This guide is about the Brahmatal Trek — dates, price, day-by-day itinerary and booking are on the trek page.
Quick answer: Choose Dayara Bugyal for a 4-day trek of about 20 km to a wide snow meadow and a 3,749 m top in Uttarkashi. Choose Brahmatal for a 6-day trek of about 29 km past two frozen lakes to a 3,734 m top in Chamoli, with colder camps and more walking days. Both are graded Easy to Moderate.
How do Dayara Bugyal and Brahmatal differ at a glance?
The two summits are only 15 m apart, and both treks are winter snow treks with the same grade. What separates them is time, the shape of the walk and what you walk through. The Dayara Bugyal Trek is a short climb through forest onto one of the largest high-altitude pastures in India. The Brahmatal Trek is two days longer and crosses a high ridge twice, with a lake at each of its two camps, both frozen from December to February.
| Fact | Dayara Bugyal | Brahmatal |
|---|---|---|
| Days | 4, Raithal to Raithal | 6, Lohajung to Lohajung |
| Walking | About 20 km over three days | About 29 km over four days |
| Top | Dayara Top, 3,749 m (12,300 ft) | Brahmatal Top, 3,734 m (12,250 ft) |
| Highest camp | Gui, 2,936 m | Brahmatal base camp, 3,106 m |
| Grade | Easy to Moderate | Easy to Moderate |
| Minimum age | 8 | 7 |
| Season | September to June | October to March |
| Base and district | Raithal (2,256 m), Uttarkashi | Lohajung (2,316 m), Chamoli |
| Drive to the base | About 180 km from Dehradun, 8 to 9 hours | About 250 km from Rishikesh, 8 to 10 hours |
| Fee with GST | ₹8,190 | ₹9,450 |
A meadow or two frozen lakes: what is each trek about?
Dayara is about open space. On summit day you climb out of oak, maple and rhododendron forest, past a steep half hour towards Chilapada, and walk onto the bugyal, which lies under snow from December to March. The final stretch to Dayara Top crosses undulating snowy slopes.
Brahmatal is about the lakes and the ridge. The Day 2 camp is in a clearing beside Bekaltal, and the base camp is about 500 m from Brahmatal lake, which sits in an open basin below the summit slope. From December to February both lakes are fully frozen: Bekaltal becomes flat white ice surrounded by snowbound forest. Between the two camps the trail climbs above the treeline to Jhandi Top, at about 3,600 m, and you cross it again on the way down.
How hard is each day on the two treks?
Dayara has fewer walking days and a lower highest camp, but its 8 to 9 hour summit day is the longest single day on either trek. Brahmatal has one more walking day, a steep climb to Jhandi Top and a 10 km last day. Day 1 on both treks is the drive to the base.
| Day | Dayara Bugyal | Brahmatal |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Raithal to Gui, 5 km, 3 to 4 hours, about 680 m up | Lohajung to Bekaltal, 6 km, 4 to 5 hours, about 480 m up |
| 3 | Gui to Dayara Top and back, 10 km, 8 to 9 hours | Bekaltal to base camp over Jhandi Top, 7 km, 6 to 7 hours, the steepest climb of the route at about 800 m up to Jhandi Top |
| 4 | Gui to Raithal, 5 km, 2 to 3 hours, about 680 m down, then the drive back | Base camp to Brahmatal Top and back, 6 km, 5 to 6 hours, about 630 m up and down |
| 5 | None | Base camp to Lohajung over Jhandi Top, 10 km, 7 to 8 hours, about 490 m up and then about 1,280 m down |
| 6 | None | The drive back to Rishikesh |
Both suit fit first-timers. Brahmatal needs no previous trekking experience: if you can walk 6 to 10 km a day for 4 to 8 hours, you can do it. Dayara is open to fit beginners too; some prior trekking experience helps on its 8 to 9 hour summit day. Brahmatal's summit start is well before dawn, and on both treks you stay 30 to 45 minutes at the top. If safety is your main question, our Brahmatal safety guide goes stretch by stretch.
Where is the snow deepest, and when?
Dayara's forest trail and meadow hold snow from December to March, and January brings the deepest of it, on the climb between Gui and Dayara Top. On Brahmatal the first snow arrives in November, on the higher ground first. From December to February the snow lies 2 to 4 feet deep on the trail above Lohajung, it is deepest at Tilandi, above Bekaltal, in late January, and in March it stays above Bekaltal while the lower trail softens.
Ask Trekkaro's trek leaders for the best month on either trek and the answer is the same: February, when the snow is at its best for walking and the crowds of the Christmas and New Year weeks have gone. Microspikes and gaiters come free on both; on Brahmatal they go on from Bekaltal upward on Day 3. Ropes are not needed on either trek.
Which high camp is colder, Gui or Brahmatal base camp?
Brahmatal's high camp has the colder range of nights. Its base camp sits about 170 m higher than Gui, and on both treks you sleep two nights at the high camp.
| Winter figure | Dayara Bugyal (December to March) | Brahmatal (December to February) |
|---|---|---|
| Camp nights | -10°C to -2°C | Bekaltal -10°C to -3°C; base camp -15°C to -5°C |
| Coldest night the team has recorded | -16°C at Gui | -15°C at Brahmatal base camp |
The sleeping bags are rated to -20°C on both treks, and tents are shared by three, with men and women in separate tents. The Free Trekking Gear on both is the same: Decathlon trekking shoes, a -10°C jacket, trekking poles, gaiters and microspikes, against a ₹3,000 refundable deposit and a ₹200 washing charge.
Which mountains do you see from each top?
From Dayara Top the whole Garhwal skyline is in view, 360°, from Bandarpoonch and Black Peak to Srikanth, Draupadi ka Danda, Jaunli and Bakariya Top. Brahmatal's two high points, Jhandi Top and Brahmatal Top, both face Trishul (7,120 m) and Nanda Ghunti (6,309 m), with Kamet from the summit on clear days. Our guide to where Brahmatal is places these peaks on the map.
On both tops keep your cap and gloves on in the wind, even for photos.
What do the two treks cost, all in?
The Dayara Bugyal fee is ₹7,800 per person plus 5% GST (₹8,190 with GST), and the Brahmatal fee is ₹9,000 per person plus 5% GST (₹9,450 with GST). Meals are pure vegetarian on both: from Day 1 dinner to Day 4 breakfast on Dayara, and from Day 1 dinner to Day 5 dinner on Brahmatal.
Transport to the base is not included on either trek. We help the group book shared cabs at ₹6,500 one way per 5 to 6 seat vehicle, paid directly to the driver and split among trekkers. With six in the cab, the fee, both cab shares and the washing charge come to ₹10,557 for Dayara and ₹11,817 for Brahmatal.
| Logistics | Dayara Bugyal | Brahmatal |
|---|---|---|
| Free luggage store | Raithal | Lohajung |
| Backpack offloading (optional) | ₹1,000 plus GST | ₹1,500 plus GST |
| Single tent (optional) | ₹2,000 plus GST | ₹2,000 plus GST |
| Last reliable ATM | Bhatwari, about an hour before Raithal | Dewal, on the drive to Lohajung |
| Last stable mobile signal | Bhatwari | Lohajung |
On both treks every trekker brings a medical certificate signed by a doctor (the form is in My Bookings), and travel insurance is mandatory and not included. Weather in the hills changes from week to week, so check the forecast for Uttarkashi or Chamoli district on the India Meteorological Department's Dehradun centre before you travel.
Which one should you book?
Book Dayara Bugyal if you have four days, want the shorter drive (about 180 km from Dehradun, against about 250 km from Rishikesh for Brahmatal), prefer a milder range of camp nights (-10°C to -2°C at Gui) and want a big open snowfield with a 360° view. It is also the one to pick outside winter, since it runs from September to June.
Book Brahmatal if you can take six days, want frozen lakes and a ridge walk rather than a meadow, and are ready for base camp nights down to -15°C and a 10 km last day. It suits a child of 7 who is fit, since its minimum age is one year lower.
See Dayara Bugyal Trek dates and book | See Brahmatal Trek dates and book | Kuari Pass vs Dayara Bugyal
Frequently asked questions
Which is easier, Dayara Bugyal or Brahmatal?
Neither is clearly easier, since both are graded Easy to Moderate. Dayara is shorter, at about 20 km over four days with a highest camp of 2,936 m, but its 8 to 9 hour summit day is the longest single day. Brahmatal spreads about 29 km over six days and crosses Jhandi Top, at about 3,600 m, twice.
Which trek has more snow, Dayara Bugyal or Brahmatal?
Brahmatal has the clearer snow figure, 2 to 4 feet on the trail above Lohajung from December to February. Dayara's meadow is under snow from December to March, deepest in January on the climb from Gui to Dayara Top.
Which is higher, Dayara Top or Brahmatal Top?
Dayara Top is 3,749 m and Brahmatal Top is 3,734 m, so Dayara is 15 m higher. Brahmatal has the higher camp, at 3,106 m against 2,936 m at Gui.
Can a first-timer do Dayara Bugyal or Brahmatal?
Yes, both are graded Easy to Moderate and suit fit first-timers. Brahmatal needs no previous trekking experience, and Dayara is the shorter trek overall, though its summit day takes 8 to 9 hours.
Is Gui or Brahmatal base camp colder at night?
Brahmatal base camp has the colder range, -15°C to -5°C against -10°C to -2°C at Gui. The single coldest night the teams have recorded was at Gui, -16°C, against -15°C at Brahmatal base camp.
