The name of the town reflects its similarity to and location (as north of) the city of Kashi (Varanasi).

Similar to Varanasi, town of Uttarkashi is situated on the Ganges, lies next to a hill named Varunavat, on confluence of two rivers Varuna and Asi, has a ghat called Manikarnika Ghat and has a temple dedicated to Shiva similar to (Kashi Vishwanath Temple) in Varanasi, in the center of the town.

Most citizens of Uttarkashi are Garhwali, with large numbers of Punjabi, Kumaoni and people from other parts of Northern India.

Netala, a small scenic location around 7 km towards the source of Hinduism's holy river Ganga (i.e., Gangotri Dham) is an emerging spot for Yoga Classes.

List of Yoga Schools Tapovan Kutir, located in Ujeli village of Uttarkashi district, has been a significant center for spiritual seekers for centuries.

His most renowned disciple was Swami Chinmayananda, the founder of Chinmaya Mission, who studied under him at Tapovan Kutir.

Today, Tapovan Kutir remains an important pilgrimage site for spiritual seekers and followers of Vedantic philosophy.

Some of the area's summer and winter trekking destinations are Dodital, Dayara Bugyal, Kedarkantha, Har Ki Dun for camping and Himalayan panoramic views.

Next, rescuers resorted to the “trenchless” technique, and an auger machine was called from Dehradun to drill through the debris and insert 900 mm wide mild steel pipes through which the workers would crawl out.

[7] Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), stated the rescue to be successful by November 24, 2023 evening.

[9] This town has many schools for boys and girls and one Post Graduate college affiliated to Garhwal University.

The Government Polytechnic Uttarkashi, situated in Joshiyara around 3–4 km away from main city, provides higher education in technology.