About Gartang Gali
Gartang Gali is a historic 136-metre wooden skywalk built along a vertical cliff in Nelong Valley, Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, inside Gangotri National Park at about 11,000 feet altitude. Built around 150 years ago by Peshawari Pathans as part of an Indo-Tibetan trade route, it was closed for decades and restored and reopened to tourists in 2021. The bridge offers views of the Nelang Valley and Jadh Ganga gorge and is accessed by a short trek.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a 2.5 km trek from the entry gate through pine forest and rocky terrain to reach a narrow 136-metre wooden skywalk fixed to a vertical cliff face above the Jadh Ganga gorge. The bridge is made of wooden planks with iron supports and offers open views of Nelong Valley, surrounding Himalayan peaks and the river gorge below. The site is inside Gangotri National Park with basic visitor facilities and requires a forest permit to enter.
Key highlights
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136-metre historic wooden skywalk fixed to a vertical cliff at about 11,000 feet altitude
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150-year-old bridge built by Peshawari Pathans on the former Indo-Tibetan trade route
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Panoramic views of Nelong Valley and Jadh Ganga gorge
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Restored and reopened to tourists in August 2021 after nearly six decades of closure
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2.5 km scenic trek through Gangotri National Park to reach the bridge
History of Gartang Gali
Gartang Gali was constructed about 150 years ago by Peshawari Pathans as a wooden cantilever bridge along the cliff to facilitate trade between India and Tibet. It served as a key trade route before being closed in 1962 and remaining inaccessible for nearly 59 years. The Uttarakhand government restored the bridge and reopened it for tourists in 2021.
Culture & Context
The bridge is associated with the historic Indo-Tibetan trade route and the Jadung village community of Nelong Valley, reflecting traditional mountain trade and engineering practices of the region.
Route
| By air |
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