Quick answer: The Kedarkantha trek covers about 20 km on foot over four trekking days, inside a 5-day trip from Dehradun. You climb from Sankri (1,950 m / 6,400 ft) to the summit at 3,810 m (12,500 ft), a total ascent of about 1,860 m. Add about 200 km of road each way between Dehradun and Sankri.
"How far is Kedarkantha?" has three different answers: the distance you walk, the height you reach, and the drive to the trailhead. This guide gives all three for the route Trekkaro runs (Sankri, Juda Ka Talab, Kedarkantha Base Camp, the summit, and back the same way), with the height you gain or lose each day, so you can judge the effort before you book.
How many km is the Kedarkantha trek?
About 20 km of walking, split unevenly: two short climbing days, one long summit day and a short final descent. Summit day alone is 9 km, almost half the total.
| Day | Route | Distance | Time | Where you sleep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Dehradun to Sankri (drive) | About 200 km by road | 7–8 hrs | Sankri, 1,950 m / 6,400 ft |
| Day 2 | Sankri to Juda Ka Talab | 4 km | 4–5 hrs | Juda Ka Talab, 2,773 m / 9,100 ft |
| Day 3 | Juda Ka Talab to Kedarkantha Base Camp | 3 km | 2–3 hrs | Base Camp, 3,429 m / 11,250 ft |
| Day 4 | Base Camp to summit, down to Juda Ka Talab | 9 km (about 3 km up to the top) | 8–9 hrs | Juda Ka Talab, 2,773 m / 9,100 ft |
| Day 5 | Juda Ka Talab to Sankri, drive to Dehradun | 4 km on foot + about 200 km by road | 3–4 hrs + 7–8 hrs | Dehradun (drop by about 6 PM) |
| Total | Sankri to Sankri | About 20 km on foot | 4 trekking days | 3 nights in camps |
You will see other totals online. Routes differ: some groups camp at other sites or come down a different way, so their kilometres differ too. The figures here are for the Trekkaro route and match the day-by-day plan on the trek page.
How high is Kedarkantha peak?
The Kedarkantha summit stands at 3,810 m (12,500 ft). That is 1,860 m above Sankri, and you gain it in three steps before coming all the way back down. The table shows where the height comes from, which is a better guide to effort than kilometres alone.
| Stage | From | To | Height change | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sankri to Juda Ka Talab | 1,950 m | 2,773 m | +823 m | 4 km |
| Juda Ka Talab to Base Camp | 2,773 m | 3,429 m | +656 m | 3 km |
| Base Camp to summit | 3,429 m | 3,810 m | +381 m | About 3 km |
| Summit to Juda Ka Talab | 3,810 m | 2,773 m | −1,037 m | About 6 km |
| Juda Ka Talab to Sankri | 2,773 m | 1,950 m | −823 m | 4 km |
Two things stand out. Day 2 is the steepest climb of the trek: more than 800 m of height in just 4 km, mostly through forest. And the long descent on Day 4 (over 1,000 m down, after a pre-dawn climb) is where tired legs and knees feel it most. The summit push itself gains the least height of any climbing stage.
What is the altitude of Kedarkantha Base Camp?
Kedarkantha Base Camp sits at 3,429 m (11,250 ft). It is the highest place you sleep on the trek, and you spend one night there before the summit. From the base camp the top is about 3 km away and 381 m higher.
The base camp and the summit are both above 3,000 m, the height at which the Uttarakhand Health Department's high-altitude health advisory warns that air pressure and oxygen drop. It lists chest pain, shortness of breath, a persistent cough, dizziness and vomiting as signs that need help at once, and its rule is simple: descend if you feel unwell, do not climb further. A headache, nausea or unusual breathlessness at camp is something to tell your trek leader straight away, not something to hide so you can stay with the group. Your leader checks everyone's health each day and decides who continues on summit night.
How far is Kedarkantha from Dehradun and Delhi?
Sankri, the trailhead, is about 200 km from Dehradun, a 7–8 hour drive through Mussoorie, Nainbagh, Naugaon, Purola, Mori and Naitwar. From Delhi it is about 430 km by road, or 11–13 hours with stops.
- Pickup: 6:30 AM at Dehradun Railway Station on Day 1. Drop back at the station by about 6 PM on Day 5.
- From Delhi: most trekkers take an overnight train or Volvo bus to Dehradun, or fly into Dehradun's Jolly Grant Airport (Airports Authority of India) the day before.
- Cab: transport is not included in the trek fee: we help the group book shared cabs, paid directly to the driver and split among trekkers. The Dehradun–Sankri cab is about ₹6,500 one way per 5–6 seat vehicle.
- Last ATM and network: the last reliable ATM is at Purola; Sankri is the last place with a mobile signal (Jio works best).
Full train, bus and cab options are in our Delhi to Sankri guide.
How long does summit day take?
Summit day is the one long day: 9 km and 8–9 hours in total. It runs like this:
- Wake-up and a hot drink at base camp, then start walking at about 2:00 AM with head torches.
- Climb about 3 km and 381 m to the summit at 3,810 m, at a slow, steady pace.
- Time on top for views and photos, then descend to base camp.
- Continue down to Juda Ka Talab, about 1,000 m below the summit, and reach camp by late morning.
Because you lose so much height on the same day, many trekkers find the way down harder than the way up. Trekking poles, which come with Free Trekking Gear, take real load off the knees here.
Trek leader Kushal Bisht's tip: "On summit night, walk slower than you think you need to. First-timers rush the first hour because they feel cold and fresh, and then struggle near the top. A pace at which you can still talk in full sentences is the right pace, all the way up."
Is 20 km too much for a beginner?
No. Kedarkantha is graded Easy–Moderate, the minimum age is 8, and the daily distances are short: 3 to 4 km on three of the four trekking days. What makes it work for your body is height and cold, not distance. If you can walk 5 km briskly without stopping and climb a few floors of stairs comfortably, start a few weeks of regular cardio and you will be ready. Our Kedarkantha difficulty and fitness guide has a week-by-week plan.
What it costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Trek fee (Sankri to Sankri, 5 days) | ₹9,000 |
| GST (5%) | ₹450 |
| Total | ₹9,450 |
| EMI (24 months) | From ₹463 a month |
| Free Trekking Gear | ₹3,000 refundable deposit + ₹200 washing charge |
| Backpack offloading (optional) | ₹1,500 + GST |
| Single tent (optional) | ₹2,000 + GST |
| Shared cab Dehradun–Sankri | About ₹6,500 one way per vehicle, split among trekkers |
The fee covers stays, meals, permits, camping equipment and the trek leader and guide. Free Trekking Gear gives you Decathlon trekking shoes, a −10°C jacket, trekking poles, gaiters and microspikes. Groups are capped at 20 trekkers, with one leader or guide for every 8. If plans change, you get a 70% refund when you cancel 30 or more days before departure and 50% at 15–29 days, or a free reschedule or 100% TrekCash voucher (valid one year) up to 7 days before. Dates and seats are on the Kedarkantha trek page, and the full breakdown is in our Kedarkantha cost guide.
See Kedarkantha dates and book | How to reach Sankri | Kedarkantha difficulty | Kedarkantha in October
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need for the Kedarkantha trek from Dehradun?
Plan for 5 days from Dehradun and back: one drive day to Sankri, three days on the trail including the summit, and a final half-day descent followed by the drive back. Add a night in Dehradun before Day 1 if you are coming from far away, because the pickup is at 6:30 AM.
What is the one-way walking distance from Sankri to the Kedarkantha summit?
It is about 10 km one way: 4 km from Sankri to Juda Ka Talab, 3 km to the base camp and about 3 km from the base camp to the top. You come back the same way, which makes the round trip about 20 km.
Is Kedarkantha peak higher than Brahmatal Top?
Yes, slightly. The Kedarkantha summit is 3,810 m (12,500 ft) and Brahmatal Top is 3,734 m (12,250 ft). Both are Easy–Moderate winter treks, and the bigger difference is the route: Kedarkantha is a short, steep climb from Sankri, while Brahmatal spreads its height over a longer ridge walk.
Can the Kedarkantha trek be done in three or four days?
Some people try to compress it, but Trekkaro runs it over 5 days so that you climb in stages and sleep a night at Juda Ka Talab and a night at the base camp before the summit. Squeezing the same 1,860 m of ascent into fewer days makes altitude sickness more likely and the summit night much harder.
Where is the last mobile network and ATM on the Kedarkantha route?
Sankri is the last place with a mobile signal, and Jio is the network that works most reliably there. The last reliable ATM is at Purola, before Sankri, so carry enough cash from Dehradun or Purola for the trip.
