Best time to visit Gangotri — when the temple is open
When to visit Gangotri: the temple opens on Akshaya Tritiya and closes at Diwali. Early summer and autumn suit most; the monsoon needs spare days and checks.
ArticleVerified 2026-10-14
How to reach Gangotri — the long road up the Bhagirathi
How to reach Gangotri by road: measured distances and drive times from Delhi, Rishikesh, Dehradun and Uttarkashi, the nearest station and airport.
The road to Gangotri is one road, up the Bhagirathi valley from Uttarkashi, and it ends at the Gangotri Temple. Wikipedia puts the town about 99 km from Uttarkashi; our own routing gives about 100 km and 174 minutes.
By road
The list below gives the measured drive to the road-end, free-flow, with no traffic or stops. Mountain roads are slower than the routing says, so treat each figure as a floor.
- Delhi (ISBT Kashmere Gate): 445 km, 564 minutes.
- Chandigarh (ISBT 43): 391 km, 575 minutes.
- Rishikesh: 248 km, 448 minutes.
- Dehradun ISBT: 235 km, 428 minutes.
- Mussoorie: 208 km, 378 minutes.
- Uttarkashi: 100 km, 174 minutes.
Rail and air
The nearest railway station is Rishikesh, and the nearest airport is the one serving Dehradun. From either, the rest is by car, taxi or bus. We have no verified fares, timetables or booking rules, so ask at the station or the bus stand.
Where to break the journey
The drive from Delhi or Rishikesh is a full day, so most people stop for a night in Uttarkashi, or higher up at Harsil, about 26 km and 47 minutes below Gangotri on our routing. We have no verified lodging, so ask locally.
When the road is open
The road is used while the temple is open, from spring to Diwali. See when to visit Gangotri, then things to do in Gangotri and the one-day plan.
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Questions people ask
How far is Gangotri from Delhi?
About 445 km by road from the Kashmere Gate bus stand on our routing, which gives 564 minutes of free-flow driving. The mountain stretch above Rishikesh is slower than that in practice, and landslides can close it, so most people break the journey at Uttarkashi or Rishikesh and drive the last stretch the next morning.
Is there a railway station or airport near Gangotri?
The nearest railway station is Rishikesh, about 248 km and 448 minutes away by road on our routing. The nearest airport is the one serving Dehradun. From either, the rest of the way is by car, taxi or bus up the Bhagirathi valley. We have no verified fares or timetables, so ask at the station or the bus stand.
Can you drive all the way to Gangotri?
Yes, the road ends at the Gangotri Temple, about 100 km and 174 minutes from Uttarkashi on our routing. The road is used only while the temple is open, from spring to Diwali, and slips can close it, so check the road and the weather each morning before you set out.