Chopta
Basecamp for the Tungnath-Chandrashila alpine trek
Best time to visit Chopta
- Jan, shoulder season
- Feb, shoulder season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, peak season
- May, peak season
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, peak season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, shoulder season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: April to May and October to November
- Shoulder: December to March, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: June to September
Chopta season by season
Winter December to February Shoulder
Snow trekking to Chandrashila draws a niche crowd, but it's bitterly cold with tricky footing
Summer March to May Prime time
Prime trekking season: wildflower meadows, clear alpine views, good trail conditions
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Leeches, slippery trails, and landslide-hit approach roads make this the worst window to trek
Autumn October to November Prime time
Post-monsoon skies are clearest of the year. Arguably the best trekking weather here
What Chopta is actually like
Trekkers swap trail stories in tiny dhabas. Small but genuine traveler community
Getting to Chopta
Taxi/bus from Rishikesh or Haridwar 7-8h via Rudraprayag
Practical ways in: road
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 3 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 2870 m
- State
- Uttarakhand
- Coordinates
- 30.4849, 79.2003
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Chopta?
April to May and October to November is peak season in Chopta. December to March is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June to September. Prime trekking season: wildflower meadows, clear alpine views, good trail conditions.
How many days do you need in Chopta?
3 days is the usual stay. Trekkers swap trail stories in tiny dhabas. Small but genuine traveler community.
How do you get to Chopta?
Taxi/bus from Rishikesh or Haridwar 7-8h via Rudraprayag. Practical ways in: road.
Is Chopta expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Kedarnath
Uttarakhand
Himalayan Shiva shrine at 3583m, open just 6 months
50 km from Chopta, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Auli
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand's top ski slopes with Nanda Devi views
50 km from Chopta, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Badrinath & Mana
Uttarakhand
Char Dham shrine at 3100 m with Mana village 3 km on
60 km from Chopta, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Khirsu
Uttarakhand
Hushed oak and deodar ridge facing a wall of Garhwal snow peaks
70 km from Chopta, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Valley of Flowers
Uttarakhand
UNESCO alpine meadow of rare flora, open Jul-Sep only
70 km from Chopta, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Harsil
Uttarakhand
Deodar and apple village on the Bhagirathi below Gangotri
110 km from Chopta, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Kausani
Uttarakhand
300km Himalayan skyline view, Gandhi's hill retreat
120 km from Chopta, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Kanatal
Uttarakhand
Deodar ridge of apple orchards and campfires above the Tehri valley
130 km from Chopta, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Uttarakhand
- Abbott Mount (Lohaghat) Uttarakhand
- Almora Uttarakhand
- Auli Uttarakhand
- Badrinath & Mana Uttarakhand
- Bageshwar Uttarakhand
- Binsar Uttarakhand
- Chakrata Uttarakhand
- Chaukori Uttarakhand
- Haridwar Uttarakhand
- Harsil Uttarakhand
- Jageshwar Uttarakhand
- Jim Corbett (Ramnagar) Uttarakhand
- Kanatal Uttarakhand
- Kausani Uttarakhand
- Kedarnath Uttarakhand
- Khirsu Uttarakhand
- Lansdowne Uttarakhand
- Mukteshwar Uttarakhand
- Munsiyari Uttarakhand
- Mussoorie Uttarakhand
- Nag Tibba Uttarakhand
- Nainital Uttarakhand
- Patal Bhuvaneshwar Uttarakhand
- Ranikhet Uttarakhand
- Rishikesh Uttarakhand
- Sankri (Har Ki Dun) Uttarakhand
- Sattal Uttarakhand
- Valley of Flowers Uttarakhand