Route library · Weekend · Mountains
Delhi to Kausani
Kausani is a small ridge town in Kumaon at about 1,900 m that Gandhi once called the Switzerland of India. On a clear day it gives a roughly 300-kilometre sweep of the Himalaya — Trishul, Nanda Devi, Panchachuli — with tea gardens on the slopes below and the old stone temples of Baijnath a short ride away.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 800–880 km
- Riding time
- 9–10 hours each way — a long day, best split
- Nights
- One works if you are quick; two is comfortable
- Start point
- Delhi (via Rampur, Kathgodam and Almora)
- Highest point
- About 1,900 m at Kausani
- Difficulty
- Moderate. Long hours on good hill roads, no rough or technical sections.
- Surface
- Good sealed hill road throughout — Kathgodam–Almora–Kausani is one of Kumaon's better-maintained routes
- Best season
- March to June and September to November. Winter is cold and clear; the monsoon brings haze and occasional slips.
The ride
Delhi → Rampur → Kathgodam → Almora, then a short, pretty climb to the Kausani ridge. The riding is straightforward — it is the distance, not the difficulty, that makes this a two-day trip done properly.
At Kausani, walk the tea estate, visit the Anasakti Ashram where Gandhi stayed, and be up early for the panorama. Ride down to the 9th-century Baijnath temple complex on the Gomti, and on to Bageshwar if you have time. Nearby Kausani also makes a good base for a day loop to Someshwar and the Sitla–Mukteshwar side.
Day by day
Delhi to Almora
Delhi → Rampur → Kathgodam → Almora (9–10 hours). Sleep at Almora, or push the last 50 km to Kausani if there is light.
Almora to Kausani, and the ridge
A short ride up to Kausani. Tea estate, Anasakti Ashram, and the Baijnath temples down the valley. Sunset and sunrise for the view.
Kausani to Delhi
Down through Almora and the long highway home. Start at first light to beat the plains heat.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy the whole way — Rampur, Rudrapur, Kathgodam, Almora and a pump near Kausani.
- Bageshwar has fuel if you extend that way.
- Kausani has hotels and homestays across budgets, several with the mountain view built in. Book the view rooms ahead in season.
Road & conditions
Almost the whole route is sealed and in reasonable-to-good condition — this is one of the easier long rides in the library. The plains stretch to Kathgodam is busy and slow; the hill section from Kathgodam is winding but well surfaced. Watch for Kumaon tourist traffic on weekends and the usual monsoon slips if you ride in the wet.
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
Mid-September to November is the clearest, with the sharpest post-monsoon views. March to June is green and pleasant, with rhododendron colour. Winter is cold but often crystal clear. The monsoon is hazy and the views are usually lost behind cloud.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: a warm layer for the ridge evenings, a camera, and enough patience for the long plains leg. Nothing technical needed.
Ride this with a group
We run Kausani as an easy two-night Kumaon weekend — the long day paced and split at Almora, with a riverbank clean-up at Baijnath.