How to reach Sankri

From the airport

Jolly Grant Airport (DED), about 25 km from Dehradun city on the Rishikesh side, is the nearest, with several flights a day from Delhi and direct flights from Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other cities. No bus or shared jeep runs from the airport towards Sankri. Either take a taxi from the terminal straight to Sankri, about 205 km and 8 to 9 hours, or take a taxi to Dehradun railway station, about 25 km and 45 minutes to an hour, where the Sankri buses and shared jeeps start. On the current timetable the first daily flight from Delhi lands at around 10 am, which leaves little daylight for the drive, especially in winter, so most trekkers spend a night in Dehradun and set off early. Delhi airport has far more flights; from Delhi an overnight bus or train reaches Dehradun by early morning.

From the railway station

Dehradun (station code DDN), the end of the line from Haridwar, is the nearest railhead, about 190 km from Sankri. The best-timed train is the overnight Nanda Devi AC Express, which leaves Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin at about 11.50 pm and is due in Dehradun at 5.50 am, in time for the 6.30 am and 8 am buses. The Mussoorie Express from Old Delhi is due at about 9 am and the Shatabdi from New Delhi at about 1 pm. Both miss the buses; by taxi you would reach Sankri in the evening from the first and well after dark from the second, so plan a night near the station. Taxis wait outside. If Dehradun trains are full, Haridwar (HW) has many more services and is about 50 km, 1 to 1.5 hours by road, from Dehradun.

By road

Sankri, at about 1,950 m in the Supin valley of Uttarkashi district, is reached only by road, 190 to 200 km from Dehradun; allow 8 to 9 hours by car with stops. Two roads lead from Dehradun to the Yamuna valley. The shorter climbs through Mussoorie and past Kempty Falls; the other, through Vikasnagar and Kalsi on NH507, is 20 to 25 km longer but avoids the Mussoorie climb and its traffic. They meet at Yamuna Bridge.

• Dehradun to Mussoorie: about 35 km, 1 to 1.5 hours of hairpin bends
• Mussoorie to Naugaon via Kempty Falls, Yamuna Bridge, Nainbagh and Damta: about 80 km, 2.5 to 3 hours
• Naugaon to Purola, leaving the Yamuna road: about 15 km, around 30 minutes
• Purola to Mori: about 35 km, 1 to 1.5 hours, over the forested Jarmola ridge (about 1,900 m) and down to the Tons
• Mori to Naitwar: about 11 km, around 30 minutes up the Tons
• Naitwar to Sankri: about 12 km, 30 to 45 minutes

From Mori, the last 22 km or so is narrow and rough in places and runs inside the Govind Pashu Vihar National Park. From late June to September landslides can block the road for hours or days. Heavy snow, mostly from late December to February, can close the Jarmola ridge and the last stretch into Sankri for a day or more.

By bus

Direct buses to Sankri leave Dehradun early every morning from beside the railway station. The private buses start from Gandhi Road near Hotel Grand, a few minutes' walk from the station, at about 5.30 am and 6.30 am, sometimes with a third a little later. The Uttarakhand Roadways bus leaves at about 8 am from the Mussoorie (hill) bus stand right outside the station; the Roadways timetable lists it as the Jakhol service, so ask the conductor to set you down at Sankri. Tickets are sold on board and cannot be booked ahead. Expect 10 to 12 hours with stops. Timings change, so do enquire for the bus the previous evening before heading to the bus stand.

Overnight buses from Delhi arrive at Dehradun's ISBT, about 6 km from the railway station, and no Sankri bus leaves from there. Roadways also runs buses from the hill bus stand to Purola at about 6.30 am and 1.30 pm; only the morning one leaves time to find a shared jeep onward the same day. Returning, the buses leave Sankri between about 5.30 and 8 am.

Local transfers

Buses and shared jeeps stop in Sankri's small market, where the buses turn round. Sankri has no ATM or bank. The last ATM is the SBI machine at Mori, which is not always working, and Purola has more, so bring cash from Dehradun. Mobile signal in Sankri is weak and mostly BSNL; Mori is the last place with steady coverage. Kedarkantha starts on foot from Sankri; for Har Ki Dun the road continues about 11 km to the trailhead at Taluka. The forest department issues Govind Pashu Vihar trek permits at its check-post in Sankri, only to groups with a registered local guide; bring a photocopy of photo ID for each trekker.

Distances from major points

• Dehradun to Sankri: about 200 km (about 190 km via Mussoorie, about 210 km via Vikasnagar)
• Dehradun to Purola: about 130 to 140 km
• Purola to Mori: 35 km
• Mori to Naitwar: 11 km
• Naitwar to Sankri: 12 km

Good to know

From Dehradun, you will get shared jeeps to Purola, which takes about 4 to 5 hours. From there, Mori is the next hub, 35 km away and about 1.5 hours. From Mori, you get the next shared jeep to Naitwar, which is 11 km and takes about 30 minutes. From Naitwar, Sankri is about 12 km and takes 30 to 45 minutes. However, the shared vehicles wait to get filled and it takes a lot of time to fill, sometimes as long as 3 hours. Try to reach Purola by midday, as onward shared jeeps become scarce after that. You may hire a vehicle from Naitwar or Mori to Sankri; agree the fare before you set off. If you are late, hiring a jeep is your only choice for reaching Sankri. Otherwise, you will have to book a hotel and stay the night where you are. If you plan to stay in a hotel, Purola or Mori makes a good choice. Naitwar does not have any proper hotel to stay in. On the next day, you can take a direct bus or a shared jeep to Sankri from either Mori or Purola. The first bus in the morning to Sankri from Purola leaves at 5.30 am and reaches Sankri at 10 am.

Safety

Keep a spare day in hand before your trek starts: the drive is long, and a single landslide or snowbound stretch can cost hours or a whole day. Aim to reach Sankri before dark rather than driving the last stretch at night, and ask about the road ahead at Purola or Mori, where phones work better. On the way back, allow about three hours of buffer and book onward travel from Dehradun for the evening. At about 1,950 m, Sankri itself poses no altitude concern, but winter nights are very cold.

Travel tips

• Plan buffer time for road delays, especially in monsoon and winter.
• Start early for long drives to avoid night stretches on mountain roads.
• Keep offline maps and cash as backup in low-network zones.
• If you are continuing to high altitude areas, acclimatize and hydrate well.