How to Reach Tungnath from Rishikesh: Complete Route Guide

Tungnath is the highest Shiva temple in the world, and reaching it from Rishikesh happens in two very different stages: a full day of riding or driving to Chopta, followed by a trek that has nothing to do with wheels at all. Most of the confusion about "how to reach Tungnath" comes from people not realising these are two separate journeys with entirely different planning needs.

Stage one: Rishikesh to Chopta

About 200 km, and the road runs Rishikesh → Devprayag → Rudraprayag → Ukhimath → Chopta. By bike or car this is a 7–8 hour day, almost all of it on maintained mountain road. The final 25–30 km climbing into Chopta through dense deodar forest is the best stretch of the drive, and genuinely one of the more scenic short stretches of road in this part of Garhwal.

By bike: good tarmac the whole way, no permits needed. See our full route guide for riding to Chopta for road conditions, fuel stops and which bike to take.

By car or taxi: the same route, typically 7–8 hours depending on stops. Shared taxis and private cabs both run this route from Rishikesh, and it can also be broken into two days with an overnight in Rudraprayag or Srinagar if you'd rather not do it in one go — a reasonable option if you're travelling with family or simply prefer a more relaxed pace.

By bus: state buses run from Rishikesh toward Ukhimath and Gopeshwar, with a local taxi or shared jeep covering the last stretch into Chopta itself. This is the slowest option but the cheapest, and worth considering if you're travelling on a tight budget and have flexible time.

Stage two: Chopta to Tungnath, on foot

There is no road to Tungnath. From Chopta, at 2,680 m, it's a 3.5 km walk on a paved path to the temple at 3,680 m — steep in places, but manageable for anyone who walks regularly, and busy enough in season that you're rarely walking alone. Most people take around two hours up, with the path well-marked and impossible to lose even without a guide.

If you have the legs for it, another 1.5 km beyond the temple takes you to Chandrashila summit at roughly 4,000 m, for a 360-degree view that includes Nanda Devi, Trishul and Chaukhamba — genuinely one of the best mountain panoramas reachable on a short trek anywhere in Uttarakhand. It's worth starting before dawn if you want the summit at sunrise, when the light on the peaks is at its best and the crowds are thinnest.

Ponies are available at Chopta for those who'd rather not walk the trek themselves, though the path is popular enough with pilgrims and trekkers of all fitness levels that most people who can walk at all choose to.

What the temple and summit are actually like

Tungnath is small and simple compared to the grander Chardham temples — stone-built, ancient, and set into a genuinely dramatic position on the ridge, with rhododendron forest below and open alpine meadow above. The atmosphere is quieter and less crowded than Kedarnath even in peak season, partly because the trek is shorter and partly because it doesn't carry the same mandatory-registration pilgrimage weight. Chandrashila, beyond it, is pure summit view — no structure, just the 360-degree panorama and, on a clear morning, one of the better sunrise spots in the state.

What you don't need

Unlike the Chardham shrines, Tungnath needs no registration, no Inner Line Permit, and no medical certificate — just a small entry fee for the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, which covers Chopta. This is a genuine part of why it's one of the easiest big Himalayan trips to decide on with only a few weeks' notice, and it's the reason we recommend it as a first Himalayan ride for people who haven't done one of these trips before.

Fitness and altitude

The trek itself is short enough that fitness demands are modest compared with Kedarnath's 16 km climb — most reasonably active people manage the 3.5 km to Tungnath without much difficulty. Chandrashila, being steeper and higher, asks more, but you're only at real altitude for a couple of hours total and sleeping at 2,680 m in Chopta the rest of the time, so altitude sickness is uncommon on this trip. Still, go at your own pace on the final stretch above Tungnath rather than trying to match a faster group.

Where to stay

Camps or basic guesthouses in the Chopta meadow — simple, cold at night regardless of season, and directly under genuinely dark skies with almost no light pollution, which makes for excellent stargazing if the weather cooperates. Book ahead in peak weekends; Chopta is a popular short trip and accommodation is limited compared with the bigger yatra towns.

Timing it as a weekend trip

Rishikesh to Chopta, the Tungnath and Chandrashila trek, and back — this comfortably fits a long weekend: ride up on day one, trek and return to Chopta on day two, ride back on day three. If you have a fourth day, Deoria Tal near Sari village is worth adding — a high lake that reflects the Chaukhamba range at dawn, and a genuinely peaceful night if you camp beside it.

We run this as a guided three-to-four-day tour with the bike, permits (where relevant), backup vehicle and a leader who knows the route — see the Chopta & Tungnath bike tour. If you'd rather ride it yourself, our rental route guide covers what you need to know, and our weekend bike trips roundup has other short-trip options if you're comparing this against alternatives.

Best time to go

April to June for clear weather and flowering rhododendron, September to November for the sharpest mountain views of the year. Chopta is one of the few high-altitude spots near Rishikesh that's also rideable through winter — December to March turns the Tungnath walk into a snow trek, which is spectacular in its own right if the road stays open. The road above Ukhimath usually stays open through light snow, but heavy falls can close it for a few days at a time, and by peak winter it sometimes stops short of Chopta at Duggalbitta, with the last stretch covered on foot. We check conditions before every winter departure and will always tell you honestly if the road isn't cooperating.