Chopta,Uttrakhand india

Chopta is a picturesque hill-station located in the Garhwal region. It lies at an altitude of about 2,900 above sea level at a distance of about 40 kilometers from Gopeshwar. Perched on Gopeshwar-Ukhimath road, Chopta offers a kaleidoscopic view of the Himalayas and the surrounding areas and is

also known as “Mini Switzerland’. This beautiful place is decorated with alpine vegetation, orchids, and many high altitude vegetations. Chopta is an untouched destination but is now becoming popular amongst the tourist.

Night Out Chopta has a few restaurants that serve simple but delicious food.

Activities Chopta is a trekker’s paradise. Chopta trekking on the Himalayan ranges of India offers a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains and deep wooded valleys. Himalayan trekking in Kanchula is also an experience itself.

Sights This tiny hill station is enriched with some beautiful tourist attractions such as Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Tungnath Shiv Temple, Gopeshwar, Kanchula Korak Musk deer sanctuary and Ukhimath. Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary is home to animals like the leopard, Himalayan bear, musk deer, muntjac, or the barking deer, ghoral, or mountain goat, bharal, or blue sheep, Himalayan fox, flying squirrel, khaleej and monaal pheasant and a number of Himalayan birds and flowers. Chopta is also the road head to the ancient temple of Tungnath (3886m), one of the Panch Kedar (five abodes of Shiva). Tungnath is believed to be the place where the arms of Lord Shiva, who was disguised as a bull, appeared once the bull had dug himself into the earth after being chased by Bhima (one of the five Pandavas). The hump of the Bull remained at Kedarnath, the face appeared at Rudranath. Kalpeshwar is where the locks of hair surfaced and the Naval emerged at Madhmaheshwar. The horns of the bull, however, appeared at Pashupatinath at Kathmandu, in Nepal. Gopeshwar (1300 m) is the district headquarters of Chamoli district. Chopta is 40 km from here. It is also the last big market on this route. Mandal is a beautiful small village 13km from Gopeshwar, again a trekking Himalayan destination. It has a few wooden hut restaurants that serve simple but delicious food and is also the last point one could reach using a vehicle in winter. The trek to Chopta through the snow starts from Mandal and charts its course via Kanchula Kharak. This is an 8km shortcut through the jungle. However, Kanchula Kharak is 19km from Mandal by road. Kanchula Kharak is an isolated place where electricity is still scarce. Since there are no eating joints at Kanchula Kharak, it is advisable to get food packed from Gopeshwar. The trek to Chopta from Kanchula Kharak is 8km. Ukhimath (31 kms) is the winter seat of Lord Kedarnath during the winters when the temple of Kedarnath remains closed. The temples of Usha and Anirudh, Shiva and Parvati are worth a visit.

How to get there by Air Nearest airport is Jolly Grant, 226 kms.

How to get there by Rail Nearest railhead is Rishikesh, 209 kms.

How to get there by Bus State transport buses ply frequently from Rishikesh and other neighbouring towns. Private jeeps are also a good and fast means of transport.

Best time to Visit Chopta is all year round destination with pleasant summers and cold winters. The best time to visit Chopta is in the months from May to November.

Hotels in Uttrakhand Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) and private lodges are available for stay at Chopta at affordable rates. There are many Dharamshalas available in Chopta. Chopta Hotels are known for their pristine environment and warm reception. Awas Griha, Nanda Devi Paryatak and Tourist Rest House are among the most popular hotels in Chopta. These Chopta hotels have cordial staff, which takes care of the needs of the guests. You should negotiate for the rates though, than you will get the best prices.

Nearby Places

Tungnath temple, Devariya Taal, Gopeshwar, Ukhimath, Kanchula and Korak Musk Deer Sanctuary are some of the nearby places that are a must visit: