Himalaya only · Saver trips from ₹7,500
Try "Spiti", "snow leopard", "Char Dham", "homestay", "Tiger's Nest"
Route · Garhwal
The short cut between the Kedar and Badri valleys: from Chopta down through the Mandal forest to Gopeshwar, then up the Alaknanda through Chamoli and Joshimath to Badrinath. About 155 km and 6–7 hours, far shorter than going back via Rudraprayag.
Photo: Arpita Tripathy · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsEvery way to go
| How | Time | Cost, indicative 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Private car | 6–7 h | ₹6,000–8,000 one way |
| Shared jeep and bus via Gopeshwar | 7–9 h with changes | ₹500–900 in total |
| Via Ukhimath and Rudraprayag | 8–9 h | Car ₹8,000–10,000 |
The road from Chopta descends through oak and rhododendron forest to Mandal and Gopeshwar, joins the Badrinath highway at Chamoli and climbs to Joshimath and Badrinath. It is the most practical link in a Kedarnath–Tungnath–Badrinath circuit. Many travellers sleep at Joshimath and do Badrinath the next morning.
Public transport from Chopta itself is irregular; ask your lodge to find a seat in a jeep to Gopeshwar. From Gopeshwar and Chamoli, buses and shared jeeps run to Joshimath, where shared jeeps leave for Badrinath. Start early; connections thin out after 2 pm.
If the Chopta–Mandal road is blocked by snow or slides, the alternative is down to Ukhimath and Rudraprayag and up the Alaknanda highway. It is longer but has more buses. Check current status before you travel.
At each end
Photo: Alok · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Meadows, rhododendron forest and the highest Shiva temple
Photo: Arpita Tripathy · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Vishnu's shrine on the Alaknanda, and the village before Tibet
Questions
About 155 km via Mandal, Gopeshwar, Chamoli and Joshimath, 6–7 hours by car. It is much shorter than returning to Rudraprayag.
Not directly. Take a shared jeep or taxi to Gopeshwar, then buses or jeeps to Joshimath and a shared jeep to Badrinath. A private car is far simpler.
It is often blocked by snow between January and March, when Chopta is reached from Ukhimath only up to the snow line. Check current status before you travel.
Yes. Chopta is about 75 km from Sonprayag via Ukhimath, and Chopta to Badrinath about 155 km. Allow 6–8 nights in all from Rishikesh.
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