Route library · Outstation · Mountains

Delhi to Joshimath & Auli

Auli is a run of open meadows above Joshimath at about 2,900 m, best known for its winter ski slope and for one of the cleanest road-accessible views of Nanda Devi, India's second-highest peak. Getting there means riding the full length of the Alaknanda through all five of the Panch Prayag river confluences, then a steep 12 km climb from Joshimath.

Outstation Mountains Challenging ~1,100 km round trip 3–4 days Best Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

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At a glance

Round trip
About 1,050–1,150 km
Riding days
3–4. Two long days up (split at Rudraprayag or Karnaprayag), a day at Auli, two back
Nights
Nights on the road: 3–4
Start point
Delhi (via Haridwar, Rishikesh and Devprayag)
Highest point
About 2,900 m at the top of the Auli meadow; 3,050 m if you walk to Gorson
Difficulty
Challenging. Sealed throughout but a long, busy, landslide-prone Char Dham road and a steep final climb.
Surface
Rishikesh–Joshimath is Char Dham highway under constant widening — good tar in stretches, broken and dusty in others; Joshimath–Auli is a narrow, steep, patchy 12 km hill road
Best season
April to June and mid-September to November. Winter (Dec–Mar) is ski season but the road can hold snow and ice above Joshimath. Monsoon (Jul–Aug) is the worst time — this stretch has a serious landslide record.
DelhiDelhiRishikeshRishikeshRudraprayagRudraprayagKarnaprayagKarnaprayagJoshimathJoshimathAuliAuli~1,100 km · 3–4 days
Schematic route diagram — not to scale. Distances and heights are indicative.

The ride

Delhi → Haridwar → Rishikesh, then the Char Dham road up the Alaknanda through Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag and Karnaprayag — the river confluences give the route its name. Past Chamoli and Pipalkoti the valley narrows and climbs steeply to Joshimath at about 1,875 m, the winter seat of the Badrinath deity and the staging town for the whole upper valley.

From Joshimath a 12 km road switchbacks up to Auli. Ride to the top meadow, walk out towards Gorson Bugyal for the wider Nanda Devi and Dronagiri view, and take the ropeway or ride down. Badrinath and the Mana valley are a further day up the road if the season and your legs allow.

Day by day

  1. Delhi to Rudraprayag

    The first long Char Dham day: Delhi → Haridwar → Rishikesh → Devprayag → Srinagar → Rudraprayag (9–10 hours). Sleep at Rudraprayag or push the extra hour to Karnaprayag.

  2. Rudraprayag to Joshimath

    The scenic climb: Karnaprayag → Chamoli → Pipalkoti → Joshimath (5–6 hours, slow). Fuel at Chamoli. Arrive with daylight and settle in at ~1,875 m.

  3. Joshimath and Auli

    Ride up to Auli early, walk towards Gorson Bugyal for the full Nanda Devi view, and spend the afternoon on the meadow. Rest for altitude.

  4. Joshimath to Rudraprayag / Rishikesh

    Start back down while the road is quiet. Overnight at Rudraprayag or push to Rishikesh.

  5. Back to Delhi

    The last highway leg home. Leave at first light.

Fuel & services

  • Fuel is easy to Rishikesh and along the highway to Srinagar, Rudraprayag and Karnaprayag.
  • Chamoli has the last dependable pump before Joshimath. Joshimath's pump exists but can run dry in season — fill at Chamoli, and top up in Joshimath for the Auli climb and any Badrinath side trip.
  • Joshimath has GMVN and plenty of private hotels; Auli has a few resorts and the GMVN huts. Book ahead in ski season and during the Char Dham rush. Carry cash — ATMs are unreliable.

Road & conditions

This is one of the busiest pilgrim corridors in the country and it is being widened end to end, so expect long single-lane diversions, loose blasted rock, dust and stopped trucks. The Joshimath–Auli road is steep, narrow and broken in places. Ride the whole route in daylight, keep well back from buses on the hairpins, and never stop under a fresh cut slope.

Bike, fuel & getting help

Suggested bike
Easier with more torque and travel — a 250cc-plus or a small ADV. A confident rider can do it on a commuter.
Fuel gap
Longest dry stretch is short — a normal tank covers it with margin.
Spare fuel
None needed for this route.
Emergency & logistics
District hospital at Joshimath, 30 minutes from Auli; the Char Dham highway is busy with pilgrim buses; signal is fine in Joshimath, patchy above.
Altitude & acclimatisation ~2,900 m highest point. Gentle — the climb is spread over enough time that most riders adjust without trouble. Still: hydrate, skip alcohol, sleep low where you can. The day-by-day shows where you sleep each night.

Best time to ride

Late April to June is green and mild with the meadow in flower. Mid-September to November gives the sharpest post-monsoon views of Nanda Devi. Winter is the ski window but the road above Joshimath can be iced. Do not ride this route in July or August.

What to add to your kit

Beyond the standard ride kit: warm and windproof layers (Auli is cold once the sun drops, even in summer), walking shoes for the Gorson meadow, a fuel top-up habit, cash for several days, and something for a mild altitude headache. Carry ID and vehicle papers for the checkposts.

Joshimath is a town under stress — ride and spend with that in mind. Since the 2023 land subsidence, parts of Joshimath have cracked and some buildings are unsafe or abandoned. Book a hotel that is open and structurally sound, do not treat the damage as a sightseeing stop, follow any local movement or parking restrictions, and check the current road and town status before you commit to the trip.
The ROAR service stop on this route. The Auli meadow and the Gorson trail collect a heavy load of plastic, bottles and food packaging through both the summer and ski seasons. We run a carry-down clean-up across the meadow and the trailhead and take the waste back to Joshimath for disposal.

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Ride this with a group

We run Auli as a four-day group ride — the Char Dham road paced and ridden in daylight, fuel planned around Chamoli, current Joshimath conditions checked in advance, and a meadow clean-up at the top.

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