Gangotri is a small town and a Nagar Panchayat (municipality) in Uttarkashi district and a Hindu pilgrimage center on the banks of the river Bhagirathi. It is on the Greater Himalayan Range, at a height of 3042 metres. The 12 hour journey by bus from Rishikesh via Dharasu- Uttarkashi- Gangnani- Lanka- Bhairavghati reaches 249 km away Gangotri. It is pine and deodar shaded and encircled by the walls of snow covered Sudarshan, Matri mountain peaks.

Gangotri, the origin of the river Ganga and seat of the goddess Ganga, is one of the four sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit of the Hindus. The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga from Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alaknanda. The origin of the holy river is at Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier, and is a 19 km trek from Gangotri.

This township has built up around a temple of the goddess Ganga. It was built by the Gorkha General, Amar Singh Thapa in the early 18th century. The temple is closed on Diwali day every year and is reopened in May. During the winter period, the idol of the goddess is kept at Mukhba village, near Harsil.

Ritual duties are supervised by the Semwal family of pujaris. The aarti ceremony at the Gangotri is especially impressive similar to aarti at the temple.

Adventurous pilgrims or trekkers can make an overnight 18 km trek to Gaumukh, the actual current source of the river Ganga. For a large number of tourists, Gangotri town serves as the starting point of the Gangotri - Gaumukh-Tapovan and Gangotri - Kedartal trekking routes.