Guides · Itinerary
Adi Kailash and Om Parvat by motorcycle: a 7-day plan from Delhi
Paperwork on Day 2, the Kali river on Day 3, and two mountains people travel a very long way to see.
Ridden · Motorcycle
7 days, day by day.
Delhi – Pithoragarh – Dharchula – Gunji – Adi Kailash – Om Parvat – Bageshwar – Delhi
- Days
- 7
- Distance
- ~1,570km
- Season
- June to October, avoiding peak monsoon
-
Day 1
Delhi → Pithoragarh
- Distance~500 km
- Riding12–14 hrs
Delhi – Haldwani – Almora – Berinag – Pithoragarh
- Mountain roads after Haldwani
- Valley views near Berinag
- Stay
- Pithoragarh, somewhere with bike parking
- Last fuel
- Haldwani or Almora
An early start isn't optional on this one. Keep the rain gear on top.
-
Day 2
Pithoragarh → Dharchula
- Distance~90 km
- Riding3–4 hrs
- Riding along the Kali river, with Nepal on the other bank
- Stay
- Dharchula, ideally close to the SDM office
Go to the SDM office for the Inner Line Permit and medical clearance. Weekdays only, and reach by noon for same-day processing. No permit, no Gunji.
-
Day 3
Dharchula → Gunji
- Distance~90 km
- Riding6–8 hrs
- RoadOff-road, with checkposts
Tawaghat – Chialekh – Budhi – Nabi
- Chialekh meadows
- Long, clear views of the Himalayan ranges
- Stay
- Gunji homestay or ITBP guest house. Book ahead
Cross the Chialekh nala before 5 PM. The water rises through the day.
-
Day 4
Gunji → Adi Kailash → Gunji
- Distance~90 km round trip
- Riding4–6 hrs
- Adi Kailash
- Gauri Kund
- Parvati Sarovar
- Stay
- Gunji
High-altitude day. Drink water, go slow, and don't make it a race.
-
Day 5
Gunji → Om Parvat → Dharchula
- Distance~130–150 km
- Riding8–10 hrs
- Om Parvat
- The viewpoint at Nabhidhang
- Stay
- Dharchula, back the way you came
The longest day in the mountains. Start early.
-
Day 6
Dharchula → Bageshwar
- Distance~200 km
- Riding7–9 hrs
Didihat – Thal – Bageshwar
- Riversides and quiet valleys all the way
- Stay
- Bageshwar
-
Day 7
Bageshwar → Delhi
- Distance~460 km
- Riding11–13 hrs
Bageshwar – Almora – Haldwani – Delhi
Start early, plan fuel and food stops, and aim to hit the plains by midday.
From the road
Shot on the way.
Adi Kailash and Om Parvat sit at the far end of Kumaon, right where India meets Nepal and Tibet. Getting there is half paperwork, half river valley. This is the seven-day plan I rode in 2025.
The shape of the plan
One very long day to Pithoragarh, one short day to Dharchula that’s really about the permit, then three days above Dharchula: up to Gunji, out to Adi Kailash and back, and out to Om Parvat before dropping down again. The way home goes through Bageshwar instead of retracing everything.
Permits come first
The Inner Line Permit and medical clearance are done in Dharchula, at the SDM office. The office works weekdays, so plan Day 2 so it doesn’t land on a Sunday. Carry your Aadhaar, passport-size photos and a medical certificate, and check what else is being asked for that season. Rules here change, and the office is the source of truth.
Fuel, network and the road
- Fuel: fill up wherever you can. After Dharchula, carry a 5-litre can.
- Network: expect nothing from Gunji onwards. BSNL sometimes works.
- Road: Dharchula to Gunji is off-road in parts. Plan for a slow day even though the distance looks short.
Before you go
Book Gunji early, keep a buffer day if you can find one, and leave the monsoon months alone. Landslides on this road don’t care about your leave.
A leave approval is not an itinerary. Start with the permit and work outwards from there.
See you somewhere on the road.
Shubham
