Harsil — the apple village among deodars on the road to Gangotri
Harsil on the Bhagirathi at about 2,745 m: an apple village and army area on the old Tibet trade route, with Frederick Wilson's story and the road time.
Uttarakhand⛰ 3,200 m1 itineraries
Gangotri
Gangotri at about 3,200 m, the Ganga's source shrine on the Bhagirathi: the temple, Harsil, the Gomukh trek and the national park, with road times and season.
Itineraries you can copy
All 1 →Going together
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Gangotri is a pilgrim town on the Bhagirathi river in Uttarkashi district, at about 3,200 m in the Greater Himalaya, and one of the four Chota Char Dham sites. Hindu tradition says the goddess Ganga came down to earth here when Shiva released her from his hair; the Bhagirathi, which rises from the Gangotri Glacier, becomes the Ganga at Devprayag. It is about 100 km and 174 minutes from Uttarkashi on our routing, and about 248 km and 448 minutes from Rishikesh.
The Gangotri Temple stands on the river. It is closed from Diwali and reopens on Akshaya Tritiya; in between, the goddess's idol is kept at Mukhba, near Harsil. On the road down, Harsil, about 47 minutes away on our routing, is an apple village and army area among deodar forest. The glacier's snout, Gomukh, is 18 km away on foot and lies inside the Gangotri National Park, which covers about 1,553 square kilometres and shelters the snow leopard.
The road is open to visitors only while the temple is, from late April to the autumn. Check the road, the weather and the current conditions, and any permits for the park, before you travel. Read when to visit, how to reach Gangotri and things to do in Gangotri, and copy the one-day plan.
Photos: Atudu (CC BY-SA 4.0) · DipankarSen68 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Harshit SR (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Places worth the drive
Gomukh — the snout of the Gangotri Glacier, 18 km on foot from Gangotri
Gomukh, the snout of the Gangotri Glacier at about 4,023 m: 18 km on foot from Gangotri through the national park, the route and what we cannot verify.
Gangotri Temple — the shrine of the goddess Ganga on the Bhagirathi
The Gangotri Temple on the Bhagirathi at about 3,200 m: the goddess Ganga's shrine, a Chota Char Dham site, open from Akshaya Tritiya to Diwali.
On the map
Open the Gangotri map →The places a Gangotri day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
All articles →Things to do in Gangotri — the temple, Harsil and Gomukh
Things to do in Gangotri: the temple of the goddess Ganga, the apple village of Harsil, the national park and the Gomukh trek to the glacier's snout.
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.
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.
Nearby destinations
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Questions people ask
How far is Gangotri from Rishikesh and Uttarkashi?
About 248 km and 448 minutes from Rishikesh by road on our routing, and about 100 km and 174 minutes from Uttarkashi; Wikipedia gives 99 km for Uttarkashi. The mountain road is slow and can be closed by landslides, so allow a full day from Rishikesh and check the road each morning.
When is the Gangotri Temple open?
From Akshaya Tritiya in spring until Diwali, by Wikipedia's account. During the closed months the goddess's idol is kept at Mukhba village near Harsil. The exact opening date changes each year, so check the temple committee's announcement before you plan the journey, and expect cold at about 3,200 m even in summer.
How do you reach Gomukh?
On foot: Wikipedia puts Gomukh, the snout of the Gangotri Glacier at about 4,023 m, about 18 km from Gangotri along the Bhagirathi valley, inside the Gangotri National Park. We have no verified trek times, permit details or daily limits, so ask the forest authorities and the temple town before you set out.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.