How to Reach Hemkund Sahib from Rishikesh

Hemkund Sahib is one of the highest gurudwaras in the world, set beside a glacial lake at around 4,329 m in the Chamoli district, and the journey there shares its first leg with our Badrinath route before splitting off entirely on foot. It's a genuinely demanding trip, and also one of the more spiritually significant ones in this part of the Himalaya for both Sikh and Hindu pilgrims.

The significance

The site is associated with Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Sikh Guru, who according to the account in the Dasam Granth meditated here in a previous life. Alongside the gurudwara stands a temple to Lakshman, and the combination of the two — Sikh and Hindu pilgrimage sharing one remote mountain lake — is part of what makes the site distinctive. Pilgrims of both traditions make the journey, and it's common to see both a gurudwara langar and Hindu ritual practice happening within sight of each other at the lake.

Stage one: Rishikesh to Govindghat

Govindghat sits on the Badrinath road, roughly 270 km from Rishikesh via Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Chamoli and Joshimath — the same route ourChardham andDo Dham tours take toward Badrinath. See our Badrinath route guide for the detail on this stretch, since it's identical up to Joshimath.

By bike or car this is comfortably a full day, and most people break the journey with an overnight around Joshimath or Pipalkoti rather than pushing through in one go — arriving at Govindghat tired before you've even started the trek is a poor way to begin what's already a demanding two-stage climb.

Stage two: Govindghat to Ghangaria

From Govindghat, the trek begins — around 14 km to Ghangaria, the small settlement that acts as the base for both Hemkund Sahib and the Valley of Flowers. A motorable road now runs as far as Pulna, a few kilometres short of Govindghat's old starting point, which shortens the walk considerably — shared taxis and jeeps cover that stretch, leaving a shorter trek from Pulna to Ghangaria. Mules, porters and palkis are all available along this stretch for those who'd rather not carry a full pack or walk the whole distance themselves. Most people stay overnight in Ghangaria before continuing, and it's worth planning for that overnight rather than trying to reach Hemkund Sahib and return in a single push from Govindghat.

Stage three: Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib

A further 6 km, and this is the steep part — a genuine high-altitude climb gaining well over 1,300 m from Ghangaria. It's a demanding half-day out and back, made harder by the altitude itself rather than technical difficulty — the path is clear and well-used, but the combination of steepness and thin air at the top makes this a genuinely tiring climb even for fit trekkers. Ponies and palkis are available for this stretch too, and are a reasonable choice given how much of the difficulty here is altitude rather than terrain.

What's at the top

The lake itself sits in a genuinely spectacular glacial cirque, ringed by seven peaks that give the site its name (Hem Kund, "lake of snow"), with the gurudwara and the smaller Lakshman temple right at the water's edge. The setting is stark and beautiful rather than lush — this is well above the treeline, and the scale of the surrounding peaks is part of what makes the site feel genuinely remote despite the relatively short trek. Most pilgrims spend an hour or two at the top before beginning the descent, since the weather at this altitude can close in quickly.

Season

Hemkund Sahib has a short window — the gurudwara typically opens in late May and closes in early October (in 2026, the season runs from 25 May to 10 October), considerably shorter than the Chardham season, because of how much snow the site holds at this altitude even in summer. Outside this window the route is simply inaccessible — not just difficult, genuinely closed — so this is one trip where the calendar isn't flexible.

Altitude

At 4,329 m, this is genuine high-altitude trekking, and it deserves the same respect as our higher tour routes — see our altitude sickness guide. Go slowly on the Ghangaria–Hemkund stretch in particular, and don't push through symptoms that aren't clearing. The jump from Ghangaria (around 3,000 m) to Hemkund Sahib (4,329 m) in a single day's climb is a meaningful altitude gain, and it's worth taking genuinely seriously even if you feel strong at the start.

What to pack

Warm layers regardless of season — this is snow country even in July — sturdy footwear with real grip for the steep sections, sun protection, and enough water and snacks for a long half-day out. See our general Himalayan packing list for the broader kit list, and add trekking poles if you have them, since they genuinely help on the steep Ghangaria–Hemkund stretch.

Combining it with Valley of Flowers

Since both treks share the Govindghat–Ghangaria approach, most visitors do both in the same trip — Hemkund Sahib on one day, the Valley of Flowers National Park on another, using Ghangaria as a base for both. See ourValley of Flowers guide for the bloom season and what that trek involves, and plan for at least three days total (one for the approach, one for each destination) rather than trying to compress both into a single rushed visit.

Doing this as part of a bike trip

This trek isn't currently part of our standard tour itineraries, but Govindghat sits directly on our Badrinath route, so riders already booked on Chardhamor Do Dham with an extra two or three days to spare are well placed to add it, since the riding logistics up to Govindghat are already identical to what those tours do. Message us if you'd like to talk through extending your itinerary to include it.