Kuari Pass Trek Map & Route

Search for the Kuari Pass trek distance and you'll find 21 km on one site, 23 km on another and 35 km on a third. Look for a Kuari Pass trek map and you'll mostly find day-wise lists with no map at all. It's hard to plan a trek when nobody agrees on how long it is.

The numbers differ for a simple reason: operators start and finish in different places. Once you know which route you're on, the distance is easy to pin down. This guide sets it out for TrekYaari's route, the classic out-and-back from Tugasi village to Khullara and the pass.

You'll find a clear route map, every trail segment with its distance and terrain, the landmarks you pass, how far it is from Rishikesh and Delhi, and what the route looks like in snow.

Kuari Pass Trek Map at a Glance

Kuari Pass trek map for TrekYaari's route. Schematic, not to scale.

Kuari Pass Trek Distance: How Far Do You Actually Walk?

On TrekYaari's route, you walk about 32 km in total over four days. Here's how that adds up:

Put another way: about 16 km up to the pass, and about 16 km back down. The longest single walking day is the last one, about 12 km, and most of it is downhill.

Why Other Websites Say 21, 23 or 35 km

None of these numbers is necessarily wrong. They measure different routes:

When you compare treks, compare like with like: where it starts, where it ends, and whether the summit day is counted as a round trip. The difficulty of the climb to the pass is much the same on every route.

Kuari Pass Trek Route, Segment by Segment

The trail is the same in every season. What changes is snow, mud and how long each stretch takes. This is what each segment is like on foot. For where you sleep each night and how the days are planned, see the day-by-day itinerary with stays and timings.

Joshimath to Tugasi: The Road In

About 20 km by road from Joshimath. It's a short drive up a mountain road to a small village of terraced fields, where the trail begins. In heavy winter snowfall, this road can close for a day or two, which is why a buffer day matters on winter batches.

Tugasi to Gulling: Fields and Forest (5 km)

The gentlest segment. The trail leaves Tugasi past village fields and climbs gradually into mixed forest. The path is clear and well used, with a few steeper switchbacks. It's the best stretch to settle into a steady pace before the bigger climb. Gulling campsite sits inside the forest, and on a clear evening you get your first proper view of Mt. Dronagiri.

Gulling to Khullara: The Big Climb (7 km)

The most sustained climb of the route. The trail keeps rising through oak, deodar and rhododendron forest with very few flat stretches. In spring, this is where the rhododendrons bloom. In mid-winter, it's usually where the snow walking starts. Near the top the trees thin out and you step out onto Khullara, an open meadow with the big peaks lined up ahead.

Khullara to Kuari Pass: Summit Morning (about 4 km each way)

From Khullara you climb about 460 m over roughly 4 km, an average gradient of around 11 to 12%. The trail crosses open slopes and grassy ridges, so you're exposed to wind and the views keep widening as you climb. The group usually leaves around 6:30 AM. In winter this whole stretch can be under snow, and microspikes are needed for icy morning sections. You come back down the same way to Khullara.

Khullara to Tugasi: The Way Down (about 12 km)

You retrace the trail through the forest, past Gulling and down to Tugasi, where the vehicle waits for the drive back to Joshimath. It's the longest walking day, but mostly downhill. Easy on the lungs, hard on the knees. Short steps and a trekking pole make a big difference.

Kuari Pass Route Landmarks

These are the points you'll pass, in order, and what to look out for at each.

The view from the top is why most people come. For the peaks you can see and how to pick them out, read about where to see Nanda Devi. If you're bringing a camera, our guide to the best photo spots on the route covers where and when to shoot.

Rishikesh to Kuari Pass Distance (and From Delhi)

Most trekkers come up from Rishikesh, and many start the journey in Delhi. Here's the full distance, leg by leg:

So the Rishikesh to Kuari Pass distance is roughly 270 to 275 km by road plus about 16 km on foot. From Delhi, add about 240 km more. Road distances vary a little between sources and with diversions on the hill roads.

Why It's Called the Lord Curzon Trail

Kuari Pass sits on the western rim of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in the Chamoli district of Garhwal. Part of the route is linked with Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India, who travelled in this region in 1905, which is why the trek is also known as the Curzon Trail. The longer historical route ran well beyond today's trek. For the full history, read the story behind the Lord Curzon Trail.

Kuari Pass and Pangarchulla: Where the Routes Split

The Pangarchulla Trek uses much of the same trail up through Gulling and Khullara, then continues to a much tougher summit climb. Think of Kuari Pass as the pass trek and Pangarchulla as the summit push on the same mountain side. If you're choosing between them, read Kuari Pass vs Pangarchulla for the difference in effort, gear and experience.

Navigating the Route: Maps, GPS and Signal

•      Download maps offline before you leave Joshimath. Mobile signal is patchy once you leave the road, and often absent on the upper trail.

•      Use an offline map app such as Gaia GPS, OsmAnd or Maps.me to follow your position. Kuari Pass is at roughly 30.45° N, 79.58° E.

•      Don't rely on the trail being visible in winter. Snow covers the path and markers above Gulling. Follow your trek leader's line.

•      Stay with the group on summit morning. The ridge is open, and cloud or snow can roll in fast and cut visibility.

•      Note the turnaround time. Your trek leader sets one for summit day. Reaching camp before the afternoon weather matters more than reaching the top.

How the Route Changes Through the Year

Walking the Route With TrekYaari

TrekYaari runs the Kuari Pass Trek on this out-and-back route from Joshimath, with batches from January to May and October to December. Every batch has a BMC or AMC certified trek leader who knows the route in all seasons, a first aid kit, oxygen cylinder and pulse oximeter, and winter equipment such as crampons and gaiters when the trail needs it.

The Route in One Line

Tugasi to Gulling, Gulling to Khullara, Khullara to the pass, and the same way home: about 16 km up and 16 km down, with one steady climb, one early summit morning and one long walk out. That's the whole Kuari Pass route.

Once you can picture the route, the trek stops feeling like a list of unfamiliar names. You know where the hard climb is, where you'll sleep twice, and where the view finally opens up. And when someone tells you Kuari Pass is 21 km, you'll know which route they mean.

Before you go: save the map, download your offline maps in Joshimath, and train for the Gulling to Khullara climb. That one segment decides how much you enjoy the rest.