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Tue 27 Oct → Fri 30 Oct
4 days · starts 06:30
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About Dayara Bugyal Trek
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Four days from Raithal onto one of the largest high meadows in Garhwal: a forest climb to Gui, one long day across the bugyal, and the same trail home.
Trip details
Dayara Bugyal is a very large alpine meadow on a broad shoulder above the Bhagirathi valley in Uttarkashi district, reached from the village of Raithal. The trek is deliberately gentle. From Raithal the trail climbs about 830 m through oak, maple and rhododendron to Gui, a forest camp just below the meadow, and the next morning it opens out onto rolling grass with the Gangotri group, Bandarpunch and Srikantha standing along the skyline. The one long day is the walk across the meadow to Dayara Top and back to Gui, twelve to fourteen kilometres of easy-angled walking at around 3,400 to 3,650 metres. This is genuinely one of the better first Himalayan treks: nothing is exposed, nothing is technical, and the four-day version gives you a night at Raithal and a night at Gui, so you settle in at 3,000 metres before the long day instead of arriving at it fresh off the road. The meadow is not empty scenery, either. It is grazing land, and in mid-August the villages of Raithal and Barsu hold Anduri Utsav, a butter festival celebrating the cattle's return. In winter the same slopes hold deep, uncomplicated snow, which is what most people come for.
- Raithal village above the Bhagirathi, and the oak, maple and rhododendron forest the trail climbs through out of it.
- Gui, the forest camp just below the meadow, where the canopy first breaks and the meadow edge appears above.
- The Dayara meadow itself — one of the largest high meadows in Garhwal, rolling for kilometres at 3,400-3,650 m, under snow in winter and in flower from May.
- Dayara Top at about 12,000 ft (3,650 m), the high point of the long day across the grassland.
- The Gangotri group, Bandarpunch and Srikantha on the skyline — a full Garhwal panorama from a trek with only one long day.
- Working shepherd country: this is a grazing bugyal, and in season you will share it with flocks and their herders.
Drink 3 to 4 litres a day. The climb to Gui on Day 2 is the fast gain on this trek, so go slowly, and use the afternoon and evening at Gui to walk up 100 m and come back rather than resting flat; that first night at Gui is the only acclimatisation this plan gives you before the long day. Avoid alcohol and sleeping tablets. Report headache when it starts. Ask your trek leader how they check for altitude illness, with a daily pulse oximeter reading, and whether emergency oxygen travels with the group. If symptoms are not improving, or there is confusion, loss of balance, breathlessness at rest or a wet cough, descend. On this route descent is unusually quick, because Raithal is only a few hours below Gui.
- Sources grade this trek Easy to Moderate (five pages) or Easy (two); we list the sourced consensus, Easy-Moderate. The climb to Gui on Day 2 and the long meadow walk on Day 3 are what decide it. See the sources below.
- Uttarakhand Forest Department, Uttarkashi Forest Division. Fees are collected and trekkers registered at the forest check post at Raithal or Barsu; no state tourism or district magistrate clearance is required for Indian nationals.
- Build for four weeks. A workable target is a 45 minute brisk walk with 300 m of ascent, three times a week, plus one longer walk of 12 km or more before you go so that Day 3 is not the longest walk of your life. Add stair or hill repeats with a 5 to 8 kg pack. Because Days 2 and 4 are only 4 to 5 km each, the limiting factor for most people is Day 3 and the steep forest descent, not cardiovascular capacity. This is a reasonable trek for a fit beginner, for older trekkers with medical clearance, and for children of around 10 and up with individual assessment.
- Two realistic scenarios and one seasonal one. First, a whiteout on the bugyal: the meadow is large, rolling and almost featureless, and in fresh snow or thick cloud a group that spreads out can lose the trail and each other. This is by some distance the most likely way this trek goes wrong. Second, an unsheltered afternoon storm on Day 3's meadow walk, which in summer means lightning on open high ground and in winter means hypothermia. Third, the approach road in monsoon. Altitude illness is a genuine but low risk here, and it would be dishonest to present this trek as more dangerous than it is: the honest summary is that Dayara is a safe trek with one navigational hazard that people underestimate because the grade says Easy.
Nearest railhead: Dehradun (DDN), approximately 175 to 192 km from Raithal by road, 7 to 9 hours via Mussoorie, Chinyalisaur, Uttarkashi and Bhatwari, and about the same back on Day 4. Nearest airport: Jolly Grant, Dehradun (DED), approximately 200 to 218 km from Raithal, 8 to 10 hours by road. The airport is about 25 km from Dehradun city, so add that to any distance quoted from the railway station. Basecamp: Raithal (roughly 7,000 to 7,400 ft / 2,140 to 2,260 m), Bhatwari block, Uttarkashi.
- 1 x thermal base layer set, merino or synthetic, mid weight (about 200 gsm), plus a dry set kept for sleeping
- 2 x quick-dry trekking trousers, no denim, no cotton
- 3 x quick-dry full-sleeve trekking t-shirts. Full sleeve matters on the meadow, where there is no shade at all
- 2 x fleece or synthetic mid layers, roughly 200 and 300 weight
- 1 x down or synthetic insulated jacket rated to about minus 10 C for camp and for Day 3 if the wind is up
- 1 x waterproof and windproof shell jacket with a hood and taped seams. The meadow is fully exposed and offers nowhere to shelter from a squall
- 1 x waterproof overtrousers
- 1 x insulated beanie covering the ears, plus a sun cap or wide-brim hat. On a bright March day on snow-covered grass the sun is the main discomfort
- 1 to 2 x neck gaiters or buffs
- 2 x gloves: a thin liner and a waterproof insulated outer
- 4 pairs of wool or wool-blend trekking socks, plus 1 thick pair kept dry for sleeping only
- Thermal leggings for camp
- 1 x waterproof high-ankle trekking boots with a lugged sole, broken in over at least 50 km. The forest section is steep in both directions and the meadow is soft, wet ground under melting snow in spring
- Gaiters for March and April, and mandatory from December to February. Wet feet on a snow-covered meadow with a long walk back is the most common way this easy trek becomes unpleasant
- 1 x lightweight closed-toe camp shoes
- 50 to 60 litre backpack with a padded hip belt and a rain cover if you carry your own load, or a 20 to 30 litre daypack if you offload to a mule
- Sleeping bag with a comfort rating of about minus 10 C for March and April. Most operators supply one; confirm the comfort rating, not the extreme rating
- Sleeping mat with an R-value of 3 or better if you supply your own, and 4 or better if you are going in January
- 2 x trekking poles. The descent from Gui to Raithal is the steepest sustained section on the trek and is where knees complain
- Microspikes for March and April snow on the meadow, mandatory in deep winter. Several operator pages list microspikes as essential in winter here; confirm whether your operator supplies them
- Headlamp with fresh batteries and a spare set
- 2 x 1 litre bottles, at least one wide-mouth or insulated so it does not freeze shut overnight. Water is available at the forest camps but there is nothing reliable out on the meadow, so fill up before Day 3
- Water purification tablets or a filter. This is grazing land and livestock use the same water
- UV400 wraparound sunglasses, category 3 or 4. A day on open snow-covered grass with no shade is a snow-blindness setup; carry a spare pair
- Power bank of 10,000 mAh or more. No charging above Raithal
- Dry bags or bin liners for the sleeping bag and spare clothes
- Toilet paper, a small trowel, sealable bags for waste, and a bag for your own litter. Forest rules require waste to be carried out and human waste buried well away from trails and water
- Original government photo ID (Aadhaar, voter ID, driving licence or passport) plus 2 photocopies. Registration at the Raithal or Barsu check post requires names, ID, emergency contacts, intended route and campsites, and expected return date
- 2 to 4 passport-size photographs
- Foreign nationals: passport and valid Indian visa plus copies, and expect a higher per-day forest fee
- Medical fitness certificate: some operators ask for one from everyone on this route, and Uttarkashi district practice is reported to make it mandatory for trekkers over 50 even on easier routes
- Trekking or travel insurance policy number and the insurer's 24-hour emergency line. Insurance is now asked for on most Uttarakhand treks
- Cash for forest entry fees, which are collected at the check post and cannot be paid by card
- Emergency contact details on paper
- Blister kit: zinc oxide tape, hydrocolloid dressings and a needle
- Paracetamol; ibuprofen or diclofenac taken with food
- Diamox (acetazolamide) only on the advice of a doctor who knows your history and sulfa allergy status. The profile here is gentle enough that it is often not indicated; do not start it for the first time on the trail
- An anti-emetic such as ondansetron, an anti-diarrhoeal such as loperamide, and oral rehydration salts
- Personal prescription medication in original packaging at double the expected quantity, split between two bags
- Antiseptic cream, a crepe bandage, and duct tape
- SPF 50+ sunscreen and SPF lip balm, reapplied through Day 3. There is genuinely no shade on the bugyal
- Personal hygiene items and, for women, enough sanitary supplies plus sealable bags to carry them out
Safety, verified
Safety details last verified 21 Aug 2026 by MadClub.
- Known hazards
A featureless open meadow in cloud or fresh snow, where the trail disappears and navigation becomes genuinely non-trivial. This is the specific hazard of Dayara and the reason a local guide matters more here than the easy grade suggests; No shelter of any kind on the bugyal for the whole of Day 3, so a hailstorm or thunderstorm means walking through it; Steep, root-laced forest trail between Raithal and Gui, slippery when wet and hard on knees on the descent; Soft, wet snow on the meadow in March and April that conceals uneven ground and drainage channels; post-holing here twists ankles; Deep unconsolidated snow in January and February that turns the 12 to 13.6 km Day 3 into a much longer one than the itinerary allows for; Grazing land, so livestock, dogs and shepherd huts along the route; give animals room and do not approach guard dogs; Landslide-prone approach road along the Bhagirathi through Bhatwari, especially in monsoon
- Best season
This is close to a year-round trek and each window offers something different. December to February is the snow season, with the meadow under continuous cover from late December, day temperatures around minus two to eight and nights of minus ten to zero; it is the most popular window and the most demanding underfoot. The snow does not always arrive on schedule: one page puts the first snowfall in the second or third week of December, with the meadow fully white from late December to February and often knee-deep after fresh snow, and another puts January at about 4 C by day and minus 11 C at night at Gui, below the meadow. March and April give residual snow on the meadow with a clearing forest below and the rhododendron out, at 10 to 18 C by day and around freezing at night. May and June are the green-and-flowers window at 15 to 20 C by day with nights above freezing, and are the easiest for a nervous first-timer. September to November, once the monsoon withdraws, gives the clearest views of the Gangotri group and Bandarpunch with cold, dry nights. There is no month that is obviously wrong except the monsoon.
- Maximum altitude
About 12,000 ft / 3,650 m — Dayara Top, the high point of Day 3. This is the least well-defined figure on the trek because Dayara is a broad rolling meadow with several named high points rather than a summit. Published figures for the high point run from 11,181 ft (3,408 m), which is the meadow rather than the top, through 3,639 m (Wikipedia) and 3,640 to 3,660 m on most trek pages, up to 3,780 to 3,810 m, which is Bakaria Top. OpenStreetMap tags the peak named Dayara at 3,651 m and a terrain-tile elevation model reads about 3,656 m there; the same data tags Bakria at 3,804 m. So the meadow lies at about 3,400 to 3,500 m, Dayara Top at about 3,650 m, and the separate Bakaria Top at roughly 3,800 m, about 1.5 km south of Dayara Top in a straight line. This plan turns round at Dayara Top and does not go on to Bakaria Top.
- Getting there
Railhead Dehradun (DDN), approximately 175 to 192 km from Raithal by road, 7 to 9 hours via Mussoorie, Chinyalisaur, Uttarkashi and Bhatwari, and about the same back on Day 4; airport Jolly Grant, Dehradun (DED), approximately 200 to 218 km from Raithal, 8 to 10 hours by road. The airport is about 25 km from Dehradun city, so add that to any distance quoted from the railway station.
- Difficulty
Short days, gradual gradients, a well-defined trail and no exposure anywhere. Two of the three walking days are 4 to 5 km. The single demanding day is the 12 to 13.6 km round trip from Gui across the meadow to Dayara Top, which is long but easy-angled. The climb to Gui on Day 2 gains about 830 m in 4 to 5 km, the steepest sustained gain on the trek. You sleep at Gui, roughly 2,950 to 3,000 m, and walk to about 3,650 m, so altitude illness is possible but the profile is unusually kind. Independent grades: two trek pages call it Easy and five call it Easy to Moderate. Easy-Moderate is the consensus label and is fair. Winter changes the effort more than the grade: deep snow on the meadow makes Day 3 considerably slower.
- Safety equipment
50 to 60 litre backpack with a padded hip belt and a rain cover if you carry your own load, or a 20 to 30 litre daypack if you offload to a mule; Sleeping bag with a comfort rating of about minus 10 C for March and April. Most operators supply one; confirm the comfort rating, not the extreme rating; Sleeping mat with an R-value of 3 or better if you supply your own, and 4 or better if you are going in January; 2 x trekking poles. The descent from Gui to Raithal is the steepest sustained section on the trek and is where knees complain; Microspikes for March and April snow on the meadow, mandatory in deep winter. Several operator pages list microspikes as essential in winter here; confirm whether your operator supplies them; Headlamp with fresh batteries and a spare set
- Guide requirement
Uttarkashi Forest Division forest entry permit and trail registration. Arranged by your operator. Issued by Uttarakhand Forest Department, Uttarkashi Forest Division. Where: Forest check post at Raithal or Barsu, paid in cash on the day. This is open forest land rather than a national park, and one detailed secondary source states plainly that no formal trekking permit is required for Indian nationals and no Inner Line Permit or district clearance applies. What is required is a forest entry fee, reported at approximately INR 50 to 100 per person per day for Indian nationals and INR 300 to 600 per person per day for foreign nationals in 2026, payable in cash at the check post, plus registration of the group's names, ID, emergency contacts, intended route and campsites, and expected return date. One trek page separately reports a foreign-national levy of INR 1,200, which is likely to be a company charge rather than the government tariff. No Forest Department notification could be read directly, so treat these figures as indicative and carry more cash than you expect to need. Camping rules and designated campsites. Arranged by your operator. Issued by Uttarakhand Forest Department (Uttarkashi Division), under the statewide bugyal orders. Where: The Dayara meadow and the forest campsites below it. In August 2018 the Uttarakhand High Court banned overnight stays on the state's alpine and sub-alpine meadows and capped visitors at 200; the order applied statewide, Dayara included. Trekking reports from July and August 2026 say the Supreme Court set those directions aside on 20 July 2026 and left the rest in force (no permanent structures, no commercial grazing, waste removed, no new encroachment); we could not read the judgment, so ask what the range office is enforcing this season. Reported permitted campsites are Barnala Tal and the Dayara meadow. One trek page says the opposite for the meadow itself: that camping is not permitted directly on it, and that overnight stays are allowed only at the forest campsites just below it, such as Gui or Barnala Tal. This 4-day plan does not depend on either reading: its nights are at Raithal and at Gui, a forest camp below the meadow, and the meadow is walked by day. Tents must be pitched at least 30 m from any water source, no trenching is allowed, open fires on the meadow are prohibited and cooking must be on gas, and the carry-in carry-out rule is enforced. Guide requirement. Issued by Uttarakhand Forest Department (advisory rather than mandatory). Where: Raithal / Barsu. Unlike Govind Pashu Vihar on the Sankri side, solo trekking on Dayara is reported as permitted, with a strong advisory that first-time high-altitude trekkers go with a registered operator. Given that the specific hazard on this trek is navigation across a featureless meadow in cloud or fresh snow, that advisory deserves more weight than the Easy grade implies.
- Emergency evacuation
An unusually short evacuation profile for a Himalayan trek. Dayara Top is roughly 10 to 11 km on foot and about 1,500 m above Raithal, realistically 4 to 6 hours for a walking casualty and a long but feasible day for a carry. From Gui, Raithal is 4 to 5 km downhill. Raithal is on a motorable road. The nearest hospital is the community health centre at Bhatwari, about 12 km away, with the District Hospital at Uttarkashi roughly 32 to 45 km depending on which figure you use. Full trauma and ICU capability means Dehradun, 6 to 8 hours by road. The state ambulance line is 108. Helicopter evacuation is possible in principle from the open meadow, which is one of the few places on any of these treks where a landing site is not the problem, but it remains weather- and daylight-dependent and must be arranged through the district administration or a private operator against payment. Buy insurance that covers trekking and evacuation.
- Fitness prerequisite
Build for four weeks. A workable target is a 45 minute brisk walk with 300 m of ascent, three times a week, plus one longer walk of 12 km or more before you go so that Day 3 is not the longest walk of your life. Add stair or hill repeats with a 5 to 8 kg pack. Because Days 2 and 4 are only 4 to 5 km each, the limiting factor for most people is Day 3 and the steep forest descent, not cardiovascular capacity. This is a reasonable trek for a fit beginner, for older trekkers with medical clearance, and for children of around 10 and up with individual assessment.
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Safety details & FAQ
Is Dayara Bugyal an easy trek?
In June, yes — it's at the easy end of anything sold in Garhwal, and family batches run on it. Two things stop it being simply Easy in general: the opening climb out of Raithal gains about 830 m (2,700 ft) in 4 to 5 km, the steepest gain rate on the trek, and the long day to Dayara Top is, in winter, often on knee-deep snow. The honest label is Easy-Moderate.
When should I go to Dayara Bugyal — for the flowers or the snow?
These are different trips at the same coordinates. The meadow blooms roughly mid-May to late June with warm days and light nights; the snowscape runs late December to February, with the meadow fully white and often knee-deep after fresh snow, days around 0 to 4 C on the meadow, nights at Gui falling to about minus 7 to minus 11 C, and microspikes and gaiters needed; early December can still be patchy, since one page puts the first snowfall in the second or third week of that month; September-November gives no flowers and no snow but the clearest mountain views of the year. Decide which trek you want before you pick a month — the kit lists don't overlap.
What permit does Dayara Bugyal need?
A forest entry and trekking permit from the Uttarakhand Forest Department's Uttarkashi Forest Division, normally completed on arrival in Raithal by your operator. It's a standard forest permit rather than a national-park ticket, since Dayara isn't inside a protected park. If you're 50 or over, Uttarkashi district practice is reported to make a medical fitness certificate mandatory here, even though this is one of the district's easier routes.
Is altitude sickness a concern on Dayara Bugyal?
Low to moderate: the high point is about 12,000 ft and you sleep no higher than Gui, around 9,700 to 9,850 ft. It is still flagged that the Raithal-to-Gui section, which climbs about 2,700 ft in 4 to 5 km, is a fast first-day gain rate where AMS is a real possibility for anyone. Treat the afternoon and first night at Gui as the acclimatisation: walk up a little and come back rather than resting flat, and report a headache early.
What's easy to get wrong packing for Dayara Bugyal?
Carrying a winter kit list in June or a summer kit list in January — the temperature and gear needs here are unusually far apart for one trek. In summer, underestimating water and sun protection is the real hazard: there's no water source on the open meadow, Day 3 is 12 to 13.6 km, and sunburn is the most common minor injury on a June departure. In winter, gaiters and microspikes become mandatory as the snow reaches knee depth.
How far is Dayara Bugyal's trailhead from Dehradun?
About 175 to 192 km to Raithal village, roughly 7 to 9 hours by road via Dhanaulti or Mussoorie, Chinyalisaur and Uttarkashi. Uttarkashi town, about 45 km and 1.5 to 2 hours below Raithal, is the last point with a district hospital and reliable pharmacies, so it's worth treating as your last checkpoint for anything you've forgotten before the mountains.
Why do different sources give such different altitudes for Dayara Bugyal's high point?
Because "the altitude of Dayara Bugyal" gets used for three different things: the meadow surface itself (about 3,500 m), Dayara Top on the standard Raithal itinerary (3,639-3,651 m), and Bakaria Top, a genuinely higher, separate point at about 3,804 m (12,480 ft) that is not on this 4-day plan. If you see "12,500 ft" quoted, that's almost certainly Bakaria Top, not the point you'll actually stand on.
Can I camp on Dayara Bugyal, and does this plan?
Overnight stays on Uttarakhand's bugyals were banned by the High Court in 2018. Trekking reports from July and August 2026 say the Supreme Court set that ban aside on 20 July 2026, but we could not read the judgment, and at least one trek page still says camping is not permitted on the meadow itself. This plan does not depend on it: the nights are at Raithal and at Gui, a forest camp below the meadow, and the meadow is walked by day.
What's included
- Stays in a homestay and in camps
- Vegetarian, organic meals on the trek
- Sleeping bag, mattress and tent, triple sharing
- Kitchen, dining and toilet tents, and utensils
- All necessary permits and entry fees
- First-aid kit, stretcher and oxygen cylinder
- Qualified trek leader, guide and support staff
- Mules for the central luggage (not personal luggage)
What's not included
- Road transport between Dehradun and Raithal, unless you add it at booking
- Personal expenses
- Food on the road
- Mule or porter for personal luggage
- Emergency evacuation charges
- Anything not listed under what is included
Day-by-day itinerary
Dehradun to Raithal by road, about 180 km and 7 to 9 hours. With the transport add-on you leave Dehradun railway station at 06:30 on day 1, so book it by the evening before. Without it, check in at Raithal by the evening of day 1; if you book on the day you start, make your own way to Raithal by that evening. The last ATM is at Bhatwari, about 12 km before Raithal, but the reliable ones are in Uttarkashi, so withdraw cash there or in Dehradun. Night in Raithal (about 2,140 m; 7,000 ft) in a homestay. Bring an original government photo ID (Aadhaar, voter ID, driving licence or passport) and a photocopy; you sign the Safety & Liability Agreement online after you book.
Safety details last verified 21 Aug 2026
Add-ons · optional
Choose them at checkout; add more later, until the trek starts. Refundable add-ons: full refund if you remove them or cancel before the trek starts. Non-refundable ones can't be refunded once bought.
Trek prices are per person and include all taxes. What you see is what you pay — MadClub adds no booking fee or registration fee on top at checkout.