5-Day Uttarakhand Foothills and Peaks: Rishikesh, Chopta, Auli Itinerary

From the Ganga's Banks to the Snow Line

This 5-day itinerary takes you from the spiritual energy of Rishikesh on the banks of the Ganga, up through the alpine meadows of Chopta, and finally to the snow-dusted slopes of Auli near the Garhwal high Himalayas. It's a compact but genuinely varied route — river, forest, and snowline — that works well for a long weekend extended by a day or two.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Delhi to Rishikesh

Drive or bus from Delhi to Rishikesh, roughly 240km via the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, taking 5-6 hours. Arrive by early afternoon and spend the rest of the day exploring Laxman Jhula, Ram Jhula, and attending the evening Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan or Triveni Ghat. Our Delhi to Rishikesh road trip guide covers the expressway route in detail.

Day 2: Rishikesh Adventure Morning, Drive to Chopta

If time allows, fit in a short morning activity like river rafting (a 16km or shorter stretch takes 2-3 hours) before checking out. Then begin the drive to Chopta, roughly 200km (7-8 hours) via Rudraprayag and Ukhimath. This is a long mountain drive, so an early start is important; alternatively, break the journey with an overnight in Rudraprayag or Devprayag if the full drive feels too rushed after a morning activity.

Day 3: Chopta — Tungnath and Chandrashila Trek

Chopta (2,680m), often called "Mini Switzerland," is the base for the Tungnath-Chandrashila trek. Tungnath Temple (3,680m), the highest Shiva temple in the world, is a moderate 3.5km, 3-4 hour round trip. Ambitious trekkers can continue another 1.5km to Chandrashila summit (4,000m) for a full-circle Himalayan panorama including views of Nanda Devi, Kedarnath, and Chaukhamba. Budget 6-7 hours total for the summit round trip. See our Chopta-Tungnath-Chandrashila trek guide for full trail details.

Day 4: Chopta to Auli

Drive roughly 130km (5-6 hours) from Chopta to Joshimath via Ukhimath and Chamoli, then take the road or the Auli ropeway up to Auli itself (2,800m-3,050m). Arrive in the afternoon with time to walk around the Gorson Bugyal meadows or simply take in the view of Nanda Devi from the resort area.

Day 5: Auli and Departure

Spend the morning at Auli — ride the cable car for panoramic Himalayan views, or if visiting in winter, this is one of India's best skiing destinations. By afternoon, begin the return drive: Auli to Rishikesh is roughly 280km (8-9 hours), or continue directly to Delhi (about 500km total), depending on your flight or onward travel schedule. Many travellers instead route back via Rudraprayag and split the return over an extra evening.

A Note on Pacing

This itinerary is genuinely tight for 5 days, since both the Rishikesh-Chopta and Chopta-Auli legs are long mountain drives. If you have 6-7 days available, adding a buffer night in Rudraprayag or Karnaprayag between legs makes the trip considerably more comfortable and reduces the risk of arriving exhausted at each stop. Travellers who prefer a slower version of this same route should look at our Chopta-Auli-Badrinath circuit itinerary, which extends the loop further into Garhwal.

Where to Stay Along the Route

Rishikesh has accommodation for every budget, from riverside ashrams to boutique hotels; our best ashram stays in Rishikesh guide is worth checking if you'd like a more spiritually-oriented first night. Chopta's options are limited to a handful of guesthouses and camps near the trailhead, so book ahead in peak trekking season (May-June, September-October); our Chopta camping and stargazing guide covers the camp options in more detail. Auli has ropeway-adjacent hotels and GMVN guesthouses; the Auli cable car and ropeway guide explains how to combine your stay with ropeway access efficiently.

Extending Toward Deoriatal

Travellers with an extra day can add Deoriatal, a pristine alpine lake roughly 3km from Sari village near Ukhimath, known for reflecting the Chaukhamba peaks on calm mornings. This is an easy detour from the Rishikesh-Chopta driving leg, adding only a half-day. See our Deoriatal-Chopta trek guide for how to combine both treks into a single extended stop.

Budget Estimate

A 5-day trip covering Rishikesh, Chopta, and Auli typically costs INR 14,000-20,000 per person for mid-range travel, including a private vehicle for the mountain legs (roughly INR 15,000-20,000 total for the full loop, split across a group), guesthouse and homestay stays (INR 1,000-2,500/night), and meals (INR 300-500/day). Budget travellers using shared shared taxis and basic stays can bring this down to roughly INR 9,000-12,000.

Best Time to Visit

May-June and September-November are the best months for this route, offering clear trekking conditions at Chopta and pleasant weather in Rishikesh. December-February transforms Auli into a ski destination but makes the Tungnath trek considerably harder due to snow, so this route works better as a summer/autumn trip unless you specifically want the winter skiing experience at Auli. Monsoon (July-August) brings landslide risk on the Rudraprayag-Chamoli stretch and is best avoided.

Practical Tips

Carry warm layers even in summer, since Chopta and Auli nights regularly drop below 10°C. Network connectivity is patchy beyond Ukhimath, so download offline maps in advance. Fuel up in Rudraprayag or Chamoli, since pumps thin out in the higher stretches. If trekking to Chandrashila, start early (by 6-7am) to avoid afternoon cloud cover that often obscures the summit views. If you plan to raft in Rishikesh on Day 2, check current rafting stretches and safety norms in our Rishikesh river rafting guide before booking, and pair it with the evening Ganga Aarti using our Ganga Aarti guide if you arrive a day earlier than planned.

Conclusion

Five days is enough to string together three genuinely different Uttarakhand experiences — Rishikesh's riverside energy, Chopta's alpine trekking, and Auli's high-altitude meadows — though the driving days demand early starts and realistic expectations. Extending to 6-7 days with a buffer night makes this same route considerably more relaxed, and gives you room to properly rest after the Chandrashila summit push rather than immediately facing another long drive the next morning. Whichever pace you choose, this route packs an unusual amount of variety into a single short trip: the sacred Ganga ghats of Rishikesh, the high alpine meadows and ancient temple of Chopta, and the snow-line panoramas of Auli, all within a single Garhwal loop that most travellers wouldn't expect to complete in under a week.