This guide is about the Kedarkantha Trek — dates, price, day-by-day itinerary and booking are on the trek page.
Quick answer: The Kedarkantha itinerary runs 5 days, Dehradun to Dehradun: Day 1 drive to Sankri, Day 2 climb 4 km to Juda Ka Talab, Day 3 walk 3 km to the base camp, Day 4 summit 3,810 m from a 2:00 AM start and descend to Juda Ka Talab, Day 5 walk 4 km down and drive back.
This page is the day-by-day plan: what time you leave, where you sleep, what you carry in your day pack and what the trek leader expects from you each day. It is written for first-time trekkers who have picked Kedarkantha and now want to know exactly how the five days run. Batch dates and booking are on the Kedarkantha trek page, linked at the end.
What does the 5-day Kedarkantha itinerary look like?
| Day | From and to | On foot | Night stop | The day's job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dehradun Railway Station to Sankri (1,950 m / 6,400 ft) | None; 200 km drive, 8–9 hours | Guesthouse, triple sharing | Reach base, gear check, briefing |
| 2 | Sankri to Juda Ka Talab (2,773 m / 9,100 ft) | About 4 km, 4–5 hours | Tents by the lake | First climb, through pine and oak forest |
| 3 | Juda Ka Talab to base camp (3,429 m / 11,250 ft) | About 3 km, 2–3 hours | Tents below the summit | Gain height, rest, summit briefing |
| 4 | Base camp to the summit (3,810 m / 12,500 ft) and down to Juda Ka Talab | About 9 km, 8–9 hours | Tents by the lake | Sunrise on the top, long descent |
| 5 | Juda Ka Talab to Sankri, drive to Dehradun | About 4 km | Home or Dehradun | Walk out, certificates, drive back |
The trekking total is about 20 km over four days. You never sleep higher than the base camp at 3,429 m, and you drop back to 2,773 m on the same day you stand on the summit.
Day 1: how does the drive from Dehradun to Sankri work?
The shared cab leaves Dehradun Railway Station at 6:30 AM, so reach Dehradun the evening before or take the overnight Nanda Devi Express from Delhi. The road is NH-707, which follows the Tons river via Purola and Mori. The drive takes 8 to 9 hours with chai stops at roadside dhabas, and meals on the road are not part of the trek fee.
Purola is the last place with a reliable ATM. Draw enough cash in Dehradun anyway and carry small notes, because cards are not accepted on the trail. Sankri is the last place with mobile signal, and only Jio works there consistently, so make your calls and tell your family you will be out of reach for three days.
You reach Sankri by late afternoon and check into the guesthouse. The trek leader runs the gear check, hands over Free Trekking Gear (Decathlon trekking shoes, a jacket rated to -10°C, trekking poles, gaiters and microspikes) and briefs the group. Eat a full dinner and sleep early.
Day 2: what is the climb to Juda Ka Talab like?
This is the first real walking day: about 4 km and 4 to 5 hours, climbing steadily through pine and oak forest that is laden with snow in winter. The gradient is consistent, so set a pace at which you can still talk. Lunch is a packed meal eaten at a ridge clearing, which is why the kit list asks for a reusable lunch box.
The trees thin out into a wide, bowl-shaped meadow with a small lake at its centre. That is Juda Ka Talab, your camp for the night, and in winter the lake freezes. There is no mobile signal from here on and no charging point on the trail, so switch your phone to flight mode and keep your power bank close to your body in the cold.
Day 3: why is the walk to base camp so short?
Day 3 is only about 3 km and 2 to 3 hours, and that is deliberate. You gain about 650 m and then rest for the afternoon, which gives your body time to adjust before the summit. The trail leaves the forest and climbs through open alpine meadows, called bugyals, which lie under snow in winter. On a clear day you can pick out Swargarohini, Black Peak, Ranglana and Bandarpunch.
In the evening the trek leader gives the summit briefing: wake-up time, pace, turnaround rules and what to wear. The team also checks your SpO2, pulse and blood pressure, as it does twice a day at every campsite. Lay out your layers in the order you will put them on, fill your insulated bottle and pack snacks for the climb before you sleep.
Day 4: what happens on summit day, hour by hour?
- 2:00 AM, wake-up and start. Headlamps on. The climb from the base camp to the top is about 3 km, steep in places, and on snow in winter, so carry the microspikes and gaiters from your Free Trekking Gear and wear them when the leader says.
- The dark climb. The leader sets a slow, steady rhythm in single file. Start slightly cold and add a layer at rest stops; sweat freezes on the ridge.
- Sunrise on the summit, 3,810 m. The view takes in the Garhwal and Himachal ranges in all directions. Hot tea, photographs and a short rest, then the descent.
- Mid-morning, back through base camp. You keep going down through the meadows and into the forest.
- Late morning, Juda Ka Talab. The whole day is about 9 km and 8 to 9 hours. The evening ends with a celebratory dinner at the lake camp.
This is the one long day, and the one that decides whether the trek feels easy. If you can walk briskly for 4 to 5 hours at home, you can manage it at the leader's pace.
Day 5: how do you get back to Dehradun?
You walk about 4 km down through the pine forest to Sankri, where completion certificates are handed out to everyone who reached the summit. The shared cab then drives the same Tons river road back and is expected at Dehradun Railway Station by 6:00 PM. Book a late-night train or bus home, or a flight for the next day.
What goes in your day pack each day?
A porter or mule carries group equipment, and if you pay for backpack offloading (₹1,500 + 5% GST for the whole trek, up to 9 kg, booked at least 15 days ahead) your main bag goes too. Either way you walk with a 20–30 L day pack.
| Day | Keep in the day pack |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cash in small notes, photo ID, medical certificate, insurance papers, snacks for the drive |
| 2 | Two 1 L bottles (one insulated), lunch box, a warm layer, sunglasses and sunscreen |
| 3 | The same, plus gloves and a woollen cap for the open meadows |
| 4 | Headlamp, insulated bottle, balaclava, waterproof gloves, every warm layer, trail mix and energy bars |
| 5 | Water and snacks for the walk down and the drive back |
When should you run this itinerary?
The plan is the same in every month the trek runs; only the snow and cold change. Deep snow comes from December to February. Kedarkantha batches run from September to April; see the trek page for live dates.
Who should skip this itinerary?
Skip Kedarkantha if you want a solitary trail in the Christmas–New Year week, if you cannot walk 8–9 hours on summit day, or if a child is under 8, the minimum age. Trekkers under 18 come with a parent or guardian. There is no upper age limit. Every trekker brings a medical certificate signed by a doctor, and trekkers above 60 are advised to add an ECG or TMT report.
What does the plan cost, and what must you carry?
The trek fee is ₹9,000 + 5% GST = ₹9,450 per person. The trek page shows EMI from ₹463 a month. The fee covers the Sankri guesthouse, tents shared by three (men and women separate), -20°C sleeping bags, all meals from Day 1 dinner to Day 5 breakfast, Govind Pashu Vihar National Park permits and a certified trek leader trained in Wilderness First Aid. Free Trekking Gear needs a ₹3,000 refundable deposit and a ₹200 washing charge (+ GST). Transport is not included in the trek fee: we help the group book shared cabs at ₹1,000 per person each way, paid directly to the driver. Cancellation: 70% refund 30 or more days before departure, 50% at 15–29 days; at 8–14 days a 100% TrekCash voucher (valid 1 year), a free reschedule or a transfer to another trekker. Any of these can also replace a cash refund at any point up to 8 days before departure. Nothing at 7 days or less or for a no-show.
Carry a government photo ID, a medical certificate signed by a doctor and travel insurance that covers high-altitude trekking and helicopter evacuation, which is mandatory. Ask your doctor about altitude medicine such as Diamox before you go. The Uttarakhand Health Department's health advisory for travellers going above 3,000 m advises no more than 800–1,000 m of height gain a day, descending if you feel unwell, and dressing for cold, rain and sun. Kedarkantha’s biggest height gain on foot between two camps is Day 2, about 820 m.
See Kedarkantha dates and book | Kedarkantha best time | Kedarkantha distance and height | Kedarkantha trek cost
Frequently asked questions
Can the Kedarkantha itinerary be changed?
Small changes are possible, but the completion date stays as scheduled. If something unexpected happens on the trail, such as weather or a health problem, the trek leader decides on a safe alternative plan for the group.
Where do you stay each night on the Kedarkantha trek?
Night one is a guesthouse in Sankri. The next three nights are in tents at Juda Ka Talab, the base camp and Juda Ka Talab again, with four-person tents shared by three trekkers and women sharing only with women.
What food is served on the Kedarkantha trek?
Meals are simple and pure vegetarian. Breakfast and dinner are cooked at camp, lunch is packed, and you should bring your own trail mix, energy bars and ORS.
Is there a doctor on the Kedarkantha trek?
No doctor joins the batch. Trek leaders are trained in Wilderness First Aid, carry a full first-aid kit, a portable oxygen cylinder and a stretcher, and check the vital signs of each trekker twice a day.
Can I book a private Kedarkantha trek for my group?
Yes. Trekkaro runs private Kedarkantha treks for a group of any size at your own pace. The price depends on the number of trekkers and the duration.
