| 🥾 Difficulty: Moderate | 🏔️ Duration: 4 days | 🚶🏻 Age: 10-55 years | 🗺️ Distance: 16km | 🐶 Pet Friendly |
Most Himalayan treks end at a campsite with a sleeping bag. This one ends at a fireplace, a home-cooked Kumaoni meal, and a bed made up with electric blankets. The lodge-to-lodge hike at Nayalap covers 16km across four days. It winds through oak and pine forests, British-era pathways, village fields, and a hidden temple among rocks, connecting four very different boutique stays near Almora and Shitlakhet in the Kumaon Himalayas.
This is slow hiking. Not a race to a summit, but a way to move through a landscape at the pace it deserves.
Hiking Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrive at Nayalap’s Cottage in a Village. Settle in and feast on the scrumptious dinner. Drive distance: 380km | Drive time: 9hrs
- Day 2: Hike to the Luxury Tents. Cross fields, grasslands, villages, and forests along the way. Hike Distance: 9km | Hike time: 4hrs
- Day 3: Check out from the Luxury Tents and trek through the mixed pine and oak forests. Reach the Paathar House and check in. Hike Distance: 3km | Hike time: 2hrs
- Day 4: Hike to the Earth Homes through rock faces and mixed forests. Hike Distance: 4km | Hike time: 2hrs
- Day 5: Check out from Nayalap.
Rs. 38,700 for 2
Inclusions:
- Stay for 1 night at Nayalap – A Cottage in a Village
- Stay for 1 night at Nayalap – Rural Himalayan Glamping
- Stay for 1 night at Nayalap – Paathar House
- Stay for 1 night at Nayalap – Himalayan Earth Homes
- Guided hike and meals as per the itinerary
- Luggage transfer
Photo Gallery
What you’ll see
- The Shitlakhet valley
- Several bird species live in the forests. This can also be a birdwatching hike.
- The villages of Devlikhan, Salla Rautela, Naula, and Dhamas.
- British-Era pathways
- An Exquisite Sunset at Dhamas
Where you’ll stay
The modern cottage is set near a beautiful Kumaoni village. It has a bedroom, a sunny and airy living room, an ensuite bathroom, and a kitchen for you to cook in or for the caretaker to cook for you.
The original, Nayalap’s luxury tents are large and spacious with ensuite bathrooms, a bedroom, and a living cum dining area. The tents are set in an oak forest near a village. The forest attracts a host of finches and the flying squirrel.
Nayalap’s Paathar House is something we have always wanted to build. It’s an old shepherd’s hut that has now been carefully refurbished. Set near a forest, it has a fireplace.
Earth Homes have been designed using inspiration from old Kumaoni homes. Each Home is clad with mud and boasts of insulated mud flooring and a suite with a limewashed bathroom.
What we love about this hike
1. The adventure and the luxury
This 4-night hike combines the thrill of a trek with the creature comforts of 2 great properties.
2. Multiple experiences
A multi-day trek is generally a hike from one place to another. This experience of luxury hiking goes slower and deeper. Have you wanted to stay at one place on the hike for a bit longer to explore the place? This trek gives you an opportunity for that. This means village visits, along with the forest hike.
3. A beautiful mixed forest
This is one of those Lara Croft adventures. There’s a dense forest that you walk through. There are small springs. There’s a large meadow. There’s a hidden temple amongst the rocks. This trek is unlike any other.
Why choose Nayalap
| The Knowledge We’ve been here for more than 7 years. A hike with us is not just a walk from one point to another. It is an education into the nature and culture of the place. | The Responsibility Being in a village, we minimise the amount of waste generated. We are aware of the need for water and the need to generate local employment to prevent Palayan. | The Place The region near Shitlakhet is one of those places out of a fairytale. The forests, the streams, the bushes, and the birds, all make for a magical experience. | The Experience Rated more than 4.5/5 across multiple platforms, the experience of the staff and team working at Nayalap is varied and unmatched, to your surprise. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this hike suitable for children?
Yes. The minimum age is 10. The terrain is varied but manageable, and daily distances are short (3–9km). Luggage is transferred between properties, so children only carry what they need for the walk.
How far is Nayalap from Delhi?
Nayalap is approximately 380km from Delhi. It is around 10 hours by road, or you can take a train to Kathgodam (6 hours) and then a 2-hour cab.
What is the best time of year to do this hike?
October to April is the best time to do this hike. The weather is great during the day, and the snow-capped Himalayas are visible. You can do this trek during summer as well, but you would need to leave early in the cooler mornings.
Is it suitable for international visitors?
Yes. Nayalap regularly hosts guests from Europe and the US. Tanuja and Anindya speak English; transfers can be arranged from Delhi, and the team helps with all logistics. On many occasions, the staff has been able to communicate directly with the guests through Google Translate. Expatriates living in India regularly travel to Nayalap too for short breaks.