This guide is about the Kuari Pass Trek — dates, price, day-by-day itinerary and booking are on the trek page.
Quick answer: The Kuari Pass trek covers about 35 km on foot over four walking days, from the Dhak trailhead (2,050 m) to Kuari Pass at 3,815 m (12,516 ft) and back. The longest day is the 13 km summit round trip from Khullara camp. On top of that you drive 215 km each way between Rishikesh and Pipalkoti.
This guide is for trekkers who want the hard numbers before they book: how far each day is, how much height you gain, where the road ends and the walking starts, and how the route reads on the map. Every figure comes from our Kuari Pass trek page. Where we did the arithmetic ourselves (totals and metres per km), we say so.
How many km is the Kuari Pass trek?
The walking adds up to about 35 km: 6 km on Day 2, 5 km on Day 3, 13 km on Day 4 and 11 km on Day 5. Days 1 and 6 are road days with no walking. The trek starts and ends at Pipalkoti (1,883 m / 6,178 ft), and the trail starts at Dhak, a 15 km drive (40–45 minutes) from Pipalkoti.
| Measure | Figure | Source or note |
|---|---|---|
| Distance on foot | About 35 km | 6 + 5 + 13 + 11 km, trek page |
| Rishikesh to Pipalkoti | 215 km each way | About 9 hrs out, 8–10 hrs back |
| Pipalkoti to Dhak | 15 km each way | 40–45 min drive |
| Total by road | About 460 km | Our sum: 215 + 15 + 15 + 215 |
| Dhak to Kuari Pass, one way | About 17.5 km | Our sum: 6 + 5 + half of the 13 km round trip |
| Highest point | 3,815 m / 12,516 ft | Kuari Pass |
| Duration | 6 days, 4 of them on foot | Pipalkoti to Pipalkoti |
How the 35 km splits by day and by height
The table below follows the short itinerary on the trek page. The last column is our own calculation: height gained or lost divided by the day's distance on foot, a quick way to read how the height is spread along the route.
| Day | Route | Distance | Height change | Metres per km (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rishikesh to Pipalkoti | 215 km drive | To 1,883 m | Road day |
| 2 | Drive to Dhak, trek to Gulling | 15 km drive + 6 km trek | 2,050 m to 2,900 m (+850 m) | About 140 up |
| 3 | Gulling to Khullara | 5 km | 2,900 m to 3,350 m (+450 m) | About 90 up |
| 4 | Khullara to Kuari Pass and back | 13 km round trip | 3,350 m to 3,815 m (+465 m), then back down | About 70 up (465 m over about 6.5 km) |
| 5 | Khullara to Dhak, drive to Pipalkoti | 11 km trek + 15 km drive | 3,350 m to 2,050 m (−1,300 m) | About 120 down |
| 6 | Pipalkoti to Rishikesh | 215 km drive | From 1,883 m | Road day |
Add up the climbing and you gain about 1,765 m on foot over the trek (850 + 450 + 465, our sum), and lose the same on the way down. Day 5 drops 1,300 m in one go, and the trek page warns that the fatigue shows late in the day.
How high is Kuari Pass, and how high do you sleep?
Kuari Pass stands at 3,815 m, which the trek page gives as 12,516 ft. Only Day 4 takes you above your highest camp. You sleep at Pipalkoti, 1,883 m (6,178 ft), in a guesthouse or homestay on nights 1 and 5; in tents at Gulling, 2,900 m (9,514 ft), on night 2; and in tents at Khullara, 3,350 m (10,991 ft), on nights 3 and 4. Khullara is the highest you sleep.
The pass is 465 m above your highest camp, and you return to that same camp the same evening. The Uttarakhand Health Department's high-altitude advisory applies above 3,000 m and says to gain no more than 800–1,000 m a day, rest 5–10 minutes for each hour of walking, and descend if you feel unwell. On this itinerary the 850 m climb of Day 2 ends below 3,000 m at Gulling, and the two days above 3,000 m gain 450 m and 465 m.
Kuari Pass trek route and map: from Dhak to the pass
The trek page has a Route Map tab that marks the camps in order: Pipalkoti, Dhak, Gulling, Khullara, Kuari Pass, then Khullara and Dhak again on the way out. Here is what each stretch of the walk looks like on the ground.
Dhak to Gulling (6 km)
The road ends at Dhak (2,050 m). Over the next 6 km you gain 850 m, the biggest climb of the trek. Gulling is a tucked-away campsite inside the forest, on slopes of oak, rhododendron and conifer. Fill your bottles at Dhak: the trek page warns that water sources on the trail can be limited.
Gulling to Khullara (5 km)
A shorter day of about 4 hours. Khullara sits among open meadows and coniferous forest, and it is your base for two nights.
Khullara to Kuari Pass and back (13 km)
The summit day starts early. The trek page tells trekkers to go prepared for snow, icy streams and strong wind. There are no water sources on this stretch, so carry all your water from Khullara. From the pass, the page lists a 180° view of 14 peaks, among them Nanda Devi, Kamet, Dronagiri, Trishul, Bertholi, Hathi Ghodi Parvat, Mana and Neelkanth, with Kedarnath and Chaukhamba also named. The route is also known as the Curzon Trail.
Khullara to Dhak (11 km)
A long, steady descent that tests the knees. Shorten your stride on the steeper parts. The trek page says your knees and thighs do the work here.
Snow on the route, month by month
The day distances do not change with the month; what the trek page describes changing is the snow on the trail.
- October–November: the trek page says these months do not promise full snow cover.
- December–February: snow covers the forests, the meadows and the trail itself.
- March: the snow begins to melt on the lower trail, while the higher sections still hold snow.
Microspikes and gaiters come with our Free Trekking Gear on this trek, along with Decathlon trekking shoes, a -10°C jacket and trekking poles. There is no rental fee: you pay a ₹3,000 refundable deposit and a ₹200 washing charge (+ GST).
"Trekkaro did a great job organising Kuari Pass Trek. Food was awesome" – Badri Venkat, Kuari Pass trek review on the trek page
Safety notes along the 35 km
- There is no ATM at Pipalkoti. Carry enough cash from Rishikesh, Dehradun or your home city, as cards are not accepted on the trail.
- Jio and BSNL work at Pipalkoti, but the trek page calls the signal spotty and weather-dependent. On the trail, expect little or no signal apart from short coverage on the first and last day.
- Fill your bottles at Dhak on Day 2, and carry all your water from Khullara on Day 4.
- Bring a medical certificate signed by a registered doctor and a government photo ID, original and photocopy.
- Travel insurance is mandatory and not included. It must cover high-altitude trekking and emergency evacuation.
- Tents are shared by 3 trekkers, with men and women in separate tents, and sleeping bags are rated to -20°C.
- The minimum age is 8, and trekkers under 18 come with a parent or guardian.
What the Kuari Pass trek costs
The trek fee is ₹9,400 + 5% GST, which comes to ₹9,870 per person, Pipalkoti to Pipalkoti. The trek page shows EMI from ₹484 a month. All meals from Day 1 dinner to Day 5 dinner are included (vegetarian; meals on the drives are not).
- Transport is not included in the trek fee: we help the group book shared cabs, paid directly to the driver and split among trekkers. For Pipalkoti, that is about ₹6,500 one way per 5–6 seat vehicle.
- Pickup on Day 1 is at Dehradun Railway Station at 06:30 AM or Jumping Heights, Tapovan (Rishikesh) at 08:00 AM. On Day 6, expect to reach Rishikesh around 7:00 PM and Dehradun around 9:00 PM.
- Backpack offloading costs ₹1,800 + 5% GST, up to 9 kg; last-minute requests at Pipalkoti may cost more.
- The season runs from October to April; see the trek page for live batch dates. Each batch has at most 20 trekkers and one trek leader or guide for every 8. Booking for a batch closes at 5 PM (India time) the day before it starts.
- If you cancel 30 or more days before departure you get a 70% refund, at 15–29 days 50%, at 8–14 days no cash refund, and at 7 days or less or for a no-show nothing. At any point up to 8 days before departure you can take a 100% TrekCash voucher (valid 1 year), a free reschedule (once per booking) or a transfer to another trekker instead of the cash refund.
See Kuari Pass dates and book | Kuari Pass difficulty and fitness plan | Kuari Pass weather and temperature | Kuari Pass trek cost
Frequently asked questions
How many km is the Kuari Pass trek in total?
About 35 km on foot over four walking days: 6, 5, 13 and 11 km. The road adds 215 km each way between Rishikesh and Pipalkoti and 15 km each way to the Dhak trailhead.
What is the height of Kuari Pass in feet?
Kuari Pass is at 3,815 m, given on the trek page as 12,516 ft. The highest camp, Khullara, is at 3,350 m (10,991 ft), and you sleep there for two nights.
How long is the Kuari Pass summit day?
Day 4 is a 13 km round trip from Khullara to the pass and back, and it takes 8–9 hours. Carry all your water from Khullara, as there are no water sources on the route.
How far is Kuari Pass from the Dhak trailhead?
About 17.5 km one way by our sum: 6 km to Gulling, 5 km to Khullara, then about half of the 13 km summit round trip. You walk it over three days and come back down to Dhak in one 11 km day.
Is there a map of the Kuari Pass trek route?
Yes. The Route Map tab on the Kuari Pass trek page marks each camp in order, from Pipalkoti and Dhak to Gulling, Khullara and the pass. The trek page's day titles give the altitude, distance and hours for each day.
