Programme
Fee & Payments.

The Fee at a Glance

• Application: ₹0
• 45-day Preparatory Programme: ₹30,000, inclusive of applicable GST
• Expedition Stage: ₹19,500, inclusive of applicable GST
• Total if you complete both stages: ₹49,500, inclusive of applicable GST

If you are not medically cleared or are not finally admitted to the expedition, the ₹19,500 expedition-stage fee is not payable. Your total programme fee remains ₹30,000.

Stage 1: 45-Day Preparatory Programme

The ₹30,000 Stage 1 fee is payable after you are selected for the preparatory programme.

It covers the structured 45-day online preparation, including:

• fitness, walking, running, strength, mobility and endurance development;
• yoga, breathing and recovery practices;
• nutrition, sleep, stress-management and habit guidance;
• community meetings and participant support;
• review of participant-submitted reports;
• progress and expedition-readiness assessment; and
• final medical-clearance review.

The Stage 1 fee is for the preparatory programme. It does not buy or reserve an expedition seat. Final expedition participation depends on medical clearance, readiness, required documentation, group capacity and final admission.

Medical Tests and Personal Health Costs

1. Laboratory tests, diagnostic investigations, medical certificates, specialist consultations, medicines, insulin, supplements and personal monitoring devices are not included within the programme fee. These must be arranged and paid for by the participant.
2. Periodic testing may be requested during the preparation period. These tests must be arranged locally and paid for by the participant.
3. We may also suggest a few small-value tools or items that can support the preparation programme. Unless specifically marked as mandatory, these will be optional and paid for by the participant.

Stage 2: Himalayan Expedition

The ₹19,500 expedition-stage fee becomes payable only after:

1. You complete the 45-day preparatory programme.
2. You receive final medical clearance; and
3. Nirog Bhumi separately confirms your participation in the expedition.

What the ₹49,500 Programme Fee Includes for the Indiahikes Trek

Participants who complete both stages will not have to pay the following Indiahikes charges separately. Nirog Bhumi will arrange and pay for them as part of the total programme fee of ₹49,500:

• the Indiahikes Dayara Bugyal trek fee;
• applicable GST on the Indiahikes trek fee;
• the mandatory Indiahikes trek insurance; and
• the scheduled group transport from Dehradun to Raithal on the outward journey and from Raithal to Dehradun on the return journey, including the applicable Indiahikes tax on that transport.

Expenses That Remain Outside the ₹49,500 Programme Fee

The following are not included unless Nirog Bhumi specifically confirms otherwise in writing:

• travel from your home city to Dehradun and your return journey from Dehradun;
• hotel or other accommodation in Dehradun before or after the expedition, as described in the separate Accommodation Guide;
• personal trekking gear that you buy or rent;
• the optional Indiahikes Shield;
• optional backpack offloading;
• additional cloakroom luggage beyond the free allowance;
• personal medical supplies and health-related costs described above;
• private upgrades or other personal purchases; and
• evacuation, early-return or additional transport costs to the extent they are not covered by the mandatory trek insurance or otherwise expressly included.

Travel Bookings: Please Choose Cancellable / Refundable Tickets

Participants are strongly advised to book cancellable or refundable tickets for travel to Dehradun and for the return journey home. This includes flights, trains, buses and any other independently booked travel. This is important because the trek may have to be suspended, cancelled, postponed or rescheduled because of weather, road conditions, government or permit restrictions, safety considerations, or other circumstances beyond the control of Indiahikes or Nirog Bhumi. Booking cancellable or refundable tickets can reduce the risk of a participant suffering a separate financial loss on travel bookings if the expedition cannot proceed as planned.

Any cancellation fee, fare difference, loss or other charge arising from a participant's independently booked travel remains the participant's responsibility.

Optional Indiahikes Shield

The Indiahikes Shield is an optional protection offered by Indiahikes that, subject to its applicable terms and conditions, allows an eligible trekker to receive a refund of the trek fee instead of a voucher if Indiahikes has to suspend or cancel the trek for specified reasons beyond their control.

The Indiahikes Shield is optional and is not included within the ₹49,500 programme fee. A participant who wishes to opt for it must pay the Shield charge in addition to the programme fee and must inform Nirog Bhumi within the deadline communicated for the expedition.

Current Shield charge for Dayara Bugyal: ₹690 per participant (subject to Indiahikes confirmation/revision at the time of booking)

Nirog Bhumi recommends that each participant opt for the Indiahikes Shield. Himalayan weather and access conditions can be unpredictable, and a trek may occasionally have to be suspended because of circumstances beyond the control of Indiahikes or Nirog Bhumi, such as weather disturbances, roadblocks or landslides, government or permit restrictions, or other external events.

Under Indiahikes' current policy, where Indiahikes suspends the trek before it begins for covered external reasons, the Shield is intended to enable a monetary refund of the Indiahikes trek fee rather than only a trek voucher. The Shield does not apply merely because a participant chooses to cancel, and Shield protection does not apply once the trek has begun.

How a Shield Refund Will Be Passed On to the Participant

Participants will pay the applicable expedition and add-on amounts to Nirog Bhumi, and Nirog Bhumi will in turn make the corresponding group payment to Indiahikes. Accordingly, where a participant has opted for the Indiahikes Shield and Indiahikes suspends the trek in circumstances covered by the Shield, any Shield-related refund will first be paid by Indiahikes to Nirog Bhumi.

Nirog Bhumi will reimburse the participant the amount actually received by Nirog Bhumi from Indiahikes in respect of that participant under the Shield, after the refund is received and identified. Nirog Bhumi will not be responsible for paying any Shield amount that Indiahikes does not refund to Nirog Bhumi.

Other Indiahikes Add-Ons and Participant-Paid Costs

1. Backpack Offloading

Indiahikes encourages trekkers to carry their own backpacks, but offloading may be booked where needed. A mule or porter carries the offloaded kit bag.

Indiahikes charge: ₹1,600 + 5% GST = ₹1,680 for the trek

• Maximum offloaded weight: 9 kg per participant.
• Indiahikes provides a weather-resistant kit bag for the offloaded belongings.
• A participant who offloads will still need a small day pack for items required during the day.
• Offloading must be booked separately and is not included within the ₹49,500 programme fee.

2. Cloakroom at Raithal Base Camp

First piece of luggage: No charge
Each additional piece of luggage: ₹500 per piece

The cloakroom is meant for extra luggage left at base camp while the trek is underway. Indiahikes advises trekkers not to leave valuables such as cash, laptops, mobile phones or other important items in the cloakroom.

3. Personal Trekking Equipment

Personal gear such as trekking shoes, warm jackets and backpacks is not included within the programme fee. Participants may bring their own suitable gear or rent selected items from the Indiahikes Crosstrek rental store, subject to availability and sizing.

Indiahikes provides the essential camping and technical/safety equipment required for the trek, such as sleeping bags, sleeping tents, foam mats and, where required, equipment such as gaiters, microspikes, helmets or ropes. These are different from the participant's personal trekking gear.

4. Evacuation, Early Descent and Return Costs

Emergency evacuation or an early return can create additional costs. These costs are not automatically included within the ₹49,500 programme fee.

• Indiahikes states that where a trek is terminated and a mule, vehicle, guide or porter is required to bring a participant back to base camp, the participant shall bear those costs.
• If a participant descends early and needs a separate vehicle from the base area to Dehradun, Indiahikes states that this separate vehicle cost is borne by the participant and is not included in the normal scheduled return transport.
• The mandatory Indiahikes trek insurance includes medical-evacuation cover, but any claim is subject to the insurer's terms, exclusions, documentation requirements and coverage limits. Any amount not accepted or covered by the insurer remains the participant's responsibility.
• Costs arising from a personal decision to withdraw, insufficient fitness, disciplinary termination or other non-covered circumstances shall therefore be payable directly by the participant.

Indiahikes Crosstrek Equipment Rentals

Indiahikes publishes a six-day example rental basket for common personal trekking gear. The following amounts are shown by Indiahikes for a six-day trek and exclude applicable GST:

Note: The Indiahikes rental website also maintains a live per-day catalogue. The six-day comparison table and the live catalogue are not perfectly aligned for every item, so participants should treat these figures as indicative and verify the final price, size and availability before booking.

Current Live Catalogue Rates

Rental Booking and Damage / Cancellation Notes

• Rental gear is subject to size and stock availability. Participants should book early once Nirog Bhumi confirms the booking process for the group.
• Indiahikes' current Crosstrek policy provides a 96% refund for eligible rental cancellations made at least 24 hours before the trek start, after a 4% transaction deduction. Cancellations later than that are generally non-refundable.
• Size changes are subject to availability and, under the current policy, are not assured within 24 hours of trek start or at base camp.
• Lost or damaged rental gear may attract a charge or fine determined by Indiahikes.

When and How to Pay

We will send the payment deadline and official payment method with your admission communication.

Please pay only through an official Nirog Bhumi payment link, invoice, bank account, UPI ID or payment method communicated through an authorised Nirog Bhumi channel.

A receipt or tax invoice will be issued after payment is verified. Any scholarship, discount, instalment plan, sponsorship or payment extension applies only when confirmed by Nirog Bhumi in writing.

If you accidentally make a duplicate payment, contact us with the transaction details so it can be verified and corrected.

Optional Indiahikes add-ons: If you want the Indiahikes Shield, backpack offloading or any other Indiahikes add-on that Nirog Bhumi is coordinating for the group, inform us within the deadline we communicate. The applicable add-on amount will be payable in addition to the ₹49,500 programme fee unless we expressly state otherwise.

Suspension or Changes for Reasons Beyond Control

Neither Indiahikes nor Nirog Bhumi will be responsible or liable for the suspension, cancellation, postponement, curtailment, route change or interruption of the trek where this results from circumstances beyond their reasonable control. Such circumstances may include severe or unsafe weather, natural events, landslides, roadblocks, government or forest restrictions, permit issues, local emergencies, safety concerns or other external events that make the planned trek unsafe, impracticable or impermissible.

Where such an event occurs, any refund, credit, reimbursement or additional expense will be dealt with in accordance with the applicable Indiahikes policy, the Indiahikes Shield if purchased, the trek insurance where applicable, and Nirog Bhumi's Cancellation, Refunds & Changes guide. Participants remain responsible for losses on independently booked travel or accommodation except to the extent recoverable from the relevant airline, railway, hotel, insurer or other service provider.

What Happens in Common Situations

• Not selected for Stage 1: no payment.
• Selected for Stage 1: ₹30,000 becomes payable.
• Not medically cleared after Stage 1: no further payment.
• Medically cleared but not finally admitted to the expedition: no ₹19,500 expedition fee.
• Cleared and finally admitted: ₹19,500 becomes payable; total ordinary programme fee becomes ₹49,500.
• Withdraw or cancel: the separate Cancellation, Refunds & Changes guide applies.

Trek Partner/Vendor Terms

In addition to the payment terms above, every participant must comply with the applicable Indiahikes terms and operating policies for the on-ground trek services delivered by Indiahikes, our trek partner/vendor.

• Indiahikes Terms & Conditions: indiahikes.com/Indiahikes_Terms_&_Conditions.pdf ↗
• Dayara Bugyal trek information and operating details: indiahikes.com/dayara-bugyal-trek ↗
• Indiahikes Standard Cancellation Policy: indiahikes.com/blog/cancellation-policy ↗
• Indiahikes Crosstrek Rentals: new-rentals.indiahikes.com ↗

Any operational or optional service, add-on or partner/vendor charge will be governed by the policies of both Nirog Bhumi and Indiahikes/other partner/vendor, as the case may be, applicable to that service. Partner/vendor prices, taxes, availability and policies can change. The final amount and terms displayed or communicated by Indiahikes/other partner/vendor, as the case may be, at the time of booking will prevail for the partner/vendor service, subject also to Nirog Bhumi's Participant Terms & Conditions and Cancellation, Refunds & Changes guide.