The road to Kainchi Dham
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How to reach Kainchi Dham from Nainital
Eighteen kilometres from us, twenty two from Nainital, and the timing matters more than the distance.
Kainchi Dham is the Neem Karoli Baba ashram, sitting in the valley on the road between Bhowali and Almora. It is the reason a great many people come to this part of Kumaon at all, and it is the single most common question we are asked at reception.
The short answer
From Nainital it is about 22 km and takes roughly 45 minutes. From Ramgarh, where we are, it is 18 km and about 40 minutes. Both routes converge at Bhowali, so the drive is much the same once you are past that junction.
The route
From Nainital you climb out of the town towards Bhowali, roughly 11 km. At Bhowali you take the road towards Almora. Kainchi Dham is about 9 km along it, and you will know you have arrived because the traffic stops.
From Ramgarh you come down to Bhowali first, about 12 km, then join the same Almora road. If you are staying in Ramgarh you are effectively doing the second half of the Nainital journey without the first half.
Go early. This is the whole trick.
The ashram is on a narrow stretch of road with limited parking, and in season the queue for both begins by about nine in the morning. By eleven the road backs up for a kilometre in either direction and what should have been a forty minute drive becomes an hour and a half of sitting still.
Leave at seven and you will park easily, have darshan without a crowd, and be back for a late breakfast. Our guests who do this consistently describe it as the best decision of their trip. The ones who leave at ten consistently do not.
Parking
There is a parking area near the ashram and it is small. On weekends and through May, June and the Diwali period it fills early. If it is full you will be waved further along the road and you will walk back, which in the rain is not enjoyable.
When it is busiest
Weekends all year. May and June. The Diwali fortnight. And 15 June, the ashram's own anniversary, when the crowd is on a different scale entirely and the road is often managed by police. If your dates fall on that day, plan for it or plan around it.
What to know before you go
- Shoes come off before entry. Wear something you can slip out of.
- Photography is restricted inside. Look for the signage and follow it.
- Prasad, the blessed food offering, is served. Timings vary and change, so ask on the day rather than trusting anything you read online, including this.
- Mobile signal in the valley is patchy. Agree a meeting point with your family before you get out of the car.
Staying nearby instead of in Nainital
A lot of visitors book in Nainital town by default, then spend an hour each way on the Bhowali road. Staying at Ramgarh, Bhowali or Bhimtal puts you closer, and it is quieter. We are 18 km from the ashram and 25 km from Nainital, which means you can do the ashram in the morning and Mall Road in the afternoon from the same base.
If you want the ashram at sunrise, tell us the night before. We will have coffee ready at six and pack your breakfast for the road.