Five Best Trekking Trails In India

trekking trips in india

trekking trips in india

Trekking is one of the most popular adventure activities and the mighty, awe-inspiring Himalayas in India provides an amazing choice of trails for trekking. The immaculate and spectacular beauty of these trails is sure to amaze the trekking enthusiasts. Here are five of the most beautiful trekking trails:

Chadar Trek

Ladakh, the cold desert of India, is one of the most picturesque regions of India enfolded by jagged and arid mountains, some of the most beautiful valleys including the Zanskar Valley and Nubra Valley and the Pangong Lake of Alkaline water. Sandwiched between the Karakoram to the north and the Himalayas in the south, the Chadar Trek is perfect for the adrenalin junkies on the lookout for the adventure of a lifetime.

  • The trek begins with acclimatisation at Leh at an altitude of 10,000 Ft. Leh, rich in Tibetan culture, is indeed a quaint place with some of the prettiest Gompas and the colourful prayer flags fluttering in the air.
  • Once the acclimatisation process is completed, the trekking begins on the stunning landscape of Ladakh from Chilling to Bakula Bawo.
  • The trek will take you through Dibyongma, Nyeraq, and Lingshed.
  • Be prepared to be enthralled by the beauty of Mother Nature as you come across mystical waterfalls, and experience the thrill of walking on a frozen river.

Sandakphu Trek

This trekking expedition which begins in Darjeeling, the Queen of Hills, will take you amidst the dazzling snow covered Kanchenjunga, through tea gardens on the rolling hill sides, orchids and rhododendrons growing in the wild, and lush green forests all around. You will get the spectacular views of Mt. Everest , Lhotse, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, as well as  Sandakphu and Phalut which are the two highest peaks of West Bengal, as well as Singalila Ridge, the international border between Nepal and India.

  • The trek begins from Darjeeling towards Mane Bhanjyang and Jaubari.
  • The trail head to Sandakphu begins at Mane Bhanjyang from where you will proceed to the Tonglu peak at 3020 m with the spectacular view of the Kanchenjunga reflected in Tonglu Lake.
  • From Mane Bhanjyang the trek continues towards Jaubari, in Gorkha District of north-eastern Nepal with the view of Eastern Himalayas.
  • The trek then takes you through Gairbas at 2620 m and Kalpokhri at 2950 m, till Sandakphu.
  • From Sandakphu to Phalut at 3600 m the entire route is covered with a wide variety of flora, fauna, avifauna and rhododendrons and the entire air is fragrant with the scent of the flowers.
  • Phalut, the meeting place of three ridges coming from India, Nepal and Sikkim, is the second highest peak in Bengal, from where you get a panaromic view of Mt. Everest and Kangchenjunga.
  • From Phalut, the hike takes you through dense pine, chestnut and hemlock forests to reach the Ramam River.
  • The trek finishes at Rimbik.

Ruinsara Lake Trek

The Tons valley, engulfed by forests on all sides, is one of the most charming valleys in India, and  lies in the Jaunsar Bawar region of Garhwal. The trekking expedition will take you through an amazing landscape with unrefined beautiful nature in the form of snow capped mountains, sparkling rivers, and amazing wildlife. Ruinsara is renowned for being culturally unique where the villagers are believed to be descendants of the Pandavas of the epic Mahabharata and still practice polygamy.

  • The trek begins at Sankri at 1710 m and the highest motorable village.
  • Sankri is situated at the confluence of the Oberagaad and Karmanasha streams.
  • The trek proceeds towards  Bheduka and Osla Village to Dev Thach at 3000m with a large alpine meadow.
  •  From Dev Thach you will hike up to the Ruinsara Lake at 3350 m, beneath the Swargarohini snow peak of Garhwal Himalayas, which is considered holy by the locals.
  • As per legend, the Swargarohini peak in the Bandarpunch range leads to heaven and this was the route taken by Pandavas in their final ascent.
  • From here people also have the option of trekking further to the base camp of Bandarpunch Peak.
  • From Dev Thach the trekking continues on to Bheduka, the final destination.

Markha Valley Trek

Ladakh has an alluring beauty with aquamarine skies and a haunting barrenness. This land of high passes is perfect for trekking and the Markha Valley trek, known as the “tea house trek”, is of moderate intensity which takes you across spectacular landscape and a view of the Kang Yatze peak.

  • The trek begins with acclimatisation at Leh where one can enjoy the tourist spots including the Leh Palace, Thikse Monastery, and Spituk or Likir monasteries.
  • The trek begins at Chilling and proceeds towards Skiu village at 3400 m along the River Indus and onwards to the Zingchan gorge surrounded by the most beautiful snow capped mountains.
  • From Skiu the gradual ascent to Markha crossing the Markha river twice is captivating with ancient chortens, hemispherical structures containing Buddhish relics, and wolf pits used to trap wolves.
  • The route from Markha covers Thachungtse at 4150 meters, Nimaling at 4720 m, and Shang Sumdo, as you cross over the Kongmaru La peak at 5130 m.

Everest Base Camp Trek

An intrepid trekker’s life can never be complete without a trekking expedition to the Mount Everest,  the highest mountain on Earth. Also known as the Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolungma in Tibet the Everest Base Camp trek takes you on the world’s most stunning adventure as you follow in the footsteps of legends in the ascent of the Himalayan range. Be prepared to be enthralled by the glorious scenic trail of mountains and waterfalls, monasteries, and intriguing life of the Sherpas.

  • The trekking expedition begins in Lukla from where you approach Phakding at 8700 Ft.
  • From Phakding the trek takes you through pine forests. You can view the Mt. Thamserku and the Dudh Koshi River as you approach Namche Bazaar at 11280 Ft. While ascending you will get the first breath-taking view of Mt. Everest over the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge.
  • Generally a day is spent acclimatising in Namche Bazar.
  • The Trek then takes you to Tengboche, Dingboche, Duglha, Lobuche, Gorak Shep, and Kala Patthar – Pheriche.
  • The Mighty Everest will reveal its gorgeous self between the west shoulder crest and Nuptse as you ascend the Kala Pathar.
  • The minimum age for this trekking expedition is 14 and prior experience in trekking is desirable.