One or two days covers the town itself, with the Kashi Vishwanath and Shakti temples, Manikarnika Ghat and the riverside. Many visitors use it as a base and add several days for the trek to Dodital, the Dayara Bugyal meadow near Raithal, or the drive up to Harsil and Gangotri.

The name means Kashi of the North, after Varanasi, which is also called Kashi. Like Varanasi, the town lies on the Ganga, here called the Bhagirathi, between rivers named Varuna and Asi. It also has its own Manikarnika Ghat and a Kashi Vishwanath Temple dedicated to Shiva.

Gangotri is about 100 km up the Bhagirathi valley from Uttarkashi by road, passing Harsil on the way. The Gangotri Temple opens on Akshaya Tritiya, in April or May, and closes at Diwali, so most pilgrims make the drive between spring and late autumn.