Tour Highlights
A marvelous road trip to the last frontier - Munsyari. Bordering Tibet and Nepal. The Greater Himalayan range is a 15 Kms. aerial distance from Munsyari with the Panchachuli peak towering over this small Kumaoni village. The views of the snow capped mountains is breath taking. Land of the Pink Rhododendrons, Munsyari is the starting point for several High Altitude treks including the Nanda Devi trek. The best part of this itinerary is that the moment you start the climb from Kathgodam upward the scenic splendour, lakes, streams, rivers, waterfalls, Kumaoni villages, pine, oak, deodar forests stay with you all the way until you reach Munsyari. As it's a 280 Kms / 10 Hrs hill drive from Kathgodam we take a one night break at Binsar on the way up and Kausani on our way back.
Day 1
Stay at Binsar – Meal included - DinnerBinsar takes about 10 Hrs from Delhi by road and is a great one stopover before heading out for Munsyari on the following day. The dense green forests of the Binsar Sanctuary are the perfect surroundings for a rejuvenating break in the lap of serenity. Enjoy a short nature walk, scenic views of deep wooded valleys and the sunset / sunrise and Himalayan vistas. Use this night to just relax by a bon-fire.
Day 2
Stay at Munsyari – Meal included – Breakfast and DinnerToday you drive 190 Kms / 6.5 hrs to reach Munsyari. This is a very scenic drive with beautiful valleys, hill streams, rivers, you also cross Chaukori village from where you get great Himalayan views on a clear day. Just before you reach Munsyari you also come across the mighty Birthi Falls for which you have to trek up a few 100 mtrs after parking your car but it's well worth it.
Day 3
Stay at Munsyari- Meals Included Breakfast and dinnerSpend the day exploring the Munsyari village. You could move around by your car and even walk around some bits like the Munsyrai market. Visit the Munsyari Museum, drive up further to the Drakot Village which is a weaver's village and you could buy some local weaves made of Pashmina wool. You could also drive to the Goriganga which is a river which originates from the Milam glacier but is also fed by other glaciers. A picnic on the banks of the Goriganga is a great experience.
Day 4
Stay at Munsyari – Meal included – Breakfast and DinnerToday the plan should be to head out for the Khaliya peak trek. Once you reach the to, you're at about 11500 feet ASL. It's some view from the peak - alpine meadow surrounded by snow capped Himalayan peaks. You can see - Panch Chulli, Rajrambha, Hardeol, Nanda Kot, Nanda Devi. During early summer you also get to experience the snow line. The perfect introduction to the Himalayan scapes for amateur or first time trekkers. It's a very doable and enjoyable trek.
Day 5
Stay at Kausani - Meals included breakfast and dinner.Post breakfast departure for Kausani (6Hrs / 170Kms.) We take a different route via Sama, Kapkot, Bageshwar and Baijnath. This makes the return a lot more interesting. Kausani is at a height of 1890m and has a wider view of the Himalayas dominated by Trishul , Nanda Devi and also Panchuli. This quaint little village is quite historical as Mahatma Gandhi stayed here for two weeks at the Anasakti Ashram where he wrote Anasakti Yoga. You could also visit the observatory to watch some constellation at night and visit the tea estates.
Day 6
Stay at Jim Corbett National Park. Meals included - Breakfast and dinner.Post breakfast we leave for Jim Corbett National Park (160Kms / 5 Hrs) where you'll be staying for one night and enjoying a wildlife jeep safari into one of India's largest, oldest and most popular Tiger reserve.
Day 7
Departure - Meal Included - BreakfastEnjoy an early morning jeep safari which will take you inside the Jim Corbett National Park for about 3 hrs. It will be an early morning wake up followed by a wonderful wilderness experience driving through dirt tracks of a beautiful, bio-diverse, dense forest home to Tigers, Elephants, Leopards, Wild Boar, Sambhar Deer, Spotted Deer, Hog Deer and over 500 species of resident and migrant birds. With Ramganga and Kosi rivers flowing through, this park has a great riverine ecosystem. We return to resort, freshen up, enjoy breakfast and get ready to checkout.
Binsar is known for it's views of the snow capped Himalayan mountain ranges, so tourists can sit back and enjoy the panoramic views while. One can also go for trekking with abundant nature trails available at Binsar like a comfortable trek up to the Zero point from where the Himalayan views are spectacular with Kedarnath, Trishul, Nanda Devi, Panchachuli and more standing tall. Binsar also houses a sanctuary covering 45 Sq. Kms with a rich diversity of flora and fauna with forests of oak and rhododendron with a large species of flowers and 200 + birds along with some wild animals like Leopards, Himalayan Black Bears, Wild Boar, Sambhar Deer, Barking Deer and more. The famous temple of Binsar Mahadev is also nearby along with the Kasar Devi Temple and Jageshwar Dham (temples) in the neighbourhood.
State: Uttarakhand
Weather: The winters (November-March) is very cold and it snows Minimum temperature can go to as low as - 6 DegC. Summers (April to Mid-June) are very pleasant, offering majestic views. The temperatures during this period are comfortable with maximums settling around 28°C and minimum’s around 12°C, on an average. Monsoon season is from July to September. The place receives good amounts of rain during the period.
Closest airport: Technically Pantnagar (90 Kms / 3 Hrs) but realistically the only option is Delhi airport (390 Kms / 9 Hrs)
Railway Station: Kathgodam railway station, Haldwani railway station and Lal Kuan railway station. (in order of preference). (4-5 Hrs / 120-150Kms)
Best time to visit: April – June end and October until mid-November. Beyond mid November until March it becomes very cold.
Generally spoken language: Hindi and Kumaoni.
Altitude: 2400 Mtrs ASL approx.
One of India's largest, oldest and the most popular Tiger reserves - The Jim Corbett National Park. Sprawled over 1300+ sq Kms of dense bio-diverse forest with the Ramganga and Kosi rivers flowing through it this is actually several different forests in one, ever changing with the changing seasons. Only designated areas in the 520 sq.Kms., out of the total area, are open to tourists. Thera are five zones named Dhikala, Bijrani, Jhirna, Domunda and Sonanandi. This tiger reserve is a haven for wild life enthusiasts. 600+ species of birds, apart from the elephants, tigers, leopards, jackals, sambhar deer, spotted deer, hog deer and more. Travelers visiting the park can enjoy jeep safaris with guides / naturalists. Enjoy your stay at a jungle resort bordering the fenced boundary of the reserve.
State: Uttarakhand
Weather: The weather in the park is temperate compared to most other protected areas of India. The temperature may vary from 5 °C (41 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F) during the winter and some mornings are foggy. Summer temperatures normally do not rise above 42 °C (104 °F). The park receives heavy rainfall during monsoons (July – September end) and remains closed around this period.
Closest airport: Technically Pantnagar (90 Kms / 3 Hrs) but realistically the only option is Delhi airport (270 Kms / 6 Hrs)
Railway Station: Ramnagar railway station
Best time to visit: October – March
Generally spoken language: Hindi, Basic English and Kumaoni.
Altitude: 300 Mtrs ASL approx.