Pithoragarh

About Pithoragarh

A small town located in the Uttarakhand district of India, also known as the “little Kashmir” because of the beauty of the place and the high mountains that cover the place. The town of Pithoragarh is in Saur Valley of Uttarakhand, which lies in the center of 4 hills that are Kedar, Chandak, Kumdar, and Dhwaj. The town has 2 international borders as Tibet in the North and Nepal in the east. The town of Pithoragarh was once the seasonal capital of Prithviraj Chauhan the king. The town lies on an elevation of 1645m above sea level. The town of Pithoragarh is the gateway to Adi Kailash and Om Parvat. The languages spoken in Pithoragarh are Hindi and Kumaoni (local language).

Pithoragarh Geography

The town of Pithoragarh lies in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand at the height of 1645 m (5396 ft) above sea level. The town is covered by many major peaks of the region such as Nanda Devi (east), Nanda Devi (west), Trishul peak, Nandakhat, Rajrambha, Panchachuli group, and many other small mountain groups. The town of Pithoragarh is enriched with alpine meadows, deep forests, rivers, and glaciers, which attract a lot of people to the destination.

One can experience some major rivers near the region such as Ramganga, Kali, Dhauli, and some more. The glaciers near the region that can be witnessed are Milan glacier, Ralam glacier, Namik glacier, and Sunder Dhunga glacier. Also not forget the town of Pithoragarh is also the gateway to Adi Kailash and Om Parvat. Pithoragarh Pincode is 262501.

Plan My Package Recommend Places to Visit in Pithoragarh

Chandak Hills

The Chandak hills are located 8 km from the town of Pithoragarh. Chandak is the hill that is housing the Hindu local deity of “Most Manu” the temple is one of the famous temples of Chandak hills. The Chandak Hills is also known as the best place to experience the sport of hang gliding. From the top of the Chandak hills, one can easily see the high peaks of Nanda Devi (east), Nanda Devi (west), Trishul peak, and many more with the beautiful background of Soar valley.

Mosta Manu Temple

The Mosta Manu temple is located in the town of Chandak Hills, Pithoragarh. The local deity “ Mostamanu” is known as the lord of Rain and water and tourists and locals come from far-off locations to have the blessing of the local deity. Even in August- September there is a fair in the name of the local deity of “ Mostamanu”. The temple provides magnificent views of the high peaks.

Kapileshwar Mahadev Temple

One of the most famous and believed-in temples of Pithoragarh is the Kapileshwar Mahadev temple. According to the local people, there was a saint named Kapil who used to meditate and pray to Lord Shiva and thus the name comes for the temple. The temple is located 3km away from the main town located on a hilltop where one can reach by hiking for 1 hour, one can reach the main temple on the hilltop through a small cave that leads towards the temple.

Pithoragarh Fort

The fort carries a lot of history with the town of Pithoragarh, as it was built by the Gurkhas after taking over the rule from Grawhal rulers. The fort was built in the year 1789, the Britishers called it the London fort, built on the outskirts of the town takes around 15 minutes to reach the fort. The fort offers amazing views of the Kali river and Kumaon Himalayas.

Maharajke Park

A popular tourist park in Pithoragarh built after the 1965 war of India - Pakistan war that was held in Kasmir, the park was made to pay honor to all the soldiers who fought for the country and lost their lives of Kumaon regiment while capturing Maharajke and the regiment was successful. The beautiful park has many trees that add up more amazing views to the Maharajke park.

Places near Pithoragarh

Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary (approx 52.7 Km from Pithoragarh)

The sanctuary was made to protect the Himalayan animals which were in continuous threat from the people. One such animal was the Musk deer that is under the endangered category, to protect all such animals and their habitat the wildlife sanctuary was made. The total area of the sanctuary is 600 sq km and has a height of 1600 m above sea level. From Pithoragarh to Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary the total distance is 54 km which takes 1 hour 30 minutes to reach. There are many other flora and fauna that could be found in the sanctuary such as the Bengal tiger, leopard, Himalayan brown bear, bison, and many more.

Dhwarj Shikhar (approx 10 Km from Pithoragarh)

Dhwarj Shikhar is the highest mountain of Pithoragarh it is not only famous for being the highest mountain. On the top of the mountain, there is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Jayanti the temple can be reached from Pithoragarh from a car that goes 10km for the mountain, and to reach the mountain top and temple, one needs to walk 4 km and trek and climb the steep parts of the mountain.

Patal Bhubneshwar (approx 89.6 Km from Pithoragarh)

Patal Bhubneshwar is one of the naturally made temples that represent Lord Shiva and other 33 Croce gods and goddesses made from water and Limestone. The temple is situated 14m away from Gangolihat that takes around 30 minutes to reach. The temple is also not above the ground it is below the ground in a cave, where the cave length is around 160m long and 90 feet deep. From Pithoragarh, it takes 2 hours 30 minutes, and around 77 km to reach the destination.

Munsiyari (128.6 Km from Pithoragarh)

Munsyiari which is a part of Johar valley lies 2140 m above sea level is an amazing destination that gives amazing views of the high peaks of Nanda Devi, Trishul, Panchachuli, and many more. Munsyari is a base camp for many trekking destinations and expeditions, one can even trek up to Milam, Ralam, Namik, and the Lilam glaciers. For a short hike of about 4 to 5 km, one can visit Munsyari Bugyal to experience the high peaks and nature more closely.

Jhulaghat (approx 35.6 Km from Pithoragarh)

Jhulaghat village lies on the border of India and Nepal, both the borders of the country are divided by a river called Kali, and connected by a bridge made up on the river to connect both the countries. Due to the bridge that hangs on both sides of the countries the village is called Jhulaghat. From Pithoragarh, Jhulaghat is only 35 km away which takes 1 hour 30 minutes to reach.

Best Time to Visit Pithoragarh

The town of Pithoragarh has a pleasant kind of weather from March to June and from September to November, one can experience the best of the destination during this months. The months of December, January, February, July, and August are not recommended due to heavy rainfall, cold and snowfall conditions that are prominent in the Pithoragarh town.

Pithoragarh in Summers

The summers in Pithoragarh start from April and last till June when people mostly come to explore the town of Pithoragarh and experience the beautiful valley of Saur and have the view of majestic high snow-covered mountains. The temperature during the months remains from 5-degree celsius minimum to 17-degree celsius maximum.

Pithoragarh in Monsoon

The monsoon in Pithoragarh is experienced from July to September, where the whole valley turns to the green valley. The activities of trekking and expeditions are done in this season. The temperatures remain between 7-8 degrees celsius to 18-19 degrees celsius.

Pithoragarh in Winters

The season of winters in Pithoragarh starts from October to February. During this duration, there is heavy snowfall and the cold temperature goes down to sub-zero and the maximum temperature goes up to 13-degree celsius.

How to Reach Pithoragarh

Pithoragarh can be reached easily by roads, trains, and flights. To reach Pithoragarh one can take a flight to Pantnagar airport that is the nearest airport to the location. The nearest railway station is Tanakpur and Pithoragarh has a good connection of road, so one can easily reach the destination.

Pithoragarh by Air

The nearest airport to Pithoragarh is the Pantnagar airport, which is approximately 241 km away from the destination. It takes around 2 hours 15 minutes from Delhi to reach Pantnagar. From Pantnagar, it takes around 6 hours to reach Pithoragarh to reach by cab.

Pithoragarh by Railways

The nearest railway station to Pithoragarh is the Tanakpur railway station, which is approximately 138 km away from the destination. It takes 10 hours minimum to reach Tanakpur from Delhi.

Pithoragarh by Road

It takes nearly 11 hours 20 minutes to reach Pithoragarh from Delhi by road and the journey is about 495 km passing through the national highway 9.

Places to Stay in Pithoragarh

There are plenty of options for one to stay in Pithoragarh, one can choose from a variety of options to stay in Pithoragarh depending on one's budget and duration of stay in the destination. The accommodation prices start from 900 INR and above from where one can enjoy the perfect views of the destination.

Gunjyal Madhur Residency

The hotel provides a stay in Pithoragarh at just 2500INR per night. The hotel offers amenities like parking, WIFI, breakfast, paid transportation, meeting, and banquet facilities. The check-in time at the hotel is noon and the check-out time is at 11 AM.

Hotel Shresth

The hotel Shresth in Pithoragarh is one of the budget accommodations in Pithoragarh where one can easily spend a night at just 1400INR. The hotel offers facilities like Indian and a terrace restaurant, all-time available room service, and an open parking area. The check-in time at the hotel is 12 PM and the check-out time is at 12 PM.

Kantha Fort Home Stay

One of the cheapest accommodations one can get in Pithoragarh with a quality service is the Kantha Fort Home Stay in Pithoragarh which offers a stay for a night for just 999 INR. The facilities offered by the homestay are free parking, homemade food, pets are allowed and space for banquet and meeting area. The check-in time at the hotel is 11 AM and the check-out time is at 10 AM.

Wildrift Adventures - Riveredge Ramganga

Wildrift Adventures - Riveredge Ramganga in Pithoragarh is one of the luxury campsites in the destination, which offers a stay at the destination at 6500 INR per night. The campsite has many facilities and recreational activities for the guest like hiking, and other facilities like parking, free stay for the kids, and many others.

Places to Eat in Pithoragarh

Cafe Morrison

One of the must-try cafes of the destination is the Cafe Morrison of Pithoragargh, it is one of the highly recommended cafes of the town and people love to come and enjoy the vibe of the cafe. The cafe offers dine-in services, takeaways, delivery of the food, and pre-bookings. The cafe opens at 6 AM and closes at 9 PM in the night.

Soar Cafe And Restaurant

The Soar Cafe and Restaurant is located in Pithoragarh Dharcula road and has an open area cafe for its guest. The cafe offers food items like rice, panner, dumplings, chicken, rolls, pastries, and much more. The cafe opens at 9 in the morning and closes at 9 in the night.

Holy Smoke Restaurant

One of the best places in Pithoragarh to enjoy the food is the holy smoke restaurant, the restaurant offers a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes to the people. Some of the popular dishes of the restaurant are chicken rolls, chicken tikka, noodles, and spring rolls. The restaurant opens at 10 am and closes at 10 pm.