Tourists have known Pithoragarh as the 'Mini Kashmir' or 'Little Kashmir' owning to its beautiful valleys and snow peaked Himalayas dotted with small hamlets, Lush green meadows, cascading perennial Rivers, waterfalls like Lim Birthi Fall, Bagudiyar Fall, Garaun Fall and Pilsitti Fall, springs, diverse flora and fauna and Glaciers that make it an excellent haven for Trekkers and Nature Lovers. Set on the Soar Valley which means 'Cool' Valley, it is a small town that gets its name from the Rajputs who made it the Capital town of Prithvi Raj Chauhan who was also popularly known as 'Rai Pithora'. Set at an altitude of 1651 mts above sea level and 188 km from Nainital, it is flanked by the Tibet Plateaus on the north and Nepal on the east. It is well connected by road and the nearest airport is Naina Sani just 5 km away.
Pithoragarh is also a famous Pilgrimage Trek route for devotees who hike through Lipu-Lekh Pass of this town to the sacred Mansarovar Lake and Om Parbat and hence also forms the Gateway to the Himalayan ranges from the north. It homes many Temples like the Kapileshwar Mahadev cave Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva situated about 3 km away, Ancient Thal Kedar Shiva Temple surrounded by scenic splendour situated 16 km away, Nakuleshwara Temple built by 2 of the Pandavas, Nakula and Sahadeva located nearby and the remains of Pithoragarh fort built in 1789 by the Gorkhas and presently converted to a school for girls.
Chandak is a beautiful town elevated at 1830 mts and 7 km from Pithoragarh from where you get a panoramic and breathtaking view of the 'Soar' or 'Swar' Valley. Legend has that Goddess Durga had killed a demon named 'Chandghat' at this very place. Thal Valley that lies on the banks of RamGanga River has main tourist attractions like an ancient Lord Shiva Temple and 'Ek Hathiya Devalaya' which is a temple carved out of one stone overnight by an artisan. Less than a km from the main market is Gaucher town that lie enroute to Kailash-Mansarovar trek and Hajeti are perfect places to absorb the beauty of the Thal Valley.
Since Pithoragarh is set in a valley, it enjoys 4 seasons including a warm and pleasant climate in summer from March to June and cool winters from December to March. Many trek routes can lead you to numerous Glaciers set around this town which is also known as 'Gal' in the local language. To name a few important ones are the famous Milam and Namik Glaciers, Ralam, Meola, Sona, Panchchuli, Balati, Shipu, Rula, Kalabaland, Lawan, Bamlas, Baldimga, Terahar, Poting, Talkot, Sankalpa, Lassar, Dhauli, Baling Golfu, Sobla Tejam, Kali, Kuti, Yangti Basin and many more are all Glaciers belonging to this district.
You get a wide and close panoramic view of the ice capped Himalayan Peaks like Nanda Devi, Hardeol and Trishuli are all set above 7,000 mts. Rishi Pahar, Nanda Kot, Chiring We, Rajrambha, Chaudhara, Sangthang, Panchchuli, Nagalaphu, Sujtilla west, Sujtilla east, Bamba Dhura, Burphu Dhura, Changuch, Nanda Gond, Nanda Pal, Suli Top, Kuchela, Nital Thaur, Kalganga Dhura, Jonglingkong, Lalla We, Kalabaland Dhura, Telkot, Bainti, Ikualari, Nagling and Menaka are all Peaks elevated above 6,000 mts and Finally Trigal, Yungtangto, Sankalp, Laspa Dhura, Sahdev, Ralam Dhura, Gilding, Shivu, Tihutia, Draupadi, Rambha Kot and Panchali Chuli are Peaks set above 5,000 mts.
Pithoragarh is also known for its International Passes to Tibet namely, Lampiya Dhura pass, Lipu-Lekh pass, Lowe Dhura pass, Mangshya Dhura pass and Nuwe Dhura pass all set above 5,000 mts. Other Intra-District Passes are the Kungri Bhingri La pass, Nama pass, Sinla pass, Ralam pass, Keo Dhura pass, Belcha Dhura pass, Kalganga Dhura pass, Traills pass, Gangchal Dhura pass, Birejrang Dhura pass, Ghatmila Dhura pass, Unta Dhura pass, Yangkchar Dhura pass, Rur Khan pass, Bainti Col pass and Longstaff Col pass.
Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary located in Askot near Didihat about 55 km from Pithoragarh is inhabited with wild animals like leopards, deer, bears and many varieties of Birds set at a height of 5412 ft above sea level and best visited from April to September.
Dharchula is a lovely valley about 90 km from Pithoragarh was also once a famous ancient Trade route situated on the banks of Kali River and enroute to the Mansarovar-Kailash Pilgrim tour. It is literally split between India and Nepal and is known as 'Darchula' in Nepal.
Didihat is a picturesque scenic town situated 54 km from Pithoragarh and famous for the ancient temple of Shitakot and Lord Malaynath built by the Reka Kings and 10 km from here is the beautiful Narayan Ashram elevated at 2734 mts above sea level and surrounded with beautiful wild flowers, rare fruits and waterfalls established in 1936 by Shri Narayan Swami at Sausa village near Pangu and 10 km from Didihat enroute to Lipu-Lekh pass. This Ashram conducts socio-spiritual sessions for visitors who need to book these sessions in advance without which you will only be able to visit this Ashram as a tourist but not attend these sessions. The Kali River named after Goddess Kali originates from Kalapaani set at a height of 3600 mts near Lipu-Lekh pass where a Kali Temple was built.
The Kailash-Mansarovar Tour is another well known pilgrim centre. The Lake is perched at a height of 4556 mts above sea level at the foothills of Kailash and covers a total area of 320 Sq. Km and 88 km in diameter and 90 mts deep making it the highest freshwater Lake in the World. It freezes during winters hence; the best time to travel here is during summers and springs when the ice water has melted completely allowing for spiritual and ceremonial bathing. Om Parbat also known as 'Chhota Kailash', 'Adi Kailash', 'Jonglingkong Peak', 'Baba Kailash' is an ancient sacred Hindu mountain near Sinla Pass. The snow deposition here forms the impression of a huge 'OM' or '
' sign and also is clearly seen when the snow begins to melt and hence is considered very holy. Beside is the beautiful 'Parvati' or 'Jonglingkong' Lake that is pure blue reflecting the beautiful mountain and crystal clear.
Gangolihat is a sacred place about 78 km from Pithoragarh and known for its 'Shakti Peeths' of Goddess Kali's Haat Kalika and few Temples dedicated to Goddesses. One of them is the Vaishnavi Temple set atop 'Shail Parbat'. Close by is Patal Bhuwaneshwar, Shaileshwar cave, Mukteshwar cave and the recently discovered Bholeshwar cave are all underground caves which are the main tourist attractions of this town. You can also travel to Chaukori famous for tea gardens and orchards, Berinag filled with ancient temples, cave temples and waterfalls and Chhipla Kedar that affords excellent trek routes and from where Nanda Devi Peak is closely visible. 10 km from Berinag is Belkot famous for the Bhagwati Temple.
Dhwaj elevated at 2134 mts and 15 km from Pithoragarh is believed to be the abode of Goddess Durga or Jayanthi and Lord Shiva surrounded by dense forests covered with endemic plants.
Jauljibi is an important trading centre which borders Nepal and fairs are held every year where Indo-Tibetan trade or products like woollen clothes and other articles are sold and purchased and Jhulaghat, a small town set on the banks of Kali River on the Indo-Nepal Border and named after a hanging Rope Bridge that suspends across the Kali River is extensively used for cross border trading.
Munsiyari which lies 124 km north of Pithoragarh district lies at the foothills of the Himalayas elevated at 2135 mts and is covered in snow throughout the year and famous for its alpine meadows called 'Munsiyari Bugyal' covered with wild flowers, Maheshwari Kund and Thamri Kund Lakes and the Johar Valley. It forms the base camp for trekking routes to Milam, Ralam and Namik Glaciers. Khalia Top and Betuli-Dhar are located 7 km away and Chhiplakot also called 'Najurkot' are ideal slopes for skiing. 22 km away is Madkot famous for its hot water springs that cures arthritis, rheumatism and skin problems. Other tourist attractions are the Anchari Lake and Chhiplakot Lake.
