DAY 1
Day 1 — Haridwar to Dhaula
📍 Drive ~280 km / 10–11 hours via Uttarkashi
Depart Haridwar in the early morning. Drive via Rishikesh, Tehri, and Uttarkashi to Dhaula village (1,980m) in the Tons Valley. Long drive through the Garhwal Himalaya foothills and mountains. Check into guesthouse, acclimatise, briefing for the trek.
Uttarkashi town — gateway to Gangotri and YamunotriTons Valley river gorge sceneryDhaula village — trek starting point at 1,980 m
DAY 2
Day 2 — Dhaula to Sewa
📍 Trek 11 km / Altitude gain to 2,650 m / 5–6 hrs
The trail begins along the Rupin River through dense forest and river crossings. The Rupin gorge progressively narrows as you trek upstream. Sewa village (2,650m) is a small Garhwali village with traditional stone houses. Camp near the village.
Rupin River gorge — increasingly narrow and dramaticDense mixed forest with birch and pineSewa village stone houses and traditional hospitality
DAY 3
Day 3 — Sewa to Jhaka
📍 Trek 8 km / Altitude gain to 2,900 m / 4–5 hrs
Steady climb through forest and meadow to Jhaka village (2,900m). The village is perched on a ridge with sweeping views of the Rupin Valley below. Traditional Kinnauri-Garhwali architecture. Short day to allow acclimatisation and rest before the more demanding days ahead.
Jhaka village — ridge-top settlement with valley viewsProgressive Rupin gorge views from aboveAcclimatisation day at 2,900 m
DAY 4
Day 4 — Jhaka to Dhanderas Thatch
📍 Trek 7 km / Altitude gain to 3,500 m / 5–6 hrs
The trail leaves the villages behind and enters open alpine terrain. Dhanderas Thatch is a high meadow used by Gaddi shepherds in summer. The views of the upper Rupin Valley — the peaks at the head of the valley closing in — are extraordinary. The snow bridges become visible on the far walls of the gorge for the first time. Camp at Dhanderas Thatch.
Above-treeline alpine meadow at Dhanderas Thatch (3,500 m)First views of the upper Rupin gorge and snow bridgesPeak views closing in from all sides
DAY 5
Day 5 — Dhanderas Thatch to Upper Waterfall Camp
📍 Trek 6 km / Altitude gain to 4,000 m / 5–6 hrs
The most visually spectacular day of the trek. The trail enters the famous snow bridge section — massive snow arches spanning the Rupin gorge, formed by avalanche snow compressed over winters. Walking beneath and over the snow bridges with the waterfall thundering through is a jaw-dropping experience. Camp at the Upper Waterfall Camp below the main Rupin waterfall.
Rupin snow bridges — the signature feature of this trek (May–June only)Massive waterfall through the snow gorgeHigh camp at 4,000 m below the pass approach
DAY 6
Day 6 — Upper Waterfall Camp over Rupin Pass to Ronti Gad
📍 Trek 6 km / Max altitude 4,650 m / 7–8 hrs
The crux day. An early start before dawn, climbing steeply on snow and rock to the Rupin Pass at 4,650 metres. The pass is a broad saddle with views into both Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Cross into Himachal and descend carefully on the snow slope to the Ronti Gad stream. The descent is steep but the scenery changes dramatically — the barren high-altitude terrain giving way to the distant hint of the Sangla Valley ahead.
Rupin Pass summit at 4,650 m — Uttarakhand–Himachal crossover360° high-altitude panorama from the passDescent into Himachal Pradesh — new terrain begins
DAY 7
Day 7 — Ronti Gad to Sangla Kanda
📍 Trek 8 km / Descent to 3,900 m / 5–6 hrs
Descend along the Ronti Gad stream through changing landscape — high boulder fields giving way to scrub juniper and the first hints of the Kinnauri valley landscape. Sangla Kanda is a high meadow campsite in Himachal with views toward the Sangla Valley and the distant Kinner Kailash range.
Kinnauri landscape — transition to Himachal terrainFirst views of Kinner Kailash rangeSangla Kanda high meadow camp
DAY 8
Day 8 — Sangla Kanda to Sangla Village
📍 Trek 10 km / Descent to 2,700 m / 5–6 hrs
Long descent through forests and orchards to the floor of the Sangla Valley. The apple orchards of Sangla — some of India's finest — begin at around 2,800m. Sangla village itself is a beautiful Kinnauri settlement with traditional wooden architecture, Kamru Fort above, and the turquoise Baspa River running through the valley. Well-deserved rest and celebration dinner.
Sangla apple orchards — descent through a sea of fruit treesSangla village traditional Kinnauri wooden architectureKamru Fort viewpoint and Baspa River
DAY 9
Day 9 — Sangla to Chandigarh / Haridwar
📍 Drive ~350 km / 10–11 hours
Drive out of Sangla Valley through Reckong Peo and Rampur to the NH5 highway, then onward to Chandigarh or Haridwar depending on your onward travel. Long drive but the Kinnauri and Sutlej Valley scenery is spectacular. Trek officially complete.
Kinnauri valley and Sutlej River gorge driveReckong Peo — Kinnaur district headquartersDrop at Chandigarh or Haridwar