Gomukh Tapovan – Trek Guide, Itinerary, Route, Trek Permits

About Gomukh Tapovan

Gomukh is a famous Hindu holy place and a very good trekking destination. The Gomukh trek is an 18 km trek that starts from Gangotri situated in ‘The Greater Himalayas’ that lies in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The difficulty of the Gomukh trek is moderate but you should be prepared before trekking to get things easier.

GEOGRAPHY OF GAUMUKH:

Gomukh is the source of the ‘Bhagirathi River and one of the primary sources of the Ganges River. Gaumukh is located at a height of 13,200 ft (4023 m) in Uttarkashi district in the state of Uttarakhand, INDIA. Gomukh is the second-largest glacier in India after ‘Siachin’ having a length of 30 km and a width of 4 km.

LOCATION:

GAUMUKH/GOMUKH is 18 km from Gangotri situated in the foothills of Bhagirathi at a height of 4255m in Uttarkashi district in the state of Uttarakhand, INDIA. It is the mouth of Gangotri Glacier and the speed of the Gangotri river is comparably high.

GAUMUKH TREK:

Gaumukh Trek permit :

If you are planning for the Gomukh trek, you’ll have to take permission from District Forest Officer(DFO), Uttarkashi. Per day only 150 permits are issued. From Gangotri, the Gomukh trial begins, and the distance of the trail is about 18 km (11.2 mi) from Gangotri to Gomukh.

How to get Gaumukh Trek Permit:

Getting permits for Gomukh is very easy and simple. You just have to fill out the form given to you by the office you visited to take a permit. The permit for Gaumukh Trek can be taken from two places ;

1. DM Office Uttarkashi. The DFO is located near the bus stand which is easily accessible.
2. Forest Office Gangotri.
3. ONLINE not working currently.

Documents Required and Fees:

To take a Gomukh trek permit one should have proof of Identity (pan card, adhaar card, or Voter ID). And you’ll have to pay a fee of Rs. 150 per person. The Forest Office Gangotri remains open all days including Sundays but DM Office Uttarkashi is closed on Sundays.

And the permit fee for international persons is Rs. 600 per person

Gomukh permit duration:

It is valid for 2 days only but the duration can be extended if you plan to trek to Tapovan.

Gomukh accommodation:

It is not possible to stay at Gomukh as there is no place to stay there, you can stay in ‘Bhojbasa’ at GMVN Bungalow, Lalbaba’s ashram, or at Ram baba ashram both ashram charge Rs 350 per day also includes food and logging.

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GAUMUKH TREK:

You’ll have the permit with you so now let’s get brief about your trek. The trek has four major points that come on the route; Gangotri (9 km) Chirbasa (5 km) Bhojbasa (4 km)                                           Gaumukh = (18 km).

And we can say the trek difficulty is moderate but it can be challenging at some points. It is not very difficult to find a starting point as Gangotri is not a very big town. For your reference, the trek begins 100 behind the Gangotri Temple, you’ll have to climb the stairs to reach the starting point of the trek.

Entry for the trekkers and visiter’s allowed after 6:00 am in the morning.

The navigation of the trek is easy as it is properly marked to Gomukh. You’ll get all the instructions between the trail. If you are trekking for the first time, we suggest you take a guide along with you for your safety and convenience.

Essential Items to carry for the Trek:

1. Good trekking shoes
2. Water bottle
3. Snacks or dry fruits
4. Hat or cap
5. Torch
6. First Aid and insect repellent

Gomukh Trek Itinerary:

Assuming your starting point is Delhi, the following itinerary is helpful for a trip from Gangotri to Gomukh. If your starting point is a different journey from Delhi to Gangotri will be different and the rest of the trip from Gangotri is still remain the same.

• Delhi – Rishikesh (Day 1)
• Rishikesh – Gangotri (Day 2)
• Gangotri – Chirbasa – Bhojbasa ( Day 3)
• Bhojbasa – Gomukh return Bhojbasa – Chirbasa – Gangotri (Day 4)
• Gangotri – Rishikesh (Day 5)
• Rishikesh – Delhi (Day 6)

And if you’re planning to a trek to Tapovan you need to extend the permit and a local guide will be preferred for the trek.

• Delhi – Rishikesh (Day 1)
• Rishikesh – Gangotri (Day 2)
• Gangotri – Bhojbasa ( Day 3)
• Bhojbasa – Gomukh – Tapovan (Day 4)
• Tapovan – Bhojbasa (Day 5)
• Bhojbasa – Gangotri (Day 6)
• Gangotri – Rishikesh (Day 7)
• Rishikesh – Delhi (Day 8)

Best time for Gomukh Trekking:

It is suggested that you can trek two seasons a year. In summer from mid-May – the end of June.

And in autumn from mid-September to the end of October.

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