Lohajung is one of the famous adventure hubs of Uttarakhand, the Garhwal region. It serves as the base village for unique treks like RoopKund, Ali & Bedni Bugyal, and Brahmatal. Placed at the height of 2300 Mts, this small village has beautiful scenic views and rich culture.
In this article, we will be looking at different ways in which one can reach Lohajung.
The key routes to Lohajung are via Dehradun and Kathgodam.
Reaching Lohajung via Dehradun
At a distance of 300 km, Dehradun is the nearest big city to Lohajung. It’s the perfect place with all the conveniences like airport, railway station and accommodations. It is commonly advised to reach Dehradun the previous night and rest. That way, you can have a fresh and early start for Lohajung the next day.
Reaching Dehradun
1. Direct flight to the Jolly Grant Airport
The flight is the fastest way to reach Dehradun. From the Airport, There is no transportation available to Lohajung. The best option is to head to the railway station or ISBT bus terminus located in the city.
From the airport, the railway station is 28 km away, and the ISBT bus terminus is 31 km away. It can be reached by a shared cab or a private taxi. The private taxis are available inside the airport premises while the shared cabs can be found on the highway running close to the airport.
2. Take a flight to Delhi and reach Dehradun by bus or train
Plenty of Volvo and normal buses to Dehradun are available from Kashmere Gate, ISBT Bus Terminus in Delhi. The price ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 750. It takes a total of 6-7 hours to reach Dehradun. Please note that no means of transportation goes till Lohajung from the Bus Stand of Dehradun. You will have to take a cab or a local bus to the Dehradun railway station, which is 6 km away.
If you prefer travelling by train, there is one train that leaves for Dehradun in the daytime from the New Delhi Railway Station. It is the JAN SHATABDI Express. It starts at 3:20 PM and takes 7 hours to reach the Dehradun railway station. The ticket price for this train is around 500 rupees.
In the evening, there are two trains. One is the Mussoorie express which starts at 9:30 PM (9 hours), and the other is the Nanda Devi express which starts at 11:50 PM (6 hours).
Reaching Lohajung from Dehradun
1. By Bus
- There are no direct buses to Lohajung from Dehradun.
- There are multiple pit stops involved: the following is the route we recommend.
Dehradun ->Rishikesh ->KarnaPrayag ->Lohajung
1. Dehradun to Rishikesh
Total distance: 43 km
From ISBT bus terminus, there are government buses that leave every hour. The buses are available from 6 AM to 11 PM. The fare is around INR 100- 200.
2. Rishikesh to Lohajung
Distance: 258 km
Option 1: Rishikesh ->Lohajung
There is just one direct bus from Rishikesh, which starts at 5 AM. It takes around 10 hours and 258 km to reach Lohajung by this option. We recommend you avoid this because there are too many halts on the way and the bus does not reach on time. (Fare – around INR 500)
Option 2: Rishikesh –>Karnaprayag –>Deval –>Lohajung
The second option is to take a bus to Karnaprayag. From the Rishikesh ISBT bus stop, there is a single bus that starts at 4: 15 AM and reaches Karnaprayag in 6 hours. (Fare - INR 300 per person)
From Karnaprayag, there are many shared cabs available to Deval.
From Deval, you can get another cab and reach Lohajung by evening. (Fare: INR 200 per person)
2. Shared taxi to Lohajung
- For Lohajung, there is no particular place where you can find private cabs in a junction or a depot. You will have to get in touch with a private travel company and arrange your booking.
- If you are in a group, you can consider hiring private cabs from the airport. It costs around INR 10k.
- Dehradun also has Ola and Uber services. You can take them to Rishikesh and get another local cab from there.
Reaching Lohajung via Kathgodam
Kathgodam is the timber base for Uttarakhand. It is an extension of the Haldwani city in the Nainital district. At a distance of 216 km from Lohajung, it is well connected by road and rail. Because of its accessibility, it is considered to be one of the important towns of the Kumaon region.
Reaching Kathgodam
1. Train from Delhi
There are 2 direct trains that leave to Kathgodam from the Delhi Railway Station.
NDLS KGM SHT – 6:20 AM – 11:20 AM – 5 hours 20 mins – (CC – Rs 630, EC – Rs 1145)
RANIKETH SPL – 8:20 PM – 4:55 AM – 8 hours 35 mins – (SL – 205 Rs)
3. Bus from Delhi
There are a lot of buses available to Kathgodam from Delhi AnandVihar, ISBT bus stand. The journey takes 8 hours, and the fare may wary from INR 500 to INR 1000 according to the type of bus. Most of the buses will stop at the Haldwani bus terminus. From there, Kathgodam railway station is 4 km away. You can reach there by talking a local cab from the bus terminus.
Kathgodam to Lohajung
- There are no direct buses to Lohajung from Kathgodam.
- There are shared taxis available to Lohajung from Kathgodam. The drive is 216 km long, takes close to 8 hours and costs around INR 800 per person. But they are available only for a short span in the morning from 7 AM – 8 AM.
- The second-best option is to break your journey at Deval before 4 PM while travelling from Kathgodam. After 4 PM, it’s difficult to find any means of transport. The shared cab charges around INR 600. It may change according to the occupancy and vehicle type. (6-hour drive)
- From Deval, you can get another cab and reach Lohajung by evening. (Fare: Around INR 200 per person)
Note - All the rates and timings mentioned in this document are approximate and noted according to the local research. Because of the travel restrictions and other circumstantial factors, these factors are likely to change.
Shared Cab arranged by Bikat Adventures.
We also arrange shared cabs directly to Lohajung for trekkers. These cabs start at the ISBT stop of Dehradun at 6:30 AM. You can choose both pick up and drop options in the add-ons section on the itinerary page of your trek.
We hope this answers all your questions about travelling to the famous base village of Lohajung. In case you have any other queries, please drop a comment below. Our team will get back to you.
