5 stars isn’t enough for Mapping the Himalayas and Kalyan. - I came to India solo as a female traveler and left with memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. From the moment the trip started, I felt completely safe, cared for, and genuinely looked after in a way that’s honestly rare to find anywhere in the world. We trekked Kedarnath, Badrinath, Tungnath, explored Mana village, stayed in beautiful homestays, crossed unbelievable mountain roads, and somehow every single day felt like an adventure movie mixed with a spiritual pilgrimage. The views were unreal. The photos we took look like scenes from a film. Every turn in the Himalayas felt surreal. What made this experience different though was the flexibility and heart behind it. Kalyan never treated the trip like a rigid itinerary. He gave me options constantly and built the experience around what I wanted to do, eat, explore, and experience. If I was hungry, we stopped. If I wanted chai, we found chai. If I wanted to stay longer somewhere beautiful, we stayed longer. I probably gained 7 kg because I was fed constantly and happily accepted my fate. At one point on the drive toward Tungnath, he randomly pulled out KitKats and handed them to me while we climbed higher into the mountains, and weirdly enough that tiny moment ended up becoming one of those memories that sticks with you forever. Kalyan also seemed to know everyone everywhere we went. Whether it was locals, guesthouses, shop owners, temple areas, drivers, or mountain routes, I genuinely felt like I only needed one contact in India to have a completely customized and authentic experience. He’s an incredible adventurer, an excellent businessman, and one of the most patient people I’ve met. But more than that, he’s deeply kind. I paid attention to the way he treated animals, children, older people, and strangers throughout the journey, and it told me everything I needed to know about his character. If you are a solo traveler, especially a woman, and you want an experience that feels safe, flexible, adventurous, personal, and unforgettable, book with Mapping the Himalayas. Some trips stay in your camera roll. This one stays somewhere much deeper.

Unforgettable sunrise views at Tungnath - Had a great experience with Mapping the Himalayas. I did the 4D3N Chotpa/Tungnath trek and it was one of the highlights of my India trip. Narayan, our guide, made the trip amazing. He is a sweet, funny guy with a gentle soul and it was super fun to hike with him. He is a local from Uttarkashi district and a devout Hindu, so he was able to give us lots of information about local culture, history, native plants and animals and of course Hinduism. He also knew things like the spots where we could watch the sunrise while avoiding the crowds. Would recommend him as a guide to anybody Thanks Narayan!

Very well organised trip - We had an amazing mountain trip—everything was thoughtfully organised and we felt genuinely well taken care of throughout. The journey from Rishikesh took about 6–7 hours, but it passed quickly thanks to scenic stops at local restaurants, with meals already included in the price. Our guide, Narayan, was incredibly attentive, always checking that we were comfortable and had everything we needed. Even though I was a slower walker, he never rushed me and made sure I was always okay. I’d absolutely recommend this experience with them. They also provided all the essential gear, including hiking shoes and walking sticks, which made everything much easier.

Highly recommended Chopta treck - We had a great experience with Chopta Treck. Our guide Narayan was taking care of every aspect and had organized very well the meals and places to sleep. Our driver Sundeep drove safely and comfortably. The first evening at Deoria Lake was excellent, with the beautiful lake, the food cooked on wood fire, and comfortable tent accommodation. The second day crossed beautiful forests, with impressive views of himalayan range and peaks. Third day’s wake up at 2am will stay in our memory, and the gentle ascent under the stars. On the summit we saw the sun raising beside the 2nd highest peak of India, Nanda Devi, you seem to be at the top of the world! Thanks to Narayan and Sundeep, and to the organizers

Great trek through very... - Great trek through very uncrowded trails. Good mix of exploring small villages and nature treks. Two really experienced mountain guides led the group through a lot of different terrains, as well as carried extra gear and snacks for the group. Not an easy hike, but doable with moderate health. Homestays were reasonable considering the location, shower access is limited/NA. Food is healthy though only vegetarian. There is a lot of travel time in the car > 10hrs total driving at least.

Chopta/Chandrishala - A truly great and fulfilling experience from start to finish. Both Ankush Bhai (Guide) and Sandeep Bhai (Driver) took incredible care of my wife and I, making us feel safe and comfortable throughout the entire journey. The itinerary itself was absolutely gorgeous—starting from Rishikesh, driving to Sari Village, hiking up to Deoria Tal Lake, then moving on to Chopta Valley, and finally trekking up to Tungnath and Chandrashila. The trek was pristine, stunning and also challenging. Ankush Bhai also has a fantastic eye for wildlife—we were lucky enough to spot Himalayan monal birds and mountain goats around Chopta, which made the experience even more special. It was so nice to see both Sandeep and Ankush Bhai connected to so many people along the way in all the villages/towns throughout our journey. The food was freshly prepared every single day. Simple, home cooked food. Overall, an unforgettable trip. We’ll definitely be back for another adventure!

Amazing guides - nice people - good intro to trekking in India - great value. - We had an amazing time on this 3 night / 4 day trek. On arrival into Rishikesh we went to the Mapping the Himalayas office and met with Kali, he checked we had the right gear etc and if we didn't we could have hired it from him (all looked new and very good quality). Stayed one night at the Rudram Hotel (basic but ok), ate at Anna's Mess - amazing vegan food and then were picked up at 0620 next morning for the long 6 hour drive towards Chopta. Driver was excellent, Bolero car in good shape and happy to meet our trek mates (7 of us on total, spread over two vehicles). Pretty scary drive in terms of big drop offs and narrow roads - but probably to be expected given the terrain and driver was careful. Stops on the way for lunch etc. Made it to start of first walk up to Deoriatal Lake - moderate incline which took us about 60 minutes to get up. Beautiful lake, quite busy with day visitors but not too bad. Nice little camp site for us - all set up adjacent to our kitchen and toilets for the night. Our amazing guide told us all about the significance of this holy lake, delicious dinner and good sleep in the tent. Bit cold but warm under the blankets that were provided. Day 2: long walk of 16km through amazing rhododendron forests, very magical and peaceful. Ups and downs but nothing too hard. We carried our lunch that the guides had made for us - potato curry, roti, boiled eggs - very nice and walked on in the rain - ponchos were provided to keep us dry. Made it to Chopta the 'base camp' for the Tungnath temple and Chandrashila peak trek. Quite developed as a series of home stays and restaurants - but nice room with own toilet and shower and large cafe area. Early to bed after another good supper and up early to walk up Chandrashila. Luckily our guide took us the 'back way' up the mountain - the other way was very busy with day trippers. Steep uphill all the way took a few hours to reach the snow line. Crampons on for the final part and poles used all the way. I was a bit nervous of the ice but our guide got me up to the summit - which was busy with lots of people but we got to view the real Himalayas in the distance. Long walk back down - but totally worth it. Made it to 4000m. As a group we then decided we'd like to do one more trek so we were driven to the Kartik Swami temple - about 3-4 hours away - it's 36km off the highway and another twisty mountain road - I was glad when it started to get dark so I could not see the drops! Made it do our homestay - which are basically rooms under a cafe - not in someones house as I had imagined! Day 3: Those that wanted to trek up to the temple got up at 0430 to make it up for sunrise - some of us stayed in bed! Long drive back to Rishi via Ganges confluence which was amazing to see - then we where we were all dropped off at our hotels etc. The guides and drivers are brilliant and very flexible depending on abilities and what the group want to do etc. We had a great time and would go with Mapping the Himalayas again. The price is very reasonable and includes all accommodation from night one onwards, all food and transport..

Five Star - Amazing experience. Small group customized experience. The guides - Ankush and Manoj were fantastic. And the driver (Sandeep) was also great. MTH crew took very good care of us everywhere. In my view, the price for such an adventure experience is too low (in the wild for 3days). Looking forward to do more longer treks with them.

EXPERIENCE - Had a good overall experience with Go4explore. The captains Hadi and Shefaat were amazing—very responsible, great at managing the crowd, and super entertaining. The trek felt a bit hectic for beginners, still, it was a fun and well-managed trip overall.

It's neither easy nor safe - First of all, it’s not an easy trail. The first day is a nonstop 2-hour climb, really exhausting. I saw young people struggling, and if you’re not in great physical shape, don’t do it. I paid to do the trail alone because I thought there would be a guide who would keep up with my pace. I told the agency twice that I wanted something easy, slow, gentle. But on the first and second days, the guide kept leaving me alone the whole time, running far ahead. I've never seen a trail guide do that in my entire life. He was also busy using his phone. On the first night, I slept in a tent without heating in 0-degree weather. On the second day, I was going to sleep in a room that was already as cold as a freezer at 2 p.m. I decided to give up the trek and return to Rishikesh. The next day I woke up with an ear infection and needed to go to the hospital. I don't even want to think about how that would have been in the mountains. The car that took us on the extremely dangerous roads without a shoulder for seven hours didn't have seat belts for the passengers. They lent me a jacket from someone on the team, thinking mine wasn’t suitable, which was nice, but I would have preferred if they told me where I could buy or rent one. I was misled by the high ratings of this agency here on the site