Chopta – Tungnath – Chandrashila

The Chopta–Tungnath–Chandrashila trek is Uttarakhand's most rewarding short trek. Chopta sits at 2,700 m in a meadow of oak and rhododendron; from here a stone path climbs 3.5 km to Tungnath, the highest Shiva temple in the world at 3,680 m. The trail continues to Chandrashila at 4,130 m — a rocky summit with an unbroken view across Nanda Devi, Trishul, Kedarnath, Chaukhamba and Bandarpoonch.

Most trips begin at Deoriatal lake (2,438 m), a half-day detour where the Chaukhamba group reflects in still water at dawn. The full trek — Deoriatal, Chopta, Tungnath, Chandrashila — takes 4 days and asks for no prior high-altitude experience. Snow stays on the Chandrashila ridge from December to March, turning the same trail into a winter snow trek.