Milam Glacier Trek: Height, Route, Distance and Best Time

What the Milam Glacier trek is

Uttarakhand Tourism calls Milam one of the largest glaciers in Kumaon, about 37 sq km, and the source of the Goriganga river. It says the glacier is reached by a moderate to challenging trek of around six days along the river. (uttarakhandtourism.gov.in)

• The Pithoragarh district site puts the glacier at 4,250 m and says Milam village, which gives it its name, is 3 km away. Its glacier table lists Milam with 39.5 sq km of ice in a 212.21 sq km catchment. (pithoragarh.nic.in)
• Heights disagree. The Kumaon division site gives 4,242 m for the glacier and 2,509 m for Bugdiyar, while the district site gives 4,250 m. (kumaon.gov.in)
• Wikipedia, citing a 1992 Swiss 1:150,000 map, puts the snout at about 3,870 m and the top of the glacier at about 5,500 m. It gives a length of 16 km and an area of around 37 sq km, about 15 km north-east of Nanda Devi. (en.wikipedia.org)
• A 2019 satellite study gives the glacier as about 16.2 km long and 52.7 sq km, spanning about 3,634 m to 6,478 m. It found the terminus pulled back about 1,352 m between 1968 and 2017, at about 15 m a year in 2001-2017. (frontiersin.org)
• Grottocenter lists an ice cave in the Milam snout at 3,839 m, at 30.4583, 80.125, citing a 1992 source. The snout has been retreating since at least 1906, so this point is old. (grottomap.org)
• Per Himalayan Dream Treks, the glacier 'zero point' day hike from Milam is 8 km return and reaches 3,960 m; it puts Milam village at 3,433 m and Rilkot at 3,135 m. Trek The Thrills gives Milam about 3,300 m and Outlook Traveller (2015) 3,800 m. (himalayandreamtreks.in)

The route, stage by stage

From Munsiyari the trail goes by Lilam, Bugdiyar, Rilkot and Milam village to Milam Glacier: 59 km one way. The km are the sources' own, each linked; trails shift with landslides and new road, so treat them as close, not exact.

1. Munsiyari to Lilam12 km

   along the Gori river (kumaon.gov.in)

2. Lilam to Bugdiyar13 km

   thick forest, then a steep climb (kumaon.gov.in)

3. Bugdiyar to Rilkot12 km

   (kumaon.gov.in)

4. Rilkot to Milam village17 km

   per Himalayan Dream Treks this day runs via Martoli (kumaon.gov.in)

5. Milam village to Milam Glacier5 km

   Outlook Traveller (2015) gives 4 km to the snout; an operator quoted by Amar Ujala (2026) says about 6 km (kumaon.gov.in)

When to go

Uttarakhand Tourism gives March to June and September to October as the best time for Munsiyari, the base for the trek. (uttarakhandtourism.gov.in)

• In 2024, 742 trekkers had reached Milam by 25 October, when treks closed because of snowfall on the way to Munsiyari. (thenortherngazette.com, 30 Oct 2024)
• Per Himalayan Dream Treks, April to June is the best window; July to early September is not advised because of landslides, floods and slippery trails; mid-September to November is the busiest season; December to March is for experienced mountaineers only. (himalayandreamtreks.in)

Permits and fees

• In October 2023 the ITBP (14th Battalion) told its staff to let tourists, trekkers and mountaineers go up to the Milam Glacier without an Inner Line permit. The district had asked for this on 15 September, citing a 1993 Home Ministry letter. Before that, people without a pass were stopped at Lilam, 12 km from Munsiyari. (traveltradejournal.com, 5 Oct 2023)
• Per Trek The Thrills (2026 update), Indians need a valid government photo ID such as a voter ID or passport at the ITBP checkposts at Bogdiyar and Milam, where IDs are checked. Foreigners need an Inner Line Permit from the SDM office in Munsiyari. (trekthethrills.com)
• Milam Glacier is named on India's list of protected areas between the Inner Line and the border. Non-Indians need a Protected Area Permit, issued by the Home Ministry, state authorities or Indian missions abroad, and must travel in groups of at least two. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Since May 2026 Pithoragarh district requires every trekker and team to register before starting any route, Milam included. Name, address, mobile number, age and Aadhaar number go to the district tourism office by email. If someone treks without notice and something happens, the tour operator is held responsible and faces legal action (District Tourism Development Officer Kirti Chandra Arya). (haldwanilive.com, 22 May 2026)
• Per Himalayan Dream Treks, forest and camping permits need a government ID (Aadhaar, PAN or voter ID). The page says forest entry fees exist but gives no amount; no official fee figure was found. (himalayandreamtreks.in)

How hard it is

• Uttarakhand Tourism rates the trek moderate to challenging. (uttarakhandtourism.gov.in)
• Per Himalayan Dream Treks the trek is difficult: steep gorge sections, narrow mule paths and moraine, 10 to 15 km a day, with acclimatisation advised at Lilam and Bugdiyar. It warns of snow bridges in spring and loose rock on the moraine. (himalayandreamtreks.in)

Where you sleep, food and water

• Per Trek The Thrills, basic homestays and seasonal meals run in Milam in summer, when families come up to the valley. It still advises carrying backup rations, a tent and a sleeping bag. (trekthethrills.com)
• Per Himalayan Dream Treks, Martoli has a few homestays and Milam has many homestays plus an ITBP outpost; its groups camp in tents at Bugdiyar, Rilkot and Milam. (himalayandreamtreks.in)

Getting to the start

The trek starts at Munsiyari. By road it is 124 km from Bageshwar, 125 km from Pithoragarh, 192 km from Almora, 278 km from Kathgodam, 285 km from Haldwani to the start, measured on OpenStreetMap.

• Milam village. The BRO border road from Dhapa near Munsiyari (about 65 km) is now cut all the way to Milam: a jeep first drove through in October 2024 and 2025-2026 news says the road reaches Milam. It is still a rough 4x4 track under widening, and slides and the unbridged Bilju nala close it in the monsoon. On foot, the old start was Lilam. (openstreetmap.org)
• Per Trek The Thrills (2026 update), the road is a rough 4x4 track cut into rock, with narrow, freshly blasted parts near Laspa and Bugdiyar that need high clearance. Ordinary cars cannot use it, and it closes in the monsoon. (trekthethrills.com)
• Per Himalayan Dream Treks, the trail between Mapang and Laspa may be under construction, and walkers should follow instructions from BRO staff. (himalayandreamtreks.in)
• The Kumaon division site gives Pantnagar as the nearest airport (435 km) and Tanakpur as the nearest railhead (331 km). Taxis and buses run from Kathgodam or Tanakpur to Munsiyari. (kumaon.gov.in)
• Per Himalayan Dream Treks, the drive from Munsiyari to the Lilam parking at Seolikote is 18.7 km, about 1 to 2 hours, through landslide zones. This was the walking road head before the road went further. (himalayandreamtreks.in)

The nearest railway station is Tanakpur (275 km by road); the nearest airport, Pithoragarh Airport (124 km). The road to Munsiyari, town by town: from Dehradun, from Lucknow, from Rishikesh, from Bareilly, from Haridwar, from Moradabad, from Tanakpur and from Delhi, Kathgodam and Haldwani.

Stays near the start

• Mount Kailash Homestay, homestay, 0.1 km from the start as the crow flies
• Milam Inn, hotel, 0.2 km from the start as the crow flies
• Pangtey Home Stay, homestay, 0.2 km from the start as the crow flies
• Monal Inn, hotel, 0.2 km from the start as the crow flies
• Hotel Chandra Paradise, hotel, 0.2 km from the start as the crow flies
• Tholing by Panchachuli Earth, homestay, 0.2 km from the start as the crow flies
• Tulsi Homestay, homestay, 0.3 km from the start as the crow flies
• Hotel Mansarovar Inn, hotel, 0.3 km from the start as the crow flies

All 62 stays in Munsiyari, each on the map with the peaks in view and a link to book.

Good to know

• On OpenStreetMap the Milam Glacier outline ends at its lower, south-east tip near 30.4636, 80.1132; the high point coordinates above are that tip. Milam village is mapped at 30.4355, 80.1504. (openstreetmap.org)
• Per Trek The Thrills, Munsiyari is the last place with mobile signal and electricity. Beyond it there is neither, and everything is paid in cash. (trekthethrills.com)
• In 2015 Outlook Traveller advised carrying four days of rations because Milam had a ration shop for restocking, best checked in Munsiyari first. Mules with a keeper were available, and KMVN staff at the Munsiyari tourist complex helped find guides and porters. Beyond the snout the glacier has crevasses. (outlooktraveller.com)

What changed in 2025 and 2026

• On 22 October 2026 NewsX reported a viral video of a Bailey bridge near Dhapa Mod in Munsiyari collapsing under a truck carrying a Poclain machine. It said it was not yet clear whether this was a new event or the similar 2020 collapse on the Milam road. Check locally before relying on it. (newsx.com, 22 Oct 2026)
• On 27 July 2026 a hillside collapse near Bugdiyar blocked the Munsiyari-Milam road all day, cutting off Malla Johar and the army posts. (amarujala.com, 27 Jul 2026)
• A second July 2026 report says the swollen Bilju nala cut off Bilju, Milam, Burphu and Martoli, and stopped villagers on seasonal migration from reaching home. (primeuttarakhand.com, 13 Jul 2026)
• In July 2026 heavy rain swelled the Bilju nala, which crosses the Milam road near Bilju village and has no motor bridge. Vehicles stopped; villagers and soldiers crossed on wooden poles. The BRO has proposed a bridge that is not yet approved; its Munsiyari commander said a site has been found. The stream does this every monsoon. (amarujala.com, 10 Jul 2026)
• In June 2026 Amar Ujala reported that a road of about 65 km from Dhapa to Milam has been built, putting the Johar valley within reach of tourists. A local operator quoted in the report puts the glacier about 6 km from Milam village. (amarujala.com, 28 Jun 2026)
• At the end of May 2026 a pickup going from Laspa to Munsiyari fell 200 to 250 m into a gorge near Rugyabagad. Two people died and one was hurt. Police, ITBP, SDRF and villagers responded. (univarta.com, 1 Jun 2026)
• By December 2025 the BRO had widened km 25 to 37 of the 65.32 km road and finished cutting km 39 to 42. Widening beyond km 42 was due in 2026. Winter snow pauses the work. (amarujala.com, 6 Dec 2025)
• A road now reaches Milam, but the old Milam to Malari trek over Unta Dhura has been closed to tourists since about 1990. Munsiyari operators have asked the Prime Minister to reopen it. (amarujala.com, 9 Jul 2025)
• The BRO reopened the road on 28 June 2025, on the eighth day of the closure. (amarujala.com, 28 Jun 2025)
• On 20 June 2025 boulders blocked the Munsiyari-Milam road between Railgadi and Lilam. The Johar villages beyond it were cut off, including Burfu, Rilkot, Martoli, Pachhu, Ganghar, Laspa, Bilju and Milam, and army vehicles stopped. (amarujala.com, 21 Jun 2025)
• In June 2025 an avalanche damaged the Bailey bridge over the Gaukha river, about 8 km from Milam, cutting the village's link to the border posts. The BRO was told to repair and refit it quickly. (drishtiias.com, 10 Jun 2025)
• In early June 2025 a Bolero carrying 11 people fell about 500 m into the Gori river near Rilkot and Burfu on the Milam road. Six died and four were critically hurt; the ITBP 14th Battalion led the rescue. (garhwalpost.in, 9 Jun 2025)
• In late October 2024 three men drove a Gypsy from Munsiyari to Milam for the first time, in about four hours. Of the roughly 65 km, 24 km was paved and 41 km was not. The BRO had not opened the road to regular traffic, so army and ITBP men still walked. (amarujala.com, 30 Oct 2024)
• In October 2024 the BRO had finished cutting the whole 61 km road from Munsiyari to Milam and blacktopped 24 km, with the other 37 km in progress. Work began in 2010; hard rock at Mapang, Bugdiyar, Laspa and Nahardevi slowed it. (thenortherngazette.com, 30 Oct 2024)