Route library · Outstation · Mountains
Delhi to Champawat
Champawat was the capital of the Chand dynasty before Almora, and still carries the stone temples to prove it, at about 1,615 m on a ridge close to the Nepal border. It sits well off the usual Kumaon circuit, quiet even in season, with the Vivekananda ashram at nearby Mayawati as an easy, forested add-on.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 800–860 km
- Riding time
- 10–11 hours each way
- Nights
- Two nights lets you also see Mayawati and Lohaghat without rushing
- Start point
- Delhi (via Kathgodam and Tanakpur)
- Highest point
- About 1,615 m at Champawat
- Difficulty
- Moderate. Long distance but straightforward hill roads once past Tanakpur — nothing technical.
- Surface
- Good sealed road throughout, including the Tanakpur–Champawat climb
- Best season
- October to June. Winter is cold and clear; spring is pleasant; the monsoon brings haze and occasional slips.
The ride
Delhi → Rampur → Kathgodam → Tanakpur → Champawat, a long day that trades the busier Almora–Pithoragarh road for the quieter eastern approach along the Sharda-river side of Kumaon. Traffic thins out noticeably past Tanakpur.
Champawat's old town has the 10th-century Baleshwar temple complex and a scatter of smaller shrines, all Chand-dynasty stonework that predates the more famous Kumaon hill stations. A short ride to Mayawati, where Swami Vivekananda's ashram sits in deodar forest, and on to Lohaghat, makes for an easy, uncrowded second day.
Day by day
Delhi to Champawat
Delhi → Kathgodam → Tanakpur → Champawat (10–11 hours) — a long first day; consider splitting at Tanakpur if the group is not in a hurry.
Champawat, Mayawati and Lohaghat
Walk the Baleshwar temple complex, then ride to Mayawati ashram and Lohaghat. A genuinely quiet day with almost no other tourist traffic.
Champawat to Delhi
Back through Tanakpur and Kathgodam to the plains. Start early for the long haul home.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy to Tanakpur — Rampur, Rudrapur, Kathgodam and Tanakpur all have pumps.
- Champawat and Lohaghat both have small pumps; top up whenever you see one on this quieter stretch.
- Champawat has basic guesthouses and a KMVN property; options are limited compared to the busier Kumaon towns, so book ahead.
Road & conditions
Sealed and generally in good condition, with the Tanakpur–Champawat climb winding but well maintained. This route sees far less tourist traffic than the Almora or Nainital roads, which makes it a genuinely relaxed ride once past the Tanakpur bottleneck — but also means fewer services if something goes wrong, so plan fuel and rest stops with a little more margin.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Fine on a well-maintained 150–200cc commuter.
- Fuel gap
- Longest dry stretch is short — a normal tank covers it with margin.
- Spare fuel
- None needed for this route.
- Emergency & logistics
- The nearest well-equipped hospital is the valley/district town, one to two hours off; signal is patchy above the bazaar; carry the group lead's number and an emergency card.
Best time to ride
October to June is good. Post-monsoon (October–November) is clearest; spring is mild and green. Winter is cold with occasional light frost but usually clear. The monsoon brings haze and the odd landslide on the approach road.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: nothing special — this is a straightforward ride, just a long one.
Ride this with a group
We run Champawat as a two-night outstation trip for riders who want Kumaon without the Nainital-road crowds.