Rudrapur to Pithoragarh: Distance, Route and How to Reach

The road from Rudrapur to Pithoragarh, town by town

The road climbs from about 210 m at Rudrapur to 1,645 m at Pithoragarh; the climb begins at Kathgodam, 43 km out, and the last 178 km are mountain road. The highest point on the way is Dhanachuli, at about 2,190 m.

By bus or shared taxi

Shared taxis and taxis

• In June 2026 the Kumaon taxi union (Mahasangh Taxi Union Kumaon Mandal) agreed to add Rs 10 per 20 km to taxi fares, and Rs 500 per passenger on long routes such as Delhi and Dehradun, citing fuel prices and no revision since 2022. A new fare list was promised but no route fares were given. (amarujala.com, 5 Jun 2026)

Bus times and fares change with the season: check with the operator on the day.

Good to know on this road

• The Tanakpur road and the Almora road meet at Ghat: UTC stop lists show both the Tanakpur route buses and the Haldwani, Almora and Danya buses passing Ghat, then Dakura, Gurna and Jameerkhet into Pithoragarh. So the Ghat to Pithoragarh stretch is shared by both routes. (utconline.uk.gov.in)
• The Airports Authority of India lists Naini Saini aerodrome 5 km from Pithoragarh city, with taxis and public transport available between the two. (aim-india.aai.aero)
• The district site gives Tanakpur as the nearest railhead, about 138 km away, with buses and taxis outside the station. It lists Pantnagar airport at about 241 km and Delhi at 457 km by road. (pithoragarh.nic.in)
• As reported on 19 Sep 2026, the district administration stopped traffic between Ghat and Pithoragarh from 6 PM to 6 AM, until further orders, because the hillside near Ghat Band keeps collapsing. The report counts four danger zones on the roughly 30 km from Ghat to Pithoragarh, including Ghat Band, Kot Ghat and Munna Band. (amarujala.com, 19 Sept 2026)
• Falling boulders at Ghat Band kept stopping traffic from 24 Sep 2026, and rain closed the road fully from the evening of 25 Sep; it reopened about 3 PM on Sunday 27 Sep after roughly 44 hours. Petrol pumps in town ran dry and trucks and passenger vehicles were stuck on both sides. (amarujala.com, 27 Sept 2026)
• In early Sep 2026 road closures made the Pithoragarh depot suspend one service each on the Delhi and Dehradun routes, along with the Jhulaghat route, and passengers paid more for taxis. (amarujala.com, 4 Sept 2026)

Staying at Pithoragarh

38 places to stay in Pithoragarh, each on the map with the peaks in view and a link to book. Before you pack: Pithoragarh weather, every month on 30 years of data.