Sankri Village Guide

Sankri village is where the Kedarkantha, Har Ki Dun and a dozen other Garhwal treks begin. It's a small mountain village of wooden houses and apple orchards at about 6,400 ft in Uttarkashi district, deep inside the Govind Pashu Vihar protected area, and it's the last stop with a road, a few shops and a roof before the trail.

TrekYaari has its own base here, in the neighbouring hamlet of Saur. This guide covers everything you'll want to know before you arrive: where to stay, how the mobile network really behaves, why you need to carry cash, what you can buy or rent, and what to do on your first evening at the base camp of the Kedarkantha trek.

Sankri Village at a Glance

The key facts about Sankri, Uttarakhand, in one place.

Where Is Sankri in Uttarakhand?

Sankri sits in the far north-west of Uttarakhand, in Uttarkashi district, close to the Himachal border. The road from Dehradun climbs over Mussoorie, crosses the Yamuna, passes Purola and Mori, and then follows the Tons and Supin rivers up to Sankri. It's the last village most visitors reach by road. Beyond it, a narrow jeep road continues about 11 km to Taluka, the starting point for Har Ki Dun.

Sankri and Saur are practically one settlement. Saur sits at the meeting of two streams, one of them flowing down from the Har Ki Dun valley, and its Someshwar temple is the centre of village life. For the full drive, with bus timings, taxi fares and road conditions, see our Dehradun to Sankri road guide.

Sankri Homestay and Hotels: Where to Stay

Sankri has more places to stay than its size suggests, because it's the base for so many treks. Options fall into four groups.

Sankri hotels are small and simple, and most are a short walk from the market and road head.

What Rooms Are Like

•      Hot water: most places provide it, by geyser or bucket. In winter, ask for it in the evening, before the water freezes in the pipes overnight.

•      Heating: rooms are usually unheated. Thick quilts or sleeping bags do the work. Sleep in your thermals.

•      Power: electricity is available but cuts are common; some hotels have a generator.

•      Wi-Fi: a few hotels offer it, but it depends on the same weak network.

Staying With TrekYaari

If you're on a TrekYaari Kedarkantha trek, your Sankri stay is included, whether you start from Sankri or Dehradun, and TrekYaari has its own base in Saur, Sankri. If you're travelling independently in the Christmas to New Year week, book a room in advance; it's the busiest time of the year.

Sankri Network: Mobile Signal and Internet

This is the question we're asked most, and the honest answer is: don't count on it.

•      Which network works: in our team's experience, Jio is the network that works best in Sankri. BSNL has a tower in the village, but its service is often unreliable, and other networks are weak. Even on Jio, signal can drop for hours, so don't plan anything that depends on it.

•      Tip: if you use another network, consider carrying a Jio SIM as a backup for Sankri.

•      On the road: the last good coverage is around Purola. Signal fades after Mori.

•      On the trek: expect no network for most of the trail.

•      Internet: slow where it works. A few hotels offer Wi-Fi, but it isn't dependable.

How to Plan Around It

•      Make important calls and finish work before Mori.

•      Give your family the trek operator's office number and your expected return date.

•      Download offline maps, music and anything you need before the drive.

•      Don't rely on UPI: when the network drops, payments fail. Carry cash.

Is There an ATM in Sankri?

No reliable one. Sankri has no bank, and you can't count on card or UPI payments either. Here's how cash works on the route.

How much to carry: for a 5-day trek on a package, ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 in cash usually covers rentals, snacks, tea and small emergencies. Add more if you plan to rent shoes and a jacket, pay for offloading, or stay extra nights. Carry small notes; shops often can't break ₹500.

Shops, Food and Gear Rental in Sankri

Sankri's market is a short row of small shops and eateries near the road head. You'll find:

•      Basics: snacks, bottled water, toiletries and other small essentials.

•      Food: small eateries serve tea and simple meals. Homestays cook Garhwali food, and rajma and apples are grown in the valley.

•      Gear rental: several shops rent trekking shoes (about ₹100 to ₹200 a day), winter jackets (about ₹100 a day), and poles, ponchos and head torches (about ₹50 a day).

•      Medical: a medical store near the market sells basic medicines, but Sankri has no hospital. The nearest medical help is a basic clinic in Mori, about 23 km down the road; for anything serious, you'll need to travel further towards Purola or Dehradun. Carry your own prescriptions and a personal first-aid kit, and tell your trek leader about any medical condition before the trek.

Buy anything important, such as trekking shoes or good gloves, in Dehradun or earlier. Sankri's stock is limited, and it runs low in the busiest weeks.

Things to Do in Sankri Before Your Trek

On TrekYaari batches from Dehradun, the group usually reaches Sankri around 5 to 6 PM after the long drive, so your evening here is short. Use it well.

•      Catch the last light on Swargarohini. The Swargarohini peaks are visible from the village. In winter the sun sets around 5:15 to 6 PM, so if you arrive early enough, step out for the last light on the peaks; if not, you'll see them at sunrise the next morning.

•      Walk to Saur and the Someshwar temple. The temple in the middle of Saur is dedicated to Someshwar Devta, the local deity worshipped across many villages of the valley. Dress modestly, remove your shoes where asked and ask before taking photos inside.

•      Look at the wooden houses. Older homes in Sankri and Saur are built of deodar wood with carved fronts, a style typical of this part of Garhwal.

•      Take a short acclimatisation walk. An easy 30 to 45 minute stroll around the village helps your body adjust to the altitude before Day 2.

•      Sort your gear and cash. Try on rental shoes with your trek socks, check your head torch and make sure you have enough cash.

•      Meet your trek leader. Your trek leader will go over the plan for the next day and what to carry in your daypack. Ask any questions about gear now, while the rental shops are still open.

•      Rest. Day 2 is a steady 4 km climb to Juda Ka Talab. An early dinner and a good night's sleep are the best preparation.

Treks That Start From Sankri

Sankri is one of the busiest trekking bases in Uttarakhand, with more than 25 routes nearby. The best known include:

Seasons are general guidance; check each trek's own page for current batches and conditions.

For details on each route and which one suits you after Kedarkantha, see our guide to treks that start from Sankri.

Sankri in Winter: What to Expect

Most visitors see Sankri in winter, on the way to Kedarkantha. It's cold but beautiful.

•      Temperature: nights in December to February are around -2°C to -6°C in the village; days are pleasant in the sun.

•      Snow: Sankri itself is often under snow from around mid-January into February. Some winters start dry; in 2025-26, the first major snowfall in Uttarakhand came only on 23 January.

•      Pipes and water: water can freeze overnight. Fill a bottle in the evening.

•      Road: after heavy snowfall, the last stretch to Sankri can be slow. Leave Dehradun early and keep a buffer on the return.

Your First Evening in Sankri: A Quick Checklist

Be a Good Guest in Sankri

•      Carry your waste back. Sankri sits inside a protected area with limited waste collection. Pack out wrappers and plastic.

•      Respect the temples and customs. Ask before entering shrines or photographing people.

•      Keep noise down at night. Homestays are family homes.

•      Buy locally. Snacks, meals and rentals from village shops support the families who live here year-round.

Conclusion

Sankri village is small, remote and wonderfully simple: wooden houses, apple orchards, a temple at the heart of Saur and the Swargarohini peaks catching the evening light. It has what you need for the night before a trek, from a warm room and a hot meal to rental gear and a few last snacks, but not much more. Arrive with cash from Purola, keep a Jio SIM if you can, remember the nearest clinic is in Mori, charge everything you can and use your evening to rest.

Do that, and Sankri becomes the calm start your trek deserves. When you're ready, see dates and inclusions for the base camp of the Kedarkantha trek and the trek beyond it.