Destinations
Chopta Travel Guide
'Mini Switzerland', the Tungnath trek and the Chandrashila summit — a practical guide to visiting Chopta.
- From Rishikesh
- ~190-200 km, 7-8 hrs
- Elevation
- ~2,900 m
- Key trek
- Tungnath - Chandrashila
- Best season
- Mar-Jun, Sep-Nov
Chopta is a small Himalayan meadow often nicknamed “mini Switzerland” for its rolling grasslands framed by dense forest and mountain views. It’s best known as the base for the Tungnath temple trek and, beyond that, the Chandrashila summit.
Getting there
From Rishikesh, Chopta is roughly 190-200 km, about 7-8 hours by road via Rudraprayag and Ukhimath — broadly along the same corridor used for the Kedarnath route before branching off.
The Tungnath trek
Tungnath, said to be the highest Shiva temple in the world at around 3,680 m, is reached by a 3.5 km trek from Chopta — a moderate but steady climb taking roughly 2-3 hours one way for most walkers.
Pushing on to Chandrashila
From Tungnath, a further 1.5 km climb leads to the Chandrashila summit at around 4,000 m, with 360-degree views of peaks including Nanda Devi, Kedarnath and Chaukhamba on a clear day. This stretch is steeper and more exposed than the walk up to Tungnath, so factor in extra time and warmer layers.
Best time to visit
March-June and September-November offer the most stable trekking conditions. Winter brings snow that can make the trail more technical, appealing mainly to more experienced trekkers; monsoon months bring slippery trails and reduced visibility.
Combining with Kedarnath
Given how close Chopta sits to the Kedarnath route, many travellers add it as a one or two-day detour on their Char Dham itinerary, particularly if they want an extra Himalayan trek beyond the pilgrimage stops.
