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The grey broken ice cliff of the Gomukh snout with a meltwater stream and boulders in the foreground
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Photo: Dibendu Nandi · CC BY-SA 4.0
glacier1 min from Gangotri

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.

What it is

Gomukh is the point where the Gangotri Glacier ends and the Bhagirathi emerges, at about 4,023 m inside the Gangotri National Park. It is a Hindu holy place, about 18 km from Gangotri, reached on foot.

Photos: Pathupawar (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

The route

From Gangotri the trail follows the Bhagirathi valley by way of Chirbasa, named for its blue pines, and Gila Pahar, a landslide-prone stretch that the 2013 floods badly damaged, to Gomukh. The trek to Tapovan starts from the snout and is only partly marked, with rockfall, uneven glacial ground and a steep last climb of about 2 km.

The glacier

Wikipedia says the glacier system reaches above 7,000 m, that the ice front has pulled back some 1.5 km since the 1950s, and that recent surveys show it going back by more than 30 m a year.

Before you go

We have no verified trek times, permit rules or daily limits, and the ground changes with rockfall and landslides, so this page does not plan the walk. Ask the forest authorities, go with an experienced guide and allow spare days.

Combine it with

The Gangotri Temple is the start. Read things to do in Gangotri, when to visit Gangotri and the one-day plan for the road side.

Plans that include this

All Gangotri itineraries →
The pale granite summits of the Bhagirathi peaks rising above a green valley with banks of white cloud below
One day from Gangotri — the temple, Dharali and Harsil
Day plan · pilgrims · Temples & heritage
A one-day plan from Gangotri: the temple of the goddess Ganga at the road's end, then down the Bhagirathi valley to Dharali and the apple village of Harsil.
Best May–Jun · Sep–Oct
See the plan →

Nearby places

All of Gangotri →
Gangotri Temple — the shrine of the goddess Ganga on the Bhagirathi
Gangotri Temple — the shrine of the goddess Ganga on the Bhagirathi
temple · 15 km away
Harsil — the apple village among deodars on the road to Gangotri
Harsil — the apple village among deodars on the road to Gangotri
town · 35 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
The grey stone Kedarnath Temple with its tall tower and a yellow roof, below green slopes and snow-covered peaks
Kedarnath
31 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
The painted stone façade of the Badrinath Temple with its gilt cupola, under green slopes and a blue sky
Badrinath
44 km away · 4 itineraries · 4 places
A grassy mountain meadow among rocky outcrops and forest at Chopta, with snow peaks hazy in the distance
Chopta
50 km away · 3 itineraries · 4 places
Joshimath's houses spread down a steep mountain slope above a deep valley, with high ridges and blue sky beyond
Joshimath
62 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
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Questions people ask

What is Gomukh?

The snout of the Gangotri Glacier, the source of the Bhagirathi, at about 4,023 m in the Gangotri National Park. It is a Hindu pilgrimage site, about 18 km from Gangotri, reached on foot. Wikipedia says the glacier system reaches above 7,000 m and that its front has pulled back some 1.5 km since the 1950s.

What is the route?

The trail leaves Gangotri and follows the Bhagirathi valley through Chirbasa, named for its blue pines, and Gila Pahar, a landslide-prone stretch the 2013 floods damaged, to Bhojwasa and Gomukh. The trek to Tapovan starts beyond; its last 2 km is a steep climb of about 1,500 ft. We have no verified times for any section.

Do you need a permit?

Gomukh lies inside the Gangotri National Park, and access to the park is controlled, but we have no verified permit rules, fees or daily limits, and they change. Ask the forest authorities in Uttarkashi and Gangotri before you go, and plan the trek with an experienced local guide and a spare day for weather.