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Bhimtal Lake with its small island and wooded hills around the water
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Photo: Subhrajyoti07 · CC BY-SA 4.0
1 night · 2 dayscouples and slow travellersnature and writers' retreatsrelaxed

Two days from Mukteshwar — the ridge, Ramgarh's orchards and Bhimtal

A two-day Kumaon plan: Mukteshwar's temple, Chauli Ki Jali and the institute, then down through Ramgarh's orchards and Tagore's hill to Bhimtal Lake.
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Two easy days that use Mukteshwar as the high point of a Kumaon trip. The first day stays on the ridge: the Mukteshwar Mahadev Temple, the rocks of Chauli Ki Jali and the veterinary institute. The second goes downhill through Ramgarh, the orchard village where Tagore kept a house, to Bhimtal Lake, about 43 minutes short of Kathgodam station.

Photos: Subhrajyoti07 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · ParthaPratimNath (CC BY-SA 4.0) · ArmouredCyborg (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Couples and slow travellers who like views, quiet roads and a little literary history, and who are heading back to the plains by train or road.

Day by day

Day 1

The Mukteshwar ridge

3 stops · 3 min on the road

The temple and the cliffs while the light is clear, then the institute and a slow afternoon in town.

  1. 08:30
    Mukteshwar Mahadev Temple
    temple · 1 min from Mukteshwar · about 45 min there
    Shiva's temple at the top of the ridge; go for the morning darshan, a short walk from the centre.
  2. ↓ a short walk
    10:00
    Chauli Ki Jali
    viewpoint · 2 min from Mukteshwar · about 40 min there
    The overhanging rocks beside the temple, with a view over the valleys.
  3. ↓ a short walk
    12:30
    Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteshwar
    viewpoint · 1 min from Mukteshwar · about 45 min there
    The hill campus with its museum and the 1900 cold room; ask at the gate about visiting.
Day 2

Down through Ramgarh to Bhimtal

2 stops · 45 min on the road

Leave Mukteshwar after breakfast; the day runs downhill towards Kathgodam.

  1. 09:30
    Rāmgarh
    town · 53 min from Mukteshwar · about 1 h 30 min there
    The orchard village of Malla and Talla Ramgarh, about 53 minutes away on our routing, where Rabindranath Tagore first came in 1903.
  2. ↓ 45 min by road · 19 km
    12:30
    Bhimtal Lake
    lake · 1 h 24 min from Mukteshwar · about 1 h 30 min there
    About 45 minutes on from Ramgarh. Walk the shore and the dam, and have lunch before the last stretch.

Getting there

Mukteshwar is about 60 km and 135 minutes from Kathgodam station on our routing. Day two ends at Bhimtal, about 20 km and 43 minutes from Kathgodam. See how to reach Mukteshwar, when to visit and things to do in Mukteshwar.

Where to stay

Night one in Mukteshwar, night two at Bhimtal or on to Nainital. We have no verified lodging, prices or booking rules.

Know before you go

  • Ramgarh sits at about 1,518 m, lower than Mukteshwar; it is warmer, and its orchards flower in spring.
  • Tagore's hilltop house is in poor repair, by Wikipedia's account; ask locally before you set out to find it.
  • Go in dry weather; fog and rain make the cliffs and the hill road risky.

Places on this route

Mukteshwar Mahadev Temple — the Shiva shrine that names the town
Mukteshwar Mahadev Temple — the Shiva shrine that names the town
temple · 1 min from Mukteshwar
Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteshwar — Koch's microscope and the 1900 cold room
Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteshwar — Koch's microscope and the 1900 cold room
viewpoint · 1 min from Mukteshwar
Chauli Ki Jali — the cliffs for climbing and valley views
Chauli Ki Jali — the cliffs for climbing and valley views
viewpoint · 2 min from Mukteshwar
Bhimtal Lake
Bhimtal Lake
lake · 1 h 24 min from Mukteshwar

Going together

No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.

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Other ways to do it

All Mukteshwar itineraries →
One day in Mukteshwar — the temple, Chauli Ki Jali and the institute
One day in Mukteshwar — the temple, Chauli Ki Jali and the institute
Day plan · slow travellers · nature
A slow one-day plan in Mukteshwar: the Shiva temple at the top of the ridge, the Chauli Ki Jali cliffs and the veterinary institute's museum and cold room.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →
Two days in Nainital — the lakes, Kainchi Dham and Sattal
Two days in Nainital — the lakes, Kainchi Dham and Sattal
1 night · 2 days · First visit · leisure
A two-day Nainital plan: the lake, the Naina Devi Temple and Kainchi Dham on day one, then Bhimtal Lake and the seven lakes of Sattal on day two. Free to copy.
Best Mar–Jun · Oct–Nov
See the plan →

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
The town of Almora spread across a terraced ridge under a blue sky with clouds
Almora
13 km away · 3 itineraries · 4 places
Rows of boats with red cushioned seats moored on Nainital Lake, with forested hills across the water
Nainital
20 km away · 3 itineraries · 5 places
A wide panorama of forested ridges below a long line of snow-capped Himalayan peaks seen from Ranikhet
Ranikhet
28 km away · 2 itineraries · 3 places
A long line of snow-capped Himalayan peaks rising above layered blue ridges and green hills seen from Kausani
Kausani
41 km away · 2 itineraries · 2 places
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Questions people ask

What is Ramgarh near Mukteshwar known for?

Orchards and writers. Wikipedia calls it the Fruit Bowl of Kumaon, for its peaches, apricots, pears and apples. Rabindranath Tagore first came in 1903 and later bought a hilltop house, and the Hindi poet Mahadevi Varma lived here too. It lies about 53 minutes from Mukteshwar on our routing.

Is two days enough for Mukteshwar?

For the ridge and the road down, yes. Day one covers the temple, the cliffs and the institute, all a few minutes apart. Day two stops at Ramgarh and Bhimtal Lake on the way towards Kathgodam, so you finish near the railhead. Add a day if the weather hides the mountains.

How far is Bhimtal from Kathgodam?

About 20 km, or 43 minutes, on our routing over OpenStreetMap, which is why this plan ends there. From Ramgarh to the lake is about 19 km and 45 minutes. Traffic on the hill roads can add time in the busy season, so leave a margin before a train.