Things to do in Almora — 6 worth the visit, and how far each is
How this list is built
Sorted by distance from Almora, because that is how a visit here gets planned: what is close to the town, and what needs a longer drive. The minutes are our own road routing from a point in the town, and we quote no entry prices we cannot source. Each entry links to its own page where we have one, and every stop sits inside one of our copyable itineraries.
Photos: Itsmalay~commonswiki (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Kanishkapant98 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
In and around the town
1. Nanda Devi Temple
About 4 minutes from the centre: a temple to the goddess Nanda Devi in the old town, close to the bazaar. Wikipedia lists it among Almora's notable temples, and little else is published about it, so we give no history. See it as part of a walk through the old lanes.
2. Kasar Devi
About 17 minutes out: a ridge village in a forest of pine and deodar, with a temple to the goddess Kasar Devi and long views, where Swami Vivekananda is recorded as meditating in the 1890s. Kasar Devi Temple.
3. Chitai Golu Devta Temple
About 19 minutes out: the best-known temple of Golu Devta, the Kumaoni god of justice, with bells at the entrance and written petitions inside. Chitai Golu Devta Temple.
A longer drive
4. Katarmal Sun Temple
About 44 minutes out: a large stone Sun temple the Archaeological Survey of India calls Bara Aditya, with 44 smaller shrines around it. Sources differ on its age, between the 9th and the 13th century. Katarmal Sun Temple.
5. Binsar
About 50 minutes to Zero Point, the sanctuary's viewpoint. Wikipedia says Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1988 to protect broadleaf oak forest, covers about 46 km², and from Zero Point shows peaks including Kedarnath, Chaukhamba, Shivling, Trisul, Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot and Panchachuli on a clear day. We have no verified entry fee, hours or rules for the sanctuary, so ask locally, and we have not written a page for it.
6. Jageshwar temples
About 77 minutes out, 36 km up the valley: a deodar valley of ancient stone temples, dated between the 7th and 14th centuries, with the Dandeshwar group nearby. Jageshwar Temples.
What it adds up to
The old town, Kasar Devi and Chitai make one relaxed day, all within 20 minutes of the centre. Katarmal and Jageshwar are longer drives, each its own outing, and Binsar is a further half day. See the Almora guide for the one-day and two-day plans, when to visit and how to reach Almora.
Plans that include this
All Almora itineraries →
Questions people ask
What are the top things to do in Almora for a first visit?
The old town and its Nanda Devi Temple, then Kasar Devi and the Chitai Golu Devta Temple, both under 20 minutes out, make a relaxed first day. The Katarmal Sun Temple, 44 minutes away, and the Jageshwar temples, 77 minutes up the valley, are the stronger outings for a second day.
What can you do in Almora for free?
Walking the old town and the ridge at Kasar Devi costs nothing that we know of. We found no published entry fee for any of the temples or the Binsar sanctuary, so we give none; ask locally. The cost we can name is transport, since most of these stops need a taxi or your own vehicle.
How many days do you need in Almora?
One day covers the old town, Kasar Devi and Chitai. A second day adds Katarmal and Jageshwar. Binsar is a further half day. From Delhi it is about 365 km, so most visitors stay at least a night, and many combine Almora with Nainital or Kausani on the same trip.