Located on the important Hindu pilgrimage route of Badrinath, Auli is well connected by road, rail and air from several major cities across India. However, reaching the town requires quite a long ride from the nearest airport or railway station.
Jolly Grant Airport, located 288 km in Dehradun, and the railhead situated 254 km in Haridwar are the nearest airport and railway stations to reach Auli from other major cities in India.
The onward journey from the airport and the railway station is arduous, with many winding mountain roads en route. Thus, it is advisable to keep an entire day to arrive at Joshimath/Auli and retire to the comfort of your hotel/resort for relaxation. For more information, here is a guide on Auli how to reach.
How to reach Auli by Air
If you fly directly, Jolly Grant is the nearest airport to Auli. It is connected from anywhere in India, and you’ll get plenty of options of hiring private cabs or getting a shared taxi to reach Auli from Dehradun. Regular flights from Mumbai, Jaipur, Bangalore, Indore, Chennai, Nashik, Raipur, Vadodara, Surat, Ahmedabad, and Delhi are operated to reach Auli. Major operators like Indigo, Vistara, Air India, and Spice jet have regular flights to reach Auli by air.
The second part of reaching Auli requires that you either pre-book a private cab or ask the hotel/resort you are staying in to arrange the transfer. You can also book a private/rented cab on the spot and drive to Auli by road. The distance from Jolly Grant Airport to Auli is 288 km and it will take close to 8-9 hours to drive there.
Book a flight from any major city in India to Delhi. Then to reach Auli from Delhi airport, you need to pre-consider your mode of transportation and timings from where and when to start your onward journey as Haridwar railway station is your last major rail stop to Auli. Auli to Haridwar distance is about 279 km by road, which can be covered by taking a cab for 8 hours.
It is advisable to plan your trip accordingly as it is quite a tiring and challenging ride to Joshimath/Auli from both Dehradun, Delhi/Haridwar, and Rishikesh.
How to reach Auli by Rail
Nearest major railhead to reach Auli is located at Haridwar/Rishikesh, 281 km away. Major cities from India are connected more with Haridwar than Rishikesh, so you must plan a night halt/onward journey from Delhi/Haridwar/Rishikesh accordingly. Joshimath offers quite affordable accommodation compared to Auli, so the budget of your trip should be an important consideration when you are planning how to reach Auli and where to stay.
How to Reach Auli by Road
Auli is well-connected by bus from Dehradun and Haridwar. State-run and privately owned buses ply regularly on this route to Auli from Delhi and Dehradun.
Other ways to reach Auli: Private Cabs and shared taxis could be used to reach Auli along this route.
| Travel by Road | Distance | Routes | Travel Time |
| Delhi to Auli | 520 km | Delhi – Haridwar – Rishikesh – Joshimath – Auli | 12 hr |
| Joshimath to Auli | 2 km | Use cable car or By on foot | 2hr |
| Rishikesh to Auli | 263 km | Rishikesh – Joshimath – Auli | 7hr |
Route to reach Auli by Road from Rishikesh:
Rishikesh – Devprayag (74 km/ 2 hr 10 min) – Srinagar (36.8 km/ 54 min) – Rudraprayag (33.3 km/ 1hr 2 min) – Joshimath (115 km/ 4 hr 16 min) – Auli (9 km/ 25 min)
The total distance from Rishikesh to Auli by road without any diversions is approximately 258 km. The journey is often a bumpy ride that takes at least 9-10 hr by road or more.
As mentioned earlier, plan carefully about how to reach Auli from Dehradun or Delhi by air, rail, or road as all preferred modes of transportation will require this long tedious journey by road. Another factor you want to consider is the budget for stay. Auli is mostly about deluxe accommodations and luxury resorts which are pricier to stay whereas nearby Joshimath has a lot of budget and affordable options.
How to reach Auli from Delhi by road & by flight
From Delhi to Auli
- By Road: The best way to reach Auli from Delhi is to take a bus from Delhi to Rishikesh. Auli Uttarakhand’s distance from Delhi is approx. 501 km and takes about 12 hr or more to reach (overnight). From Rishikesh, either you can take a private cab direct to Auli (8-9 hours) or a shared taxi till Joshimath. Further, get on the cable car to reach Auli.
- By Fligth: You can also take a flight from Delhi to Dehradun, and from there, you can hire a cab or a bus to Joshimath.
How to reach Auli from Rishikesh
Traveling by road is the best way to reach Auli from Rishikesh. You can catch a bus which will take almost 9 to 10 hours. Auli to Rishikesh distance is approx. 285 km, which can also be covered by hiring a taxi which will take 8 hours to reach Joshimath. Further, you can take a cable car (ropeway) to Auli.
How to reach Auli from Joshimath by Cable Car
Joshimath to Auli Ropeway is the best way to get to the beautiful hill town. Named among the highest ropeways in India, the ride makes it possible to cover the difficult track distance of 4.15 km in 22 minutes.
The base of the ropeway is in the town of Joshimath at an altitude of 6254 feet where you will find more options for hotels and tourist services. There are two cable cars and 10 towers, ending at the height of Auli at 9896 feet. The cable car ride to Auli offers mesmerizing views of the Himalayan peaks – Nanda Devi, Mana Parbat, Dungagri, and more.
Auli Tour Packages
Cities of Uttarakhand
- Bageshwar
- Barkot
- Bhimtal
- Chamba
- Chamoli
- Champawat
- Doonagiri
- Gaurikund
- Gopeshwar
- Guptakashi
- Haldwani
- Hanuman Chatti
- Har ki Doon
- Joshimath
- Karanprayag
- Khirsu
- Kotdwara
- Nandaprayag
- Naukuchiatal
- Pauri
- Pithoagarh
- Rudraprayag
- Rudrapur
- Sattal
- Tehri
- Uttarkashi
- Yamkeshwar
- Corbett
- Chopta
- Devprayag
- Gangotri
- Hemkund
- Mukteshwar
- Ranikhet
- Valley of Flower
- Yamunotri
- Dhanaulti
- Almora
- Badrinath
- Kedarnath
- Lansdowne
- Kausani
- Dehradun
- Haridwar
- Nainital
- Mussoorie
- Rishikesh
Things To Do in Auli
FAQs
Ans: Irrespective of the fact weather you fly by air to Dehradun or Delhi, take a train from Haridwar or Delhi, all road leads to Rishikesh when it comes to reach Auli by road. From Dehradun, Rishikesh is located 21 km away whereas from Haridwar, it is 28 km away.
Ans: Jolly Grant Airport located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand is the nearest airport from Auli. However, keep in mind that even if you take a Delhi to Auli flight and arrive in Dehradun, you still need to travel the same route from Rishikesh to reach Auli by road.
Ans: Direct bus service to reach Auli from Delhi should be avoided as the journey as the distance from Delhi to Auli is over 520 kilometres and the traveling time will be upward of 12-14 hrs and the fatigue that would set in might be too much to enjoy your trip even on next day.
This is all the more true if you are traveling from Delhi to Auli with family or kids and elderly. The not-so-well-maintained roads and curvy mountain roads that go on and on for hours and the bumpy ride; all makes for the perfect recipe for motion & body sickness, a lot of vomiting and severe headaches especially for those who are not used to traveling on mountains. These conditions are more likely to occur when you are covering more road during day time.
Ans: The best way for Delhi to Auli would be to break your journey in two parts. Catch a train or bus to Haridwar, If you are a first timer or traveling with family, visit the famous Har Ki Pauri ghat and temples, take refershments if you are hungry then head to Rishikesh and book a hotel to stay overnight. For the rest of the day and evening, you could visit ghats, temples, ashrams etc. in Rishikesh to spend some time. There are a lot of things to do in Rishikesh, Laxman Jhula and Ram Jhula among some of them.
Now with two places covered and you having some good time, it’s time to relax and reenergize with a good night’s sleep. Don’t remember to book your tickets for the earliest morning bus leaving for Joshimath/Auli. The benefit of breaking your journey into two parts from Delhi to Auli is that your body gets enough rest to cope with a long, arduous ride which lasts from morning till sunset, sometimes even more.
Ans: You can go directly to Auli or book accommodation in Joshimath itself. The reason why you should book your stay in Joshimath over Auli is that there are lot of options to choose from in Joshimath as opposed to Auli which is a lot more expensive. In Joshimath booking options range from budget, economy to very affordable.
From Joshimath, Auli is easily accessible with a cable car ride or by road on shared taxis or private cab. If you are a couple or solo, you can also hire a bike or scooty to travel to and from Auli to Josimathv which is an adventurous and fun way to explore Auli.
Ans: July marks the early period of monsoon in Uttarakhand. In the mountains, weather can be unpredictable and heavy rain might also trigger occasional landslides. Road condition also degrades quickly during rainy season so it is advisable to travel to Auli in July. In fact, most of the tourist destinations located in the mountains in Uttarakhand should be avoided during monsoon if you are traveling especially to have fun times with family or friends.
Ans: No, you should avoid planning your family holiday in Auli in monsoon. Not just there is much to do in Auli at that time, the roads leading to Auli get severely affected due to heavy rainfall and the mountains are also more prone to landslides due to continuous rain.