Silence, forest, stars
Small groups of 4 to 10. Slow days in the Kumaun Himalayas, based at Oakakhi in Ranikhet. Every journey includes our forest walks, shared meals, and evenings that end under the sky. Walk to notice, not to conquer.
Slow Days · Beginner
Three slow days in the forest above Ranikhet. You walk in the morning when the birds are loudest, sit through a sunset, and let a fire ask you a few honest questions at night. On the last day you walk a little higher.
Rs 14,000 per person
Runs in small batches through the year, except deep monsoon. Dates are shared on WhatsApp.
Ask about datesArrive at Oakakhi. A sunset walk into Kalika forest, then a quiet dinner.
Village trail and birdwatching before breakfast. A slow afternoon. In the evening, a village walk, then stargazing and stories with our astro guide. The night ends at the bonfire, with questions worth sitting with.
Drive to Kukuchina via Dwarahat and walk the 3 km forest trail to the Pandavkholi meadow. Time at the top, an optional visit to the Mahavatar Babaji cave, and a gentle return.
Included · Two nights at Oakakhi, all meals, all guided walks, stargazing and storytelling, bonfire evening, the Pandavkholi trek with a certified guide, and local transport on the trek day.
Slow Days · Intermediate
The slow days of Ranikhet, and then a night near Kausani for the Pinnath trail. A 5 km walk to a temple at 2,750 metres, where the clouds usually arrive before you do.
Rs 18,000 per person
Best from autumn to early summer. Dates are shared on WhatsApp.
Ask about datesThe full rhythm of Oakakhi. Kalika forest at dusk, birds at dawn, the village trail, stargazing, and the bonfire.
A slow drive to Kausani, about two and a half hours through the hills. Evening at leisure, facing the high Himalaya.
The Pinnath trail. Five kilometres up to the temple ridge, unhurried, and back down for the journey home.
Included · Three nights of stay, all meals, all guided walks and sessions, the Pinnath trek with a certified guide, and transport between Ranikhet and Kausani.
Slow Days · Challenging
For those who want the silence to cost something. Bharatkot is the highest peak in its range near Almora, and the walk to it is long and honest. One night is spent in camp on the mountain.
Rs 19,500 per person
For fit walkers. Batches run outside monsoon and deep winter. Dates are shared on WhatsApp.
Ask about datesArrive at Oakakhi. The sunset forest walk, dinner, and an early night. The briefing happens at the fire.
The Bharatkot trek, taken over two days with a camp night on the mountain. Led by our BMC certified lead guide. The night in camp includes the sky, the fire, and very little else. That is the point.
Descend, return to Oakakhi for a proper meal, and leave when you are ready.
Included · Three nights including one camp night, all meals, camping equipment, the full trek with a certified guide, and local transport.
Spiritual Circuit
Four small temples in the Kumaon hills, one river, and a name people keep returning to. We travel slowly between the places associated with Neem Karoli Baba, sit where his people sat, and keep the phones away. Nothing to buy, nothing to prove. Sub ek. All is one.
Rs 9,500 per person · two days
Rs 14,500 per person · three days
Darshan at Kainchi is open through the year. We avoid the June bhandara crowds and plan quieter days.
Ask about datesAn early start from Ranikhet. First Kakrighat, where Vivekananda sat by the Kosi under a peepal tree. Midday darshan at Kainchi Dham, then Bhumiadhar. Overnight near Bhowali or Nainital. The second morning begins at Hanuman Garhi in Nainital, and the return is unhurried.
The same four places with room to breathe. Evening aarti at Kainchi, a morning by the river, time in Nainital, and no clock worth watching. Two nights of stay.
Included · Stays, all meals, all travel between the sites, and a guide who knows when to speak and when not to. Darshan at these temples is free, and we keep it that way.
Astro Circuit
Three nights, three different skies. The light you see left its source before you were born. Our astro guide walks you through the constellations, the stories behind them, and the silence after the stories end.
Rs 18,500 per person
Astro batches run only on new moon windows, October to March, when the Kumaun sky is at its darkest. An optional fourth night at Mukteshwar can be added for Rs 5,500.
Ask about datesKalika forest at dusk, then the first sky. A full astro night at our home ground near Oakakhi, with the naked eye and a good story.
A drive north through the hills. Kausani sits high and clear, and its observatory skies are among the best in Kumaun. Telescope time, and the mountains at dawn.
The ridge above Almora that has drawn seekers for a century. No telescope tonight. Just the raw sky, lying back on the grass, and the oldest light there is.
At 2,285 metres with almost no light below, Mukteshwar is the deepest sky of the circuit. Exit the next morning via Bhimtal and Kathgodam.
Included · All stays, all meals, all transport between sites, every astro session with our guide, and observatory entry where used.
Birdwatching Circuit
The classic Kumaun birding triangle, taken slowly. Over five hundred species live between these forests and lakes. You will not see them all. You will learn to see a few of them properly.
Rs 19,500 per person
The season runs October to June. December and January bring peak activity, April and May bring breeding plumage. No departures in monsoon.
Ask about datesArrive by evening. At dawn, Kalika forest with our lead guide. The Great Barbet, the Khalij Pheasant, the Verditer Flycatcher. The home list.
Two hours to the seven lakes. An afternoon and a morning at the famous hides, where the birds come to you if you can hold still long enough.
Through Nainital, with stops at Kilbury on the way. Pangot's forests hold the three pheasants every birder comes for. An early night, because the morning matters.
First light at Kilbury and Woodpecker Point. Then a short drive down to Kathgodam, and home.
Included · All stays, all meals, all transport, hide charges, and guiding throughout. Bring binoculars if you have them. We carry spares if you do not.
Spiritual Week
Coming soonFive nights across the quiet places of Kumaun. Ranikhet, the Pandavkholi meadows, the oak forests of Sitlakhet, the Kasar Devi ridge, and finally the Kainchi valley. A week that moves slowly on purpose.
Rs 39,000 per person
We are walking this route ourselves before we open it. If you would like to be told when the first batch opens, send us a message.
Tell me when it opensRanikhet and the Kalika forest, then Kukuchina for the Pandavkholi trail and the Mahavatar Babaji cave.
Sitlakhet. The walk to the Syahi Devi temple through old oak forest, and a Himalayan sunset that asks for nothing.
Kasar Devi. The ridge, the caves, and an evening of sitting still.
The Kainchi valley. Kakrighat, darshan at Kainchi Dham, Bhumiadhar, and an exit the next morning through Nainital and Hanuman Garhi.
Included · Five nights across four places, all meals, all guiding, and every drive in between.