My Solo Travel Guide To Kumaon
Kumaon is one of my most favorite places on earth. Let me just say that again! My last trip to this piece of heaven was in November 2018, and it was my best solo travel ever. Yes, it was the most rewarding trip in many aspects – the places that I stayed at, the food I had, the kind of photographs I was able to take, the people I met, the weather, the comfort and the adventure I experienced.
Therefore, I thought I should share my personal Kumaon travel itinerary with you. You can use this itinerary as a solo traveler. However, you can also explore Kumaon as a couple or as a family. I have always visited Kumaon with my family except for my last trip, which was a 15-day long solo trip.
Kumaon is one of the two regions of Uttarakhand. The other one is Garhwal, which is also exceedingly beautiful.
So, why should you visit Kumaon alone? I think there’s some kind of indescribable vibe about Kumaon, which you feel instantly, the moment you reach the Kathgodam Station. The embrace of the crisp air, the mellow sunshine, the quiet mountains and the colours of Kumaon elate your spirits pronto. Besides, the locals are so warm and amiable. You can explore Kumaon fearlessly even as a solo female traveler.
My Solo Travel Guide To Kumaon
Kumaon is known for heavily tourist-driven places like Nainital and Jim Corbett. I’d recommend you should leave these places alone and go far beyond. Of course, they are great destinations and that’s why people throng them. But, it’s high time we realized that over-tourism is ruining such popular destinations and we need to stop visiting them.
Kumaon has so many lesser-known, lesser-visited places. Explore them consciously and responsibly. You just have to plan your trip a little more intricately in order to make the most of these hidden, yet stunning places.
You can also check out some of the beautiful homestays in the Himalayas.
Here’s my solo travel itinerary for Kumaon –
DAY ONE: Arrive in Kathgodam early in the morning via an overnight train from Delhi. Take a taxi to Shyamkhet, Bhowali. Check in to Himalaica, a tastefully crafted homestay encircled by the pines. It’s a place to slow down and relax.
You can spend your first day just lazing around and enjoying the Kumaoni hospitality at the homestay.
DAY TWO: Visit Kumati, a unique village, which is an array of traditional Kumaoni houses. It’s an hour and a half drive from the homestay.
DAY THREE: Spend another lazy day at Himalaica. Go for short hikes around, such as the tea garden and the temples.
DAY FOUR: Check out and head towards Nathuakhan, which is another beautiful village of Kumaon. It’s the place from where you get to see the Himalayas. The farther you go the better views you get to see.
Check in to Bob’s Place – a quiet mountain resort.
DAY FIVE: Enjoy an alfresco breakfast with the views of the mountains. Set out for a hiking trail with your guide, one of the staff at the resort, and lap up all the charm and beauty Kumaon has to offer – orchards, farms & fields, beautiful Kumaoni faces and a reverberating river called Sufi.
DAY SIX: Set this day aside just to soak up the slow life at Bob’s Place. Read all the books you could possibly read, talk to the staff, get to know about their lives, eat the local food that they cook, and just make the most of ‘not doing or accomplishing anything’.
DAY SEVEN: Check out and head towards Almora. You will be witnessing the beauty of the Himalayas from a place called Seetla on your way to Almora. Make sure to stop by and savour it.
Check in to Deora Homestay to experience the authentic village life of Kumaon.
DAY EIGHT: After enjoying a rustic breakfast, set out for another village in Almora. It’s a 4-5-hour trek to Palyun village, where you will stay in a similar homestay. But, it’s more deserted and has better mountain views.
DAY NINE: Set out for Binsar. Check in to Idyllic Haven, a secluded retreat in a village called Gaunap. It’s another dreamlike village of Kumaon.
DAY TEN: Wake up to watch the sunrise. Spend the day at your own pace. Take a hike into the forest, gaze the Himalayas, play with the village kids or just sit still.
DAY ELEVEN: Bid adieu to Binsar and head towards Gangolihat in Pithoragarh district. You will have to trek up till Dhaulchhina, from where you can take a cab to Gangolihat. It’s an easy 7-8 km walk with pretty villages on your way.
The earlier you start from Binsar the better it is, because it’s a long journey.
Check in to The Misty Mountains around 3 p.m. It’s a beautiful mountain resort with the best views of the Himalayas.
DAY TWELVE: Spend the day lazily gazing the mountains. Explore the property. It’s one of the places where you see the mountains right from your room!
DAY THIRTEEN: Explore the villages around – Chakhbora. I personally loved rambling through different villages of each place that I visited in Kumaon.
DAY FOURTEEN: Visit Avani, an NGO that creates sustainable, conservation-based livelihood opportunities for rural communities.
DAY FIFTEEN: Check out early (6: 30 am) in the morning and start for Kathgodam Station to catch the afternoon Shatabdi (3:00 pm) for Delhi. It’s an 8-hour journey by cab.
I hope you like my itinerary. If you want to change, add or delete anything, you should definitely do that. I’d recommend you to be flexible and spontaneous with your travel plan.
Find out about other treks of Kumaon on my travel consultancy page. If you need help in planning your Kumaon trip, write to me at renuca.s@gmail.com
Kumaon Travel Tips:
- It’s quite easy to reach Kumaon – Reach Delhi via train/plane from wherever you live. Take a train to Kathgodam station. There are quite a few trains that connect Delhi to Kathgodam. I traveled by Ranikhet Express, which starts from Old Delhi station and reaches Kathgodam early in the morning, around 5:05 am.
- You can also travel by road – bus or taxi. But I personally find trains comfier.
- Private taxis are the way to get around Kumaon. There are buses and shared taxis, but I haven’t commuted by them, so I don’t have an opinion. I’d suggest you should always connect with your homestay manager and ask them to arrange transportation for you, as that would be safer. They have their known and reliable cabbies.
- Accommodation – Kumaon has lots of nice hotels, resorts, homestays and retreats for all kinds of travelers and for all kinds of budgets. I’d suggest you should opt for homestays as a solo traveler, because you get to stay in a homey set-up. Plus, you get a lot of local insights and tips, which make your trip more meaningful and offbeat.
Also read: How To Choose Accommodation As A Solo Female Traveler
- Pack smartly for your Kumaon solo trip – avoid heavy luggage. Remember, you’re going to the mountains, where you will end up trekking quite a bit. Carry a good (super comfy) pair of trekking shoes.
- Be responsible, respectful and conscious towards your destination, its people, tradition, culture and the resources. Don’t waste electricity, water or food. Use what you really need. Wash your clothes only if it’s extremely necessary. Collect all your dirty clothes in a bag to wash later when you return home. Water is limited in such hilly areas. The locals have to work hard to gather resources. So, be thoughtful.
Here’s a detailed guide on what to pack as a solo traveler
- Don’t buy plastic water bottles. Make sure to carry your own steel bottle, which you can carry everywhere and keep refilling it.
- Kumaon is generally safe for women solo travelers. So, you don’t have to worry. But of course, you should be cautious and take care of yourself.
- Check new travel advisory for Uttarakhand during Coronavirus before you plan your trip. Websites to refer: Uttarakhand Official Tourism Board and euttaranchal.com
The costs of my Kumaon trip
Costs vary depending on what time you are traveling – peak season, shoulder season or off season, mode of transport, and the kind of accommodation you are choosing.
I traveled in the month of November, which is not a busy season in Kumaon. Thus, it was easy for me to plan my trip and get some affordable deals.
- Flight Mumbai-Delhi return – INR 6k, which is the same fare as Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani train.
- Train Delhi-Kathgodam and Kathgodam-Delhi – INR 1.1k for AC First Class and INR 780 for the AC chair car. You may check rates on irctc, the official Indian Railway website.
- Private taxis cost somewhere between INR 800-1500 for a distance of 30km or so. The real money that I paid was for the taxi I hired for 2-3 days: Dhaulchhina to Gangolihat (63km), a little bit of local sightseeing, and finally Gangolihat to Kathgodam station (176km), which cost me INR 8k.
- As far as accommodation is concerned, you can easily find decent homestays and Airbnbs within a budget of INR 700-2000 in the off season. My tip would be to choose places that offer all three meals in your room tariff.
Kumaon is one of the best solo travel destinations in India with lots of opportunities of introspection, beautiful countryside excursions, safe and comfortable stay options.
Got more questions about Kumaon? Ask away!
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