road and temple shut around Diwali). About £1,200 covers permits, a guide-cook team for the Tapovan night and transport from Rishikesh, itself a spectacular day-and-a-half's drive.

Book This Trip

Plan Your Dates

Prefilled for 1 May 2027 — the next best-season window. Search on partner sites — opens in a new tab.