A grassy mountain meadow among rocky outcrops and forest at Chopta, with snow peaks hazy in the distance

ArticleVerified 2026-10-05

How to reach Chopta — distances and drive times

How to reach Chopta from Delhi, Dehradun, Rishikesh and Rudraprayag by road, with measured distances and times, and where the regular buses stop.

Photo: Alok Prasad (flickr.com/photos/alokprasad) · CC BY-SA 3.0

How these numbers were made

From Delhi and Dehradun we ask a public OpenStreetMap router for a free-flow car time. From Rishikesh and inside the hills we use our own BRouter routing. Buses and jeeps are slower, and the mountain roads add time, so treat every figure as the least you should plan for.

From where you are

Delhi: about 484 km, 7.5 hours free-flow, many more in practice.
Dehradun: about 265 km, 4.5 hours free-flow.
Rishikesh: about 200 km, about 354 minutes.
Rudraprayag: 68 km, about 122 minutes.
Gopeshwar: 45 km, about 82 minutes.
Guptkashi: 43 km, about 84 minutes.
Karnaprayag: 83 km, about 153 minutes.

By air, rail and bus

The nearest airport is Jolly Grant near Dehradun and the nearest railway station is Rishikesh. We have no verified bus or train timetable. Wikipedia says the usual road route runs through Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Kund and Ukhimath, and that Chopta sits on the road between Gopeshwar and Guptkashi.

Once you are there

Tungnath Temple and Chandrashila start on foot from the road-head. Deoria Tal is reached from Sari, 39 minutes down the road, and Ukhimath is 53 minutes down. See things to do in Chopta, the one-day plan and the two-day plan.

Plans that include this

All Chopta itineraries →

The grey stone Tungnath Temple on a rocky ridge under a clear blue sky

Day plan · First visittrek

One day at Chopta — the walk up to Tungnath Temple

A one-day Chopta plan on foot: the paved path from the road-head up to Tungnath Temple, an early start and a descent before dark. Free to copy.

Best Apr–May · Sep–Oct

See the plan →

A green forest-ringed lake with a path along its sandy shore and snow-covered mountains rising behind under cloud

Day plan · First visitleisure

One day below Chopta — Deoria Tal and Ukhimath

A relaxed Chopta plan below the high ground: a short walk to the forest lake of Deoria Tal, then the pilgrimage town of Ukhimath on the way down. Free to copy.

Best Apr–May · Sep–Nov

See the plan →

A path winding along a rocky ridge on the Chandrashila trek with layered mountain ranges in a haze behind

1 night · 2 days · First visittrek

Two days at Chopta — Tungnath, Chandrashila and Ukhimath

A two-day Chopta plan: the walk to Tungnath Temple on day one, then the Chandrashila summit and the winter pilgrimage town of Ukhimath on day two. Free to copy.

Best Apr–May · Sep–Oct

See the plan →

Questions people ask

How far is Chopta from Delhi?

About 484 km by road on our routing, where free-flow routing says 7.5 hours, and traffic and mountain roads usually add many more. Wikipedia says about 450 km. It also says 162 km from Rishikesh, while our routing gives about 200 km and nearly six hours, so published figures are lower than ours. Break the journey.

What is the nearest airport and railway station?

Jolly Grant airport near Dehradun and Rishikesh railway station, about 221 km and 201 km away by road on our routing, around six and a half hours each. Wikipedia names the same two. There is no nearer rail or air link, so plan on a long road leg from either, and check current services.

How do you get there by public transport?

Wikipedia describes the route from Rishikesh through Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Kund and Ukhimath, and says Ukhimath is the last point served by regular buses, with jeeps beyond. We have no verified timetable, so ask locally, and agree a price and a return time for the last stretch.