Top 10 Glacier Treks in India, Location, Altitude, Duration, Difficulty Level & FAQ’s

Nature is full of genius, full of divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand.- Henry David Thoreau. 

We have talked about a lot of treks with lush green fields and snow-capped mountains. Now, let us talk about trekking among glaciers. The beautiful accumulation of ice and snow, slowly moving down to the base of the mountain is called a glacier.

The glaciers form a magical landscape for the explorers and adventurers to go and see the pristine white beauty. How satisfying and thrilling it must feel to walk on the snow so clear and so untouched, it almost feels like a soft white blanket. 

So, let us walk through some information on the glacier treks in India.

Glacier Treks To Do In India

1. Gangotri Glacier

The Gangotri is the largest glacier in the Himalayas. This largest glacier in India is surrounded by various mountain ranges. It originates from Chaukhamba Peak, the glacier gives its water to the river Ganga.

The course of water flows tracing the outline of a cow’s mouth and hence this glacier is also called “Gaumukh”. This is one of the most popular glaciers. Bordering China, the glacier trek gives us some amazing views. 

2. Satopanth Glacier

Mainly located in the Chamoli district, this glacier crawls over a distance of 13 km. This glacier is known for its divinity, taking note of its name. Its name as been originated from two words, “Sato” which means truth, and “Panth” which means path or way.

The glacier begins at Mana and traces along the path of the Alakananda River. This glacier trek takes us to the sights of Vasundhara waterfalls. The Sato Panth lake up there, hold beautiful scenery as well. 

Read more: Highest Peaks In The World

3. Drang Drung Glacier

You cant make a list of trekking destinations in India and miss the heaven of Ladakh. The trek freaks surely won’t miss the delightful sights of the glacier trek. This glacier originates from Doda Peak at an elevation of 6550m.

The source river of this glacier is the Stod River, which is a tributary of the Zanskar river. It is believed to be the largest glacier in the Ladakh region. The views of this trek will leave you breathless. 

4. Bandarpunch Glacier

Indians will probably get the pun on the name of this glacier trek. The literal translation means “monkey’s tail”. To grab all the wonders of this beautiful and stunning snow-capped land, we recommend you to visit this place, at least once. This glacier melts and adds water to the rivers Ganga and Yamuna. 

This nature’s wonder lies in the western Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The trek freaks would get gleeful to know that Bandarpunch offers three peaks to scale. Those are Bandarpunch I and II and Kalanag.  

5. Pindari Glacier

This glacier is certainly eye candy for trekkers and adventurers. This glacier feeds the Pindar river and later joins the Alaknanda river. The little mountain streams giggle in the cracks and the roar of the majestic waterfalls with beautiful scenery screams. The final goal of this trek leads us to Zero Point.

While trekking, we pass through the rhododendron forests and also get a touch of Nanda Devi Sanctuary. Located in the Kumaon district, this place has a lot more to offer than the name says. 

6. Milam Glacier

This glacier trek in India offers snow glaciers and also the lush green forest, where trees form a canopy and cling to each other. With stunning views and the calm of nature, trekkers are blessed with two peaks that offer you amazing views.

Mt Trishuli at 7070m and Hardeol at 7151m give you a look at the marvelous nature. The great mix of glacier and forests leave you in awe. Its water gives rise to the Gori Ganga river. Location in the Pithoragarh district, this glacier is truly a beauty. 

7. Bunbuni Glacier

This is a small and completely untouched detour from the famous Kheerganga trek. This trek is comparatively less known in the trekking world and put forwards the magnificent sights of nature.

As you go beyond the Parvati Valley, you are struck by the meadows of green on both sides of this trek. You can trek up to the Kheerganga peak and then go detour for this little wonder of beauty. This trek starts at the Kalga. 

8. Kolahoi Glacier

This hidden paradise in Kashmir is not to be missed by nature enthusiasts. The scenic beauty of this glacier trek in India has located 26km from Palahgam town. It pours its water into two major tributaries of river River Jhelum – Lidder and Sindh.

The journey to this breathtaking glacier starts from the Aru valley and crosses the Lidder Valley. On the way, you’ll be visited by pine trees and meadows filled with colorful flowers, and star-lit skies at the night. 

9. Buddhaban Glacier

This picturesque glacier lies in Himachal Pradesh, near the Kasol district. This glacier is also called the Kutla glacier. At the end of the trail, you will be met with snow-capped mountains and beautiful waterfalls.

This untouched beauty of Himachal stays with you and keeps you mesmerized. The trekkers start their hike from the Tosh village and then upscale the peak.

10. Khatling Glacier

Tehri district marks the residence of this Khatling Glacier. This is the last but no the least destination in our list of Best Glacier Trek destinations in India. This glacier feeds the Bhilangana river.

The glacier is surrounded by the peaks awe-striking peaks like Meru, Barte Kauter, Sphetic Pristwar, and the peaks of Jogin Group. Ghuttu is the starting point of this trek and touches upon areas like Dehradun, Rishikesh, Mussoorie, and Tehri.

Conclusion

Our list ends here and your planning for these Glacier treks begins now. These destinations will never fail to leave you in the mesmerizing trance of white beauty and you will keep wanting to see more landscapes and peaks like these. We would love to hear your stories and your experiences. And if we’ve missed something, please let us know in the comment box.

Read more: Highest Peaks In India

Frequently Asked Questions for Glacier Treks in India