Uttarakhand Spiritual + Adventure
Rafting at Rishikesh, highest Shiva temple at Tungnath, Nanda Devi view from Auli. Spiritual meets adventure.
Highlights
Logistics
Drive or bus Rishikesh to Chopta (7hrs). Chopta to Auli (4hrs via Gopeshwar).
Day by Day
Arrive Rishikesh. Settle into Tapovan area. Afternoon: Laxman Jhula, Ram Jhula walk. Beatles Ashram if time. Evening: Triveni Ghat aarti. Find a cafe overlooking the Ganga.
Morning: white-water rafting Shivpuri-Rishikesh (3hrs, Grade 3). Afternoon: drive to Haridwar. Har Ki Pauri ghat walk. Mansa Devi cable car. Evening: Haridwar Ganga Aarti — bigger, louder, and more intense than Rishikesh. This is the main event.
Long drive via Devprayag (confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi — stop and look) and Rudraprayag. Arrive Chopta by evening. Chopta is a tiny meadow at 2700m — basic guesthouses, zero frills. Sleep early, tomorrow is the trek.
Trek day. Chopta to Tungnath (3.5km, 2-3hrs up). Tungnath is the highest Shiva temple in the world (3680m). If weather is clear and you have energy, continue to Chandrashila Peak (1.5km more, 4000m). 360-degree Himalayan panorama — Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba, Kedarnath range. Return to Chopta by afternoon.
Optional early morning: Deoria Tal lake hike (2km from Sari village, 30min drive from Chopta — the reflection of Chaukhamba in the lake is famous for a reason). Then drive to Auli via Gopeshwar and Joshimath (3-4hrs). Auli cable car for panoramic views. Overnight Auli or Joshimath.
Morning: Auli meadow walk. Gorson Bugyal if you want another short trek. Then the long drive back to Rishikesh via Joshimath-Chamoli-Rudraprayag-Devprayag. 8-9hrs. Arrive evening. This is the driving day — start by 7AM.
Morning yoga session. Final Ganga-side chai. Drive to Delhi (6hrs) or Dehradun airport (1hr). Trip ends.