Almora Travel Guide
The horseshoe ridge town at Kumaon's cultural heart, with Kasar Devi's ridge walks nearby.
- Altitude
- 1,638 m
- Best season
- Year round
- From Dehradun
- ~350 km
- Category
- Kumaon
Why visit Almora
- Kumaon's cultural heartland — 700-year-old bazaar street, temple carvings and a living coppersmith tradition in one compact hill town
- Kasar Devi ridge draws travellers seeking altitude, silence and a view stretching from Nanda Devi to Trishul
- Jageshwar, 34 km away, is among the best-preserved medieval temple complexes in the Himalaya — 124 stone temples from the 9th–12th century
- Chitai Golu Devata temple is draped in thousands of petition-bells and hand-written letters — one of Uttarakhand's most singular folk-religion sites
- Bal mithai (chocolate-brown fudge rolled in sugar balls) and tamba copperware are genuine local products, not tourist reproductions
Almora curls along a horseshoe ridge above the Kosi valley — a Chand-dynasty capital that remains Kumaon's cultural centre, known for its copperware, tamta bazaars and bal mithai.
Kasar Devi, a short drive up the ridge, has drawn seekers from Swami Vivekananda onward and offers the area's best sunset walks.
Explore around
Places near Almora
124 Nagara-style temples in a deodar gorge; Archaeological Survey protected; best at dawn when no buses have arrived
Oak and rhododendron forest with leopard and the best Himalayan panorama in Kumaon from Zero Point
Thousands of petition-bells cover every surface — a living folk-justice deity worshipped across Kumaon
Hippie-trail ridge with Crank's Ridge viewpoint; Van Allen Belt anomaly studied here; peaceful sunrise spot
Pine and oak trail through municipal forest; family-friendly short walk
What to do
Activities at Almora
Temple circuit
Nanda Devi temple in the bazaar has 7th–8th century stone carvings of striking detail. Pair it with Chitai (8 km) and Jageshwar (34 km) for a full-day heritage loop covering three distinct styles of Kumaoni religious architecture.
Bazaar walk
Almora's old market street — Lala Bazar and Chowk — has been in continuous use since the Chand kings. Coppersmith workshops, sweet shops and cloth merchants occupy the same narrow lane; an hour here is more instructive than any museum.
Kasar Devi sunrise
Drive or walk up to the ridge above Kasar Devi temple for a 180° Himalayan view at first light. The ridge is quietest between 5 and 7 am before day-trippers arrive.
Forest walks at Binsar
The wildlife sanctuary 25 km away allows self-guided walking on marked trails through dense mixed forest. Leopard signs are common; sightings occasional. Zero Point viewpoint is a must.
Before you go
Almora travel tips
- Kathgodam is the railhead (90 km); shared taxis leave from outside the station and are faster than buses
- The Almora bazaar street is too narrow for cars — park at the lower lot and walk the main market on foot
- Jageshwar is best visited at opening time (6 am) before tourist buses from Kathgodam arrive around 10 am
- Bal mithai has no preservatives — buy from Shri Suresh Lal Shah or Joshi's Sweet House, both on the main bazaar, and consume within 2–3 days
- Mobile connectivity (Jio, Airtel) is reasonable in Almora town but drops sharply on the Binsar road after Khali Estate
- Accommodation in Almora town itself is limited and dated; Binsar and Kasar Devi have better-quality homestays and small resorts
- November–February can see frost and occasional snow at Kasar Devi ridge — carry warm layers even on day visits
Getting there
How to reach Almora
Pantnagar Airport (127 km, ~3.5 hrs). Jolly Grant, Dehradun (350 km) is an alternative with more flights. Taxis available from both.
Kathgodam station (90 km) is served by overnight trains from Delhi (Ranikhet Express, Kathgodam Shatabdi). Shared jeeps and buses cover the 90 km mountain road in 2.5–3 hours.
Delhi → Moradabad → Rampur → Haldwani → Kathgodam → Almora (375 km, 9–10 hrs). From Dehradun, take the Rampur route via Ramnagar or the Haridwar–Kashipur road. Almora is 63 km from Nainital.
Where to stay in Almora
- Kalimath Homestay and Kasar Devi area has several small guesthouses popular with long-stay visitors
- Binsar Eco Resort and KMVN Tourist Rest House at Binsar are well placed for the sanctuary
- Almora town has mid-range options such as Hotel Shikhar and Savoy Retreat near the bus stand
- Book well ahead for March–June; the town fills with school groups from the plains
Food & dining
- Bal mithai and singodi (khoya wrapped in maalu leaf) are the two sweets specific to Almora — try them at Joshi's on the main bazaar
- Almora has standard north-Indian dhabas along the bus-stand road; quality is consistent but not exceptional
- Kumaoni thali (bhaang ki chutney, gahat dal, kafuli greens, rice) is available at Garhwal Terrace restaurant
- Cafes on the Kasar Devi ridge cater to the long-stay traveller crowd with filter coffee and simple continental food
Background
History of Almora
Almora was established as the capital of the Chand dynasty around 1563 CE by Kalyan Chand, who shifted the royal seat from Champawat to this strategically elevated ridge. The Lal Mandi fort commanded the entire valley below, and the bazaar that grew around it became the commercial hub of central Kumaon for the next four centuries.
The town passed to the Gorkha empire in 1791 when the Nepalese army swept through Kumaon and held it until 1815, when the British East India Company defeated the Gorkhas in the Anglo-Nepalese War. Almora then became the summer administrative headquarters for the British Commissioner of Kumaon, a role that brought the road, the postal service and the first English-medium schools to the region.
In the early 20th century, Almora attracted a remarkable concentration of thinkers: Swami Vivekananda meditated on Kasar Devi in 1890, Alfred Sorenson (Sunyata) lived on the ridge for decades, and later Timothy Leary and Cat Stevens passed through, giving the ridge its "Crank's Ridge" reputation. The Almora bazaar also housed the press that printed the first Kumaoni-language newspaper, making the town a centre of regional literary identity.
Plan your trip
Suggested Almora itinerary
- Day 1Arrive from Kathgodam. Check in. Evening walk through Lala Bazar and Chowk. Nanda Devi temple visit. Dinner in town.
- Day 2Early morning drive to Kasar Devi for sunrise. Return for breakfast. Drive to Jageshwar (34 km) for the temple complex — allow 2 hours. Return via Chitai Golu Devata temple.
- Day 3Drive to Binsar (25 km). Morning walk at Zero Point viewpoint. Leopard trail in the afternoon. Return to Almora or overnight at Binsar.
Common questions
Almora FAQ
- Is Almora worth visiting independently or only as a transit town?
- It rewards a 2–3 night stay for travellers interested in Kumaoni culture, heritage temples and walking. As a transit point it is often underused — most people rush through to Kausani or Munsiyari.
- How far is Nainital from Almora?
- Approximately 63 km by road, about 2 hours. The two towns are often combined in a Kumaon circuit.
- Is Almora safe for solo women travellers?
- Generally yes — it is a district headquarters with a functioning town centre, police presence and good mobile connectivity. Standard urban precautions apply after dark.
- What is bal mithai?
- A dense khoya-based sweet, dark brown from roasting, rolled in tiny white sugar balls. It is specific to the Kumaon hills and not widely available elsewhere. Shelf life without refrigeration is 2–3 days.
Keep reading
Almora guides
Culture & HeritageJageshwar Temples: Complete Guide to 124 Ancient Shiva Shrines in AlmoraJageshwar Dham near Almora is among India's most spectacular ancient temple complexes — 124 stone shrines from the 8th to 12th centuries CE tucked inside a millennium-old deodar forest. Read More…
Travel GuidesKasar Devi & Naukuchiatal: Offbeat Almora's Spiritual Ridge & Nine-Corner LakeKasar Devi near Almora sits on a rare Van Allen radiation belt anomaly that once drew Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Timothy Leary. Naukuchiatal is Kumaon's deepest and most unusual lake. Together they offer the most rewarding offbeat circuit in the region. Read More…Ready to visit Almora?
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