Hidden Gems of Kumaon: Uttarakhand’s Best-Kept Secret Region

Beyond Nainital and Corbett, Kumaon hides quiet villages, ancient temples, and Himalayan viewpoints most travelers never see. Here’s where to look.

Say “Uttarakhand” to most travelers and they’ll picture Nainital’s boating lake or Corbett’s tiger safaris. Both are worth visiting — but they’re also just the entrance to Kumaon, a region far larger and quieter than its two famous towns suggest.

Head a little further off the main road and Kumaon opens up into terraced villages, 800-year-old temples, and viewpoints that stare straight at the Nanda Devi and Panchachuli ranges without another traveler in sight.

Munsiyari: the last town before the high peaks

Sitting at the edge of the Johar Valley, Munsiyari is often called the gateway to the Milam Glacier. Even if you don’t trek further, the town itself offers uninterrupted views of the Panchachuli peaks and a much slower pace than anywhere in the Nainital belt.

Jageshwar: temples in a deodar forest

A cluster of over 100 ancient stone temples set inside a dense deodar forest, Jageshwar predates most of India’s better-known temple towns and rarely sees the crowds that Kedarnath or Badrinath draw.

[Image: Ancient stone temples of Jageshwar surrounded by deodar trees — suggested search: “Jageshwar temple complex deodar forest”]

Chaukori: tea gardens and Himalayan sunrises

A small, sparsely visited hill town with tea estates rolling toward a full Himalayan horizon — on a clear morning, you can see Nanda Devi, Trishul, and Panchachuli in a single sweep.

Kausani: often called the “Switzerland of India”

Gandhi once stayed here and reportedly called the view one of the finest he’d seen. Kausani remains small and walkable, with tea gardens and a 300 km Himalayan panorama.

Baijnath: a temple town on the Gomti river

An 12th-century temple complex dedicated to Shiva sits quietly on the banks of the Gomti, largely bypassed by travelers rushing between Kausani and Bageshwar.

[Image: Baijnath temple on riverbank at golden hour — suggested search: “Baijnath temple Uttarakhand river”]

Pindari Glacier trek base villages

The villages of Loharkhet, Dhakuri, and Khati along the Pindari Glacier trail see a fraction of the trekkers that Kedarnath or Valley of Flowers routes attract, despite equally dramatic scenery.

Why Kumaon stays quiet

Much of Kumaon’s road network is narrower and slower than Garhwal’s, and it doesn’t have a single headline destination the way Rishikesh or the Char Dham circuit does. That’s exactly what keeps it uncrowded — and exactly why it rewards travelers willing to go a little further.

Planning your Kumaon trip

• Best season: March-June and October-November for clear mountain views.
• How to get around: A rented car or hired taxi is far more practical than public transport once you’re off the Nainital-Almora highway.
• Where to base yourself: Almora is the most convenient hub for reaching Jageshwar, Kausani, and Baijnath within day trips.

Kumaon doesn’t announce itself the way its neighbors do. But for travelers who go looking, it’s one of the last quiet corners of the Indian Himalayas.