Sunderdhunga Trek: Height, Route, Distance and Best Time

What the Sunderdhunga trek is

From Khati the left trail runs 8 km to Jatoli and then about 22 km through forest and meadows to the Sunderdhunga valley, which starts at about 3,260 m. The name is read as 'valley of beautiful stones'. The valley holds two glaciers, Maiktoli and Sukhram, under Tharkot (6,100 m), Mrigthuni (6,856 m) and Panwali Dwar (6,663 m). (kumaon.gov.in)

• Uttarakhand Tourism lists the route as Bageshwar, Saung, Loharkhet, Khati, Jatoli, Kathalaya and Sunderdhunga (via Dudhia Dhaung), 52 km, 8 days, maximum altitude about 4,320 m. (uttarakhandtourism.gov.in)
• Per Himalayan High, the trek's top altitude is 3,900 m, well below the 4,320 m that Uttarakhand Tourism lists. (himalayanhigh.in)
• Per Himalaya Shelter, the maximum altitude is 4,320 m, though its day plan tops out at 13,200 ft at the Sunderdhunga view point; Kathaliya camp is 10,660 ft and Jatoli 8,036 ft. (himalayashelter.com)

The route, stage by stage

From Kharkiya the trail goes by Khati and Jatoli, and on to Maiktoli Top. The km are the sources' own, each linked; trails shift with landslides and new road, so treat them as close, not exact.

1. Kharkiya to Khati5 km

   Shared with Pindari (KMVN figure from its Pindari package; the Sunderdhunga package gives no distance for this leg). (kmvn.in)

2. Khati to Jatoli8 km

   The trail turns left at Khati; kumaon.gov.in and Himalaya Shelter also say 8 km. (kmvn.in)

3. Jatoli to Kathalia14 km

   Himalaya Shelter says 13 km; no villages after Jatoli. Same leg on the way back. (kmvn.in)

4. Kathalia to Sunderdhunga (Baluni Top) and back to Kathalia8 km

   KMVN's 4 + 4 km day trip; its package goes no higher. (kmvn.in)

5. Kathaliya to Sukhram Cave and Sunderdhunga view point, back to Kathaliya10 km

   Per Himalaya Shelter; climbs to about 12,500 ft at the cave and 13,200 ft at the view point. (himalayashelter.com)

6. Kathaliya to Maiktoli Top and back to Kathaliya8 km

   Per Himalaya Shelter; about 4 km up to 12,628 ft. (himalayashelter.com)

7. Dhakuri to Jatoli (via Khati)16 km

   Song route only: KMVN walks Song to Loharkhet (4 km), Loharkhet to Dhakuri (8 km), then Dhakuri to Khati (8 km) and Khati to Jatoli (8 km) on this day. (kmvn.in)

When to go

Uttarakhand Tourism gives the ideal months as May, June, September and October. (uttarakhandtourism.gov.in)

• Sunderdhunga shares the monsoon ban from 15 June to 15 September; the 2026 autumn season reopened on 16 September. (amarujala.com, 19 Sept 2026)

Permits and fees

• Registration is at the Hichaudi and Jaikuni forest centres, the same as for Pindari and Kafni; no one may enter the glacier zone without it. (amarujala.com, 17 Jun 2026)

How hard it is

• Uttarakhand Tourism rates it moderate to challenging. (uttarakhandtourism.gov.in)
• The district site grades Sunderdhunga 3B, the same as Pindari and Kafni. (bageshwar.nic.in)
• Per Himalaya Shelter, the long Jatoli to Kathaliya day is moderate to difficult with some steep climbs and no villages after Jatoli. (himalayashelter.com)

Where you sleep, food and water

• KMVN runs a Sunderdhunga package from Kharkia with night halts at Khati, Jatoli and Kathalia (meals at Kathalia as per camp arrangement). Price shown: Rs 10,480 per person; a batch runs only with at least 15 trekkers. (kmvn.in)
• KMVN's Song package for Sunderdhunga adds night halts at Loharkhet and Dhakuri and is priced at Rs 10,952 per person. (kmvn.in)
• OpenStreetMap marks a KMVN guest house at Jatoli. (openstreetmap.org)
• Per Himalaya Shelter, the Jatoli to Kathaliya trail passes many small waterfalls. (himalayashelter.com)

Getting to the start

The trek starts at Kharkiya. By road it is 64 km from Bageshwar, 132 km from Almora, 139 km from Munsiyari, 168 km from Pithoragarh, 217 km from Kathgodam to the start, measured on OpenStreetMap.

• Kharkiya (Kharkia). KMVN's Sunderdhunga package from Khati names 'Kharkia (Road head)'; its second package starts from Song (road head) and walks via Loharkhet and Dhakuri. Himalayan High also notes the newer jeep road to Kharkiya skips the Dhakuri camp and saves a day. (kmvn.in)
• Nearest railway station is Kathgodam (219 km) and airport Pantnagar (259 km); taxis or buses go to Loharkhet. (kumaon.gov.in)

The nearest railway station is Kathgodam (218 km by road); the nearest airport, Pithoragarh Airport (167 km).

Good to know

• Per Himalaya Shelter, Maiktoli Top is 12,628 ft (about 3,849 m). Coordinates are the OpenStreetMap 'Maiktoli Basecamp' node. Uttarakhand Tourism gives the trek's maximum altitude as about 4,320 m without naming the spot; see facts. (openstreetmap.org)
• OpenStreetMap marks Sukh Ram Cave at 30.21515, 79.88229, west of Kathalia. (openstreetmap.org)
• Per Himalayan High, BSNL works only as far as Khati and Ritang. (himalayanhigh.in)
• In Oct 2021 five trekkers from West Bengal died in heavy snow near Devi Kund in the Sunderdhunga area while on the Kanakata pass route; a 13-member SDRF and village team found the bodies under snow and IAF helicopters flew them to Kapkot. Their local helper, Khilap Singh, went missing. (dreamwanderlust.com, 26 Oct 2021)
• Villagers found guide Khilap Singh's body near Devikund about nine months later, in July 2022. (chanakyamantra.com, 18 Jul 2022)

What changed in 2025 and 2026

• The district administration has ordered a technical survey of the Sunderdhunga and Kafni routes, with a plan of safety and access works. (univarta.com, 20 Oct 2026)
• The Sunderdhunga route was closed with Pindari and Kafni for three days of snow in late Sep 2026 and reopened on 29 Sep. (amarujala.com, 30 Sept 2026)
• Numbers keep falling: only 100 trekkers went to Sunderdhunga in the spring 2026 season, and the report links this to fear after the storm that killed five Bengal trekkers and a local guide. (amarujala.com, 17 Jun 2026)