Thamri Tal, Munsiyari — the forest lake with the musk deer
Thamri Kund or Thamri Tal above Munsiyari: a small natural lake in broad-leaved forest, a musk-deer habitat with a view of the Panchachuli peaks, and times.
Uttarakhand⛰ 2,200 m1 itineraries
Munsiyari
Munsiyari at about 2,200 m below the Panchachuli peaks: the Nanda Devi Temple, Thamri Tal, the Gori river birds and the old Johar trade valley, with road times.
Itineraries you can copy
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Munsiyari is a hill station and sub-division headquarters in Pithoragarh district, at about 2,200 m, at the base of the great Himalayan range. It is the last town below the five Panchachuli peaks and the starting point of many treks. It is far from the plains: about 127 km and 218 minutes from Pithoragarh on our routing, and about 276 km and 524 minutes from the railhead at Kathgodam.
The town's walks are short. The Nanda Devi Temple, a small white temple on a ridge facing the peaks, is about 7 minutes away by road on our routing, and Thamri Tal, a small forest lake that Wikivoyage lists as musk-deer habitat, is about 9 minutes away. Wikivoyage also names the Khaliya Top meadow and the Maheshwari Kund pond, and Wikipedia records India's first lichen park, laid out here from 2019. The Gori river basin around the town is an Important Bird Area, with 319 bird species recorded by May 2014.
Munsiyari was once the winter home of the Bhotia traders of the Johar valley, who carried goods to and from Tibet; the valley runs north to Milam and its glacier, and Wikipedia says the best time for the glacier is mid-March to May. The Johar area is a border region and a road to Milam has been under construction, so check the current access, permits and conditions locally and your government's travel advice before you plan any trek. Read when to visit, how to reach Munsiyari and things to do in Munsiyari, and copy the one-day plan.
Photos: Kabilan pj (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Jaiambey (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Shyamal L (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Places worth the drive
On the map
Open the Munsiyari map →The places a Munsiyari day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
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Things to do in Munsiyari — the peaks, the temple, the lake and the Johar valley
Things to do in Munsiyari: the Panchachuli peaks, the Nanda Devi Temple, Thamri Tal, Khaliya Top, birds and the lichen park, and treks into the Johar valley.
How to reach Munsiyari — the long road from Almora, Kausani and Pithoragarh
How to reach Munsiyari from Delhi, Kathgodam, Almora, Kausani and Pithoragarh by road, with measured distances and times, and the four routes from Almora.
Best time to visit Munsiyari — views, treks and the monsoon
When to visit Munsiyari: mid-March to May for the glacier treks, the monsoon from June with landslides, and what we cannot say because no weather table exists.
Nearby destinations
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Questions people ask
How far is Munsiyari from the railway and from Delhi?
Munsiyari is about 276 km and 524 minutes by road from the railhead at Kathgodam on our routing, and about 553 km and 721 minutes from Delhi, free-flow. Pithoragarh is the nearest large town, about 127 km and 218 minutes away. Wikivoyage describes four routes from Almora; the hill roads are slow, so plan a night on the way.
What is there to do in Munsiyari?
Look at the Panchachuli peaks, walk or ride to the Nanda Devi Temple, visit Thamri Tal, and use the town as the base for treks into the Johar valley towards Milam. Wikipedia records 319 bird species in the Gori river basin and a lichen park of 1.5 acres. We have no verified hours, rates or timed trails.
When is the best time to visit Munsiyari?
We have no climate table for Munsiyari. Wikipedia says the suitable time for Milam Glacier is from mid-March to May, and that the monsoon, which sets in during June, brings landslides and roadblocks. Wikivoyage suggests winter for the tulip and eco park. Check the forecast and the road before you plan.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.