Valley of Flowers National Park
Valley of Flowers National Park
4.5
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
About
Valley of flowers national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand State in India. This valley was discovered by Frank S Smythe in the year 1931. Nature lovers, botanist, photographers, mountaineers all come to valley of flowers from across the globe.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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Sharad Sud
Gurugram (Gurgaon), India1,796 contributions
Aug 2022
Valley of flowers is approximately 12000+ feet above sea level, and home to more than 600 species of flowers!
As described by UNESCO:
Internationally important on account of its diverse alpine flora. An exceptionally beautiful high-altitude Himalayan landscape, with outstanding biodiversity.
It takes a 14 hour car drive, an overnight stay, a 4-6 hour trek, an overnight stay and a 4 hour trek to reach Valley of Flowers.
Another possibility is to visit Hemkund Sahib - highest Gurudwara in the world !
Stay in Ghangaria and take rest for 1 day before Hemkund Sahib.
This is an experience from August 2017
As described by UNESCO:
Internationally important on account of its diverse alpine flora. An exceptionally beautiful high-altitude Himalayan landscape, with outstanding biodiversity.
It takes a 14 hour car drive, an overnight stay, a 4-6 hour trek, an overnight stay and a 4 hour trek to reach Valley of Flowers.
Another possibility is to visit Hemkund Sahib - highest Gurudwara in the world !
Stay in Ghangaria and take rest for 1 day before Hemkund Sahib.
This is an experience from August 2017
Written 3 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mohit Sharma
Dehradun, India2 contributions
May 2024 • Business
The Valley of Flowers, nestled in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its stunning natural beauty and biodiversity. This enchanting valley, situated at an altitude of about 3,658 meters, transforms into a vibrant carpet of colors during the monsoon season, as countless species of flowers bloom in full glory. The valley spans approximately 87.50 square kilometers and is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including rare and endangered species.
Trekkers and nature enthusiasts are drawn to the Valley of Flowers for its breathtaking landscapes, featuring snow-capped peaks, lush green meadows, and cascading waterfalls. The trek to the valley begins from Govindghat and passes through the charming village of Ghangaria. The best time to visit is from June to September when the flowers are in full bloom. The serene beauty and tranquil environment make the Valley of Flowers a must-visit destination for those seeking a nature retreat in the lap of the Himalayas.
Trekkers and nature enthusiasts are drawn to the Valley of Flowers for its breathtaking landscapes, featuring snow-capped peaks, lush green meadows, and cascading waterfalls. The trek to the valley begins from Govindghat and passes through the charming village of Ghangaria. The best time to visit is from June to September when the flowers are in full bloom. The serene beauty and tranquil environment make the Valley of Flowers a must-visit destination for those seeking a nature retreat in the lap of the Himalayas.
Written 21 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
binals
Mumbai, India187 contributions
Aug 2012 • Friends
We visited the Bhyundar valley in August 2012. I would say we were very lucky throughout the trip. No landslides obstructing our way !!
Day 1,2 : Mumbai - Haridwar
The journey started from Mumbai to Delhi via Rajdhani and there onwards to Haridwar via Janshatabdi. The timing between the trains is 6 hours apporximately. You can take one of the cheap rooms in hotels near the station to put your luggage and freshen up. We went to Pind Baluchi for lunch in Connaught place.We reached Haridwar at 9.00 pm.
Day 2 : Haridwar- Joshimath
At 7.30 am in the morning by bus we started for Joshimath. The views were breathtaking with Ganga winding with us . The chamoli section went very slow coz of landslides.After crossing many beautiful Prayags we reached joshimath around 5.00 pm . We visited the famous Shankaracharya Gufa and Kalpavriksha.
Day 3 :Joshimath - Govindghat - Ghangaria
The trek starts today. We started for Govindghat(20km) at 6.00 AM as we were supposed to pass the gate before 6.30 am by bus.You can deposit your extra luggage at the gurudwara.We had carried only a backpack. The rest of the group deposited their extra bags at the Gurudwara lockers in Govindghat carrying only essentials for 3 days thereafter. We loaded the mules with our main backpacks and started climbing with our daypack. The trek was 12km . First 3 km and Last 3km were a stepp climb with a gentle uphill and downhill in the middle 6km.You should keep stretching every 2 kms. The first 9 km trek is along the tributary Lakshmanaganga.After the last mucky 2km full of horse dung we reached the base village Ghangaria at 10000ft, the base village for Valley of flowers and Hemkund sahib. It took about 7 hours to climb.We stayed in Hotel Gangotri which I would call a luxurious place for a base camp.
Day 4: Ghangaria - Byundar Valley
I thank my stars till today....It was a clear blue sunny day. We started for the valley at 6.00 am with our packed lunch and water.I was determined to walk through the entire valley of 8 km. ie after the main valley starts at 4km mark there is another 2km to Margaret stone and another 2 km to the mouth of river Pushpavati which is the end of the valley. We started walking with a guide named Raghuveer Chauhan. He was a very learned and experienced guy. As soon as we entered the valley colors started streaming in. AUgust is a good time to visit the valley. The whole valley was in full bloom. After going uphill and downhill and climbing uphill again after about 10 bends the bhyundar valley opens up with the majestic Rataban peak clad in snow. According to our guide not many would be able to see the peak so clearly. Luck !!! I would give you a suggestion that if you get sunny weather spend time in the valley until 2.00 pm and then see the clouds coming in and give an entirely different effect to the valley. We started descending at 2.00 pm and reached the base around 5.00 pm. It was a gentle and beautiful trek.
Day 5 : Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib(14500 ft)
This was the D- day . After 2 days of walking 12 kms daily in the hills at 10000 ft, today we were supposed to climb 6km constant uphill for Hemkund Sahib. We started around 6.00 am and reached the top around 12.30. The first 4 km were easy but the last 2 km were very difficult. I has breathing problems. After a dip in the holy glacial lake of Hemkund , meditating for a while in the Gurudwara and having the hot Khichdi in the Langar , we started back and reached the base at 5.00 pm. The brahmakamals and alpine flowers were beautiful en route.
Day 6: Ghangaria - Govindghat
Today was party time as we had a helicopter flight booked from Ghangaria to Govindghat . Deccan operates its flight in the region.
Our journey then followed to Badrinath, trek to Vasudhara falls (13,000 ft) , Mana village, Haridwar and back to Mumbai.
TIPS: 1.Do not carry a lot of rain gear as cheap use and throw rainwear is available at Govindghat.
2.Govindghat to ghangaria has shops lined up with refreshment so you need not carry food. Same for Hemkund Sahib . But for Valley of flowers you will have to carry food and water.
3.While climbing Hemkund Sahib keep a chewing gum in your mouth . It helps.
4. Breathe in 1 step, breathe out 2 steps.
Hope this helps ... Enjoy your visit to Heaven !
Day 1,2 : Mumbai - Haridwar
The journey started from Mumbai to Delhi via Rajdhani and there onwards to Haridwar via Janshatabdi. The timing between the trains is 6 hours apporximately. You can take one of the cheap rooms in hotels near the station to put your luggage and freshen up. We went to Pind Baluchi for lunch in Connaught place.We reached Haridwar at 9.00 pm.
Day 2 : Haridwar- Joshimath
At 7.30 am in the morning by bus we started for Joshimath. The views were breathtaking with Ganga winding with us . The chamoli section went very slow coz of landslides.After crossing many beautiful Prayags we reached joshimath around 5.00 pm . We visited the famous Shankaracharya Gufa and Kalpavriksha.
Day 3 :Joshimath - Govindghat - Ghangaria
The trek starts today. We started for Govindghat(20km) at 6.00 AM as we were supposed to pass the gate before 6.30 am by bus.You can deposit your extra luggage at the gurudwara.We had carried only a backpack. The rest of the group deposited their extra bags at the Gurudwara lockers in Govindghat carrying only essentials for 3 days thereafter. We loaded the mules with our main backpacks and started climbing with our daypack. The trek was 12km . First 3 km and Last 3km were a stepp climb with a gentle uphill and downhill in the middle 6km.You should keep stretching every 2 kms. The first 9 km trek is along the tributary Lakshmanaganga.After the last mucky 2km full of horse dung we reached the base village Ghangaria at 10000ft, the base village for Valley of flowers and Hemkund sahib. It took about 7 hours to climb.We stayed in Hotel Gangotri which I would call a luxurious place for a base camp.
Day 4: Ghangaria - Byundar Valley
I thank my stars till today....It was a clear blue sunny day. We started for the valley at 6.00 am with our packed lunch and water.I was determined to walk through the entire valley of 8 km. ie after the main valley starts at 4km mark there is another 2km to Margaret stone and another 2 km to the mouth of river Pushpavati which is the end of the valley. We started walking with a guide named Raghuveer Chauhan. He was a very learned and experienced guy. As soon as we entered the valley colors started streaming in. AUgust is a good time to visit the valley. The whole valley was in full bloom. After going uphill and downhill and climbing uphill again after about 10 bends the bhyundar valley opens up with the majestic Rataban peak clad in snow. According to our guide not many would be able to see the peak so clearly. Luck !!! I would give you a suggestion that if you get sunny weather spend time in the valley until 2.00 pm and then see the clouds coming in and give an entirely different effect to the valley. We started descending at 2.00 pm and reached the base around 5.00 pm. It was a gentle and beautiful trek.
Day 5 : Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib(14500 ft)
This was the D- day . After 2 days of walking 12 kms daily in the hills at 10000 ft, today we were supposed to climb 6km constant uphill for Hemkund Sahib. We started around 6.00 am and reached the top around 12.30. The first 4 km were easy but the last 2 km were very difficult. I has breathing problems. After a dip in the holy glacial lake of Hemkund , meditating for a while in the Gurudwara and having the hot Khichdi in the Langar , we started back and reached the base at 5.00 pm. The brahmakamals and alpine flowers were beautiful en route.
Day 6: Ghangaria - Govindghat
Today was party time as we had a helicopter flight booked from Ghangaria to Govindghat . Deccan operates its flight in the region.
Our journey then followed to Badrinath, trek to Vasudhara falls (13,000 ft) , Mana village, Haridwar and back to Mumbai.
TIPS: 1.Do not carry a lot of rain gear as cheap use and throw rainwear is available at Govindghat.
2.Govindghat to ghangaria has shops lined up with refreshment so you need not carry food. Same for Hemkund Sahib . But for Valley of flowers you will have to carry food and water.
3.While climbing Hemkund Sahib keep a chewing gum in your mouth . It helps.
4. Breathe in 1 step, breathe out 2 steps.
Hope this helps ... Enjoy your visit to Heaven !
Written 5 December 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rakaushi
Bengaluru, India4 contributions
Jul 2011 • Friends
I'm sure you've read other reviews about how beautiful this place is and everything.
I'll just write about things to be prepared for :
1. Hordes and hordes of Sikhs, of all kinds and colors till Ghangharia.
2. Loads and streams of horse/mule-dung- literally . The Govind-ghat to Ghangaria stretch. Especially if it rains. You'll be walking in horse dung and its certainly irritating. And 14kms of it can be pretty bad.
3. Strongly suggest against going in July. June and August might be better
4. VOF itself is a heavenly place, but dont expect beds of flowers. That is not what the place is. Keep your expectations right and you wont be disappointed. Enjoy the place for what its worth.
5. Best accomodation in Ghangharia (if money is no constraint) are the Tents by Sarovar group of hotels - call them for bookings.
6. If you are planning on visiting Badrinath, keep a whole day and start early, there are nice places (much better than Badrinath itself) around it.
7. You cant camp in VOF, so it might be a smart idea to rest a day in Ghangharia, start early and give yourself atleast 8 to 9 hrs in VOF.
8. Carry Avomine with you for your drive from Rishikesh to Joshimath if you have motion sickness in any form
I'll just write about things to be prepared for :
1. Hordes and hordes of Sikhs, of all kinds and colors till Ghangharia.
2. Loads and streams of horse/mule-dung- literally . The Govind-ghat to Ghangaria stretch. Especially if it rains. You'll be walking in horse dung and its certainly irritating. And 14kms of it can be pretty bad.
3. Strongly suggest against going in July. June and August might be better
4. VOF itself is a heavenly place, but dont expect beds of flowers. That is not what the place is. Keep your expectations right and you wont be disappointed. Enjoy the place for what its worth.
5. Best accomodation in Ghangharia (if money is no constraint) are the Tents by Sarovar group of hotels - call them for bookings.
6. If you are planning on visiting Badrinath, keep a whole day and start early, there are nice places (much better than Badrinath itself) around it.
7. You cant camp in VOF, so it might be a smart idea to rest a day in Ghangharia, start early and give yourself atleast 8 to 9 hrs in VOF.
8. Carry Avomine with you for your drive from Rishikesh to Joshimath if you have motion sickness in any form
Written 3 September 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sushil-gaur
Gurugram (Gurgaon), India50 contributions
‘Gar firdaus bar rue zameen ast / hameen asto, hameen asto, hameen ast’ -Persian.
In English it means: If ever there is Paradise on Earth – It is here! It is here! It is here!
A trek to ‘VALLEY OF FLOWERS’ was on my list since May,1996 when I first went for a 10 days trekking trip to Pindari and Kafni Glacier. It was a long wait of 13 years before life allowed it and six of us (wife,acquaintances and friends) agreed upon the destination and the dates.
Suresh ji (our experienced tour organizer) whose prompt replies to all our repeated queries helped us a great deal and he even agreed to escort us in the trip. The date of travel (21st of July, 09 till the 27th of July, 09) was set on the 10 of June,09 and the train tickets were done. As all of us are working, we made sure to plan ahead to minimize the number of holidays – leaving on Tuesday night and returning back on Monday morning was hectic, but best possible combination. Even if we booked our tickets 40 days in advance we got one leg (Delhi to Haridwar) which was for the 21st July as RAC 1,2,3,4,5,6 and the other (Haridwar to Delhi) for the 26th July night as confirmed. It is always suggested to book your tickets at least 2 months in advance or else wait for the risky ‘tatkal’ facility, just 5 days before departure – sharp at 8 am.
The plan was as follows:
Day 1- Tuesday (21-July,09)
Overnight train from Delhi-Haridwar ; departure 22:20 & arrival 5:52 by Mussoorie exp
Day 2-Wednesday (22-July,09)
SUV drive from Hariwar to Jhoshimath departure 6:30 arrival 16:30
Overnight stay at Jhoshimath-Hotel Dronagiri
Day 3-Thursday (23-July,09)
SUV 15 kms drive Jhoshimath to Govindgath 6:30 7:30
14kmsTrek from Govindgath to Ghanghariya departure 8:00 arrival 14:30
Overnight stay at Sarovar luxury tents, Ghanghariya
Day 4 Friday (24-July,09)
Trek from Ghanghariya to Valley of Flowers and back to the camp
Overnight stay at the same camp
Day 5 Saturday (25-July,09)
Trek from Ghanghariya-Hemkunth Sahib and back
Overnight stay at the same camp
Day 6 Sunday (26-July,09)
Trek from Ghanghariya to Govindghat departure 6:00 and arrival 9:00
14kms (downhill, therefore less time)
SUV drive from Govindgath – Haridwar ;departure 10:00 and arrival 21:00
Overnight train from Haridwar to Delhi ; departure 23:20 & arrival 7:45 by Mussoorie exp
Day 7 Monday (27-July,09)
Back to Delhi in morning ;can proceed on time to office
Our program started well – we all gathered at the Old Delhi station at 9:45 pm as we had to check our RAC status which got confirmed. My Singaporean friend , Ryan was really surprised to see the filthy and disorganized condition of the railway station. With apprehension, he asked me, if we had an AC compartment? To which I replied ‘yes’. After 30 mins of waiting at the crowded station, the train arrived and we all got in. Thankfully, the seats were comfortable and the cabin cool, neat and clean. As some of us were meeting for the first time it was nice to know each other.We were awake for almost 2 hrs when we decided to sleep as the next day was going to be long and tiring with a drive from Haridwar to Joshimath. Somehow I was unable to sleep due to excitement and anxiety.
On the 22nd of July, 09 we reached the Haridwar train station early morning at 6 am. Suresh ji met us at the platform and guided us to the place where our Innova was ready to take us for a Himalayan drive. The weather was pleasant good company of likeminded people kept me awake even when I hadn’t slept that previous night. It had rained heavily and the skies were clear. Luckily no landslides (a common phenomena in this region) had occurred on our route.
We had or first halt at Monal restaurant,Kaudiyala for freshening-up and breakfast. I sneaked in enough time to take a shower J. Enroute Suresh ji kept as entertained with stories and facts about Prayaag and we kept stopping to take pictures every now and then around the ‘Panch prayag’ – the five most sacred river confluences of the Garhwal Himalayas – which are of immense religious importance. The five Prayags are VishnuPrayag, NandPrayag, KarnaPrayag, RudraPrayag and DevPrayag, of which three are in Chamoli district.
DevPrayag:
It is the confluence of river Alaknanda and Bhagirathi and is famous for temples and river GHATS. It is believed that it was at DevPrayag where lord Vishnu begged for 3 steps of land from King Bali. Fairs are held on the occasion of Ramnavmi, Dussherra and Basant Panchami.
Shrinagar:
RudraPragay:
It is the confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers and is well known for LaxmiNarayan and Durga temples. At Monal resorts we got change to freshen up and had our lunch.
KarnaPrayag:
It is situated on the sacred confluence of Alaknanda and Pindari rivers and is known for the Karna Temple and the Uma Devi Temple. It is believed that Lord Surya gifted Kavatch, Kundal and Tuneer to Karna at KarnaPrayag. KarnaPrayag hosts several temples groups- KaalBhairov temple dedicated to Kaleshwar in the North, Jaleshwar temple in the South and Chandika temple & Narayan temple in the East.
NandaPrayag:
It is the confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers, about 21 kms from Karnaprayag, on the main route to Badrinath. The famous Gopalji temple is situated here. NandaPrayag hosts fair on the occasion of Baisakhi and Janmasthami.
Joshimath: we arrived joshimath at 6:30 pm hotel Dronagiri (2254) which I suppose is the best hotel in town. Afterwards, we got a chance to visit a 2400 years old Mulberry tree, little above Shankaracharya’s cave. The tree has an astonishing girth of 36 meters.
Back at the hotel, we slept early and woke up the next morning at 5:30 am (23rd of July, 09) all ready for breakfast. We fed sumptuously as it was going to be a long and tiring day. Later,we drove for 16 kms down to Govindghat crossing VishnuPrayag – the confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauli Ganga Rivers 6000 feet above sea level. This site is amazing as it’s part of Nandadevi Biosphere and one can easily feel the difference as everything seems to be neat, clean and natural.Around 7:30 am, we arrived at Govindghat and found it to be too congested and dirty. I think we Hindus and Sikhs should learn to make our religious places clean and silent rather than dirty, congested and noisy. We never expected such remote place to be so dirty.We didn’t spend much time and started our 14 kms trek to Ghanghariya. This is where I made a mistake of carrying my 35 kg rucksack. The route is stony and has a considerable gradient; its not recommended to carry it on your own. I strongly advise to carry the rucksacks or luggage on pony or mules and walk free hand to enjoy the trek and surroundings. It takes some doing to ignore the dirt created by the regular ponies and mules. Somehow we managed to concentrate more on the surrounding then on what we were walking over. For the most part, the trek goes parallel to the river and crosses beautiful villages like Pulna and Bhundyar.Also there are spectacular waterfalls and thick jungle sites.
It was the first time in my life that I saw such a thick forest of Bhojpatra trees and a heavy flow of rivers in the upper course. We were lucky that it didn’t rain and was not sunny either. Another interesting aspect was the sprit of Sikh pilgrims – it was amazing to see that people who never walk for 500mts a day were able to walk for 15 kms on a steep and stony path – some people even barefoot. ‘Vahe Guru’!
Everybody was helpful on the treacherous path, ready to offer food items, hand, and support. We kept feeding on dry fruits provided by Suresh ji, just before trek started. After a long trek of 14 kms we arrived at ‘Sarovar camp’, Ghanghariya around 18:30 pm – totally exhausted.
I realized carrying 35kgs was too much for testing my endurance. But we all liked the arrangements at Sarovar. We were happy to find comfortable beds, attached toilets, dining room and perfect view of the valley.
My wife was dead tired as she never had such an experience before. Seeing her, I decided to have our dinner at Sarovar itself. It was a little expensive but totally worth it – as at such a remote place we got home made phulkas, dal and mixed veg.
When our group members returned back they told us that we did right by staying back and having our dinner at the camp itself as Ghanghariya is 500 mts steep trek. We all were tired and ready to hit the bed after a ‘MOOV’ massage
I somehow managed to wake up at dawn – 5:00 am, and took a bath. It was the perfect time to look around. Perfect view of the valley, chirping of birds, sound of a nearby river – all made it a divine experience.
Athough I couldn’t sleep well but the early morning made me all charged up. We had our breakfast by 7 am and left for the Valley of Flowers at 8 am
Within 30 mins we arrived at the entrance gate of Valley of flowers, while crossing Ghanghariya en-route I really felt bad to find it dirty,congested and stinky.I request all ‘ Dharam gurus’ to tell their disciples to keep our surroundings clean – I guess only then will our Indian crowd do something otherwise we just care for our house and not the surroundings. Thanks to the forest department, mules are not allowed into the valley and the real fun started after entering the valley.
One can feel the difference. Everything was picture perfect.
Various species of flowers, nice trails, upper course river, waterfalls, bridges, lovely smells and perfect temperature. Although the real ‘Valley of Flowers’ start after 3 kms from entrance gate, my wife was tired and we gave up deep exploration, and kept exploring it near the entrance of the main valley.
While the other group members left to explore deep into the valley, we (my wife and me) climbed up the biggest boulder on the entrance of the valley to have the perfect view. We remained there for 2 hrs, it was such a romantic experience to be with my love seeing the whole valley from the top of the boulder.
I never saw such a clear blue sky. We both got a proper tan as we were at the height of more than 3000 mtrs where the sun rays were directly over us.
At 4 pm we decided to come back as we wanted to avoid rain & walking in the dark. Within 90 mins we all were down to Ghanghariya all hungry and excited. We ate at the local dhaba. The food was not good though and in the evening we decided to have meals at ‘Sarovar’ which is expensive but safe and good.
We did have Hemkunt Sahib in our cards but seeing the situation of half of our group members we decided to drop the plan.On the 25th of July,09 we woke up in a lazy way at 7:30 am by the breakfast alarm and directly hit the breakfast table for sumptuous breakfast: Juice, porridge, Milk, tea, paratha.
After an hour we decided to visit the nearby helipad for photo sessions and I also practiced my game ‘POI’.
Then we left for the nearby river and enjoyed the ambience.The river water was so cold that I could dip my feet for more than 15 seconds.But my wife resisted it for 7 min and won the bet.We came back to the camp by 12:30 pm and started our lunch at the camp itself.
After a short relaxation we moved for the Waterfall on the way to hemkunt where we tried to come closest to it and finally Mr. Joshi and I made it.If someone ask me to compare ‘Valley of flowers’ and bathing in this waterfall, I would say the later was more enjoyable. I was free, I was adventurous, it thrilled me and it was touching experience and felt as if I was a part of it, completely dissolved.
I wish my wife was with me then.After two 2hrs of bathing we started feeling cold and thought of moving from there.
4 of the group members left for the ‘valley of flowers’ and I and Mr. Bahuguna left for Ghanghariya.I moved further to bring Aruja from the camp to ghanghariya for an early dinner.
This time the restaurant was better than a day before.I also made a call to papa from the only available satellite phone Rs 20 per min. Came back to the camp by 7:30 pm and we all sat for 2-3 hrs enjoying as much as possible as the next day was going to be tiring and taxing. Next day, the 26th of July, 09 morning 5:30 am was the scheduled departure time and this time we hired a pony (Rs 450 per mule) to carry our rucksacks. We settled all our bills the same night.
We all got up around 4:30 am by a wakeup called and were at the breakfast table at 5:00am , as we knew it was going to be a tiring day we took sumptuous breakfast. Mules were on time and we loaded our stuffs and told him to wait for us at the Govindghat gate in case he reaches early. We started descending at 5:45 am and today we are were free hand without anyload on our shoulders.The only experience that was lacking was to touch the clouds and we were happy to see them now.Was not feeling good to leave such a wonderful place but we have to. We descended 14 kms comfortably in 4 hrs.And by 11 am we were near over INNOVA at govindghat.Then started the tiring journey to haridwar. After driving for 1:5hrs driver suspected a landslide as no traffic was approaching us and he was right there was a huge landslide near Pipalkoti and the traffic was jam for last 13 hrs. Our smart driver somehow zigzagged the car and parked it nearest to the landslide effected area as his gut feeling was that the traffic Jam will be curved in few hours. It was amazing to see how BRO (border Road Organisation) blasting the required area and clearing it, I wish I could record the blast. By 2 pm the road was cleared and the traffic starting moving.Authorities gave a green signal to the bikers and then followed the others.We were a bit skeptic if we would be able to make it to the the railway station by 11:20 pm as almost whole route till rishikesh is landslide area.We stopped for the lunch (30 mins) at Rudraprag not good food but yes enough to satiate.Our driver was really driving well –fast but cautious. By 7:30pm we had reached devprag and now we were relaxed that we would make it to the train station. But when we arrived kaudiyala this situation was different there was huge stretch of landslide and the traffic stopped at the byasi, we saw bikers turning back and telling us that the stones are falling.Most of the cars and bikers went back and some parked a safe area.It was then Mr. Suresh and I decided to inspect the area, it was 1 kms trek and we vigilant while walking as the stones were falling.When we reached the landside area we found the edge broken but we realised we can move some stones and make enough space to move the traffic at least for small 4 wheelers. We collected a few guys and started making the road , within 20 mins the road was ok and started moving the traffic.Our innova made it after 10 mins and we felt happy.It was still 35kms to the railway station.And it started raining heavily.We feared of another landslide area as the whole stretch from kaudiyala to NIM beach was landslide effected.But thankfully we made it to Rishikesh to stuck at ram jhula, courtesy Kanvars for nilkanth.We escaped it and finally reached the haridwar train station by 10:30 pm.We were happy that we were able to make it to the train station after a long and tiring journey with landslide effected area.
Overall, the trek was great and we all came back refreshed with great memories, a little less weight and broad smiles.
For more information & pics click you can contact me.
In English it means: If ever there is Paradise on Earth – It is here! It is here! It is here!
A trek to ‘VALLEY OF FLOWERS’ was on my list since May,1996 when I first went for a 10 days trekking trip to Pindari and Kafni Glacier. It was a long wait of 13 years before life allowed it and six of us (wife,acquaintances and friends) agreed upon the destination and the dates.
Suresh ji (our experienced tour organizer) whose prompt replies to all our repeated queries helped us a great deal and he even agreed to escort us in the trip. The date of travel (21st of July, 09 till the 27th of July, 09) was set on the 10 of June,09 and the train tickets were done. As all of us are working, we made sure to plan ahead to minimize the number of holidays – leaving on Tuesday night and returning back on Monday morning was hectic, but best possible combination. Even if we booked our tickets 40 days in advance we got one leg (Delhi to Haridwar) which was for the 21st July as RAC 1,2,3,4,5,6 and the other (Haridwar to Delhi) for the 26th July night as confirmed. It is always suggested to book your tickets at least 2 months in advance or else wait for the risky ‘tatkal’ facility, just 5 days before departure – sharp at 8 am.
The plan was as follows:
Day 1- Tuesday (21-July,09)
Overnight train from Delhi-Haridwar ; departure 22:20 & arrival 5:52 by Mussoorie exp
Day 2-Wednesday (22-July,09)
SUV drive from Hariwar to Jhoshimath departure 6:30 arrival 16:30
Overnight stay at Jhoshimath-Hotel Dronagiri
Day 3-Thursday (23-July,09)
SUV 15 kms drive Jhoshimath to Govindgath 6:30 7:30
14kmsTrek from Govindgath to Ghanghariya departure 8:00 arrival 14:30
Overnight stay at Sarovar luxury tents, Ghanghariya
Day 4 Friday (24-July,09)
Trek from Ghanghariya to Valley of Flowers and back to the camp
Overnight stay at the same camp
Day 5 Saturday (25-July,09)
Trek from Ghanghariya-Hemkunth Sahib and back
Overnight stay at the same camp
Day 6 Sunday (26-July,09)
Trek from Ghanghariya to Govindghat departure 6:00 and arrival 9:00
14kms (downhill, therefore less time)
SUV drive from Govindgath – Haridwar ;departure 10:00 and arrival 21:00
Overnight train from Haridwar to Delhi ; departure 23:20 & arrival 7:45 by Mussoorie exp
Day 7 Monday (27-July,09)
Back to Delhi in morning ;can proceed on time to office
Our program started well – we all gathered at the Old Delhi station at 9:45 pm as we had to check our RAC status which got confirmed. My Singaporean friend , Ryan was really surprised to see the filthy and disorganized condition of the railway station. With apprehension, he asked me, if we had an AC compartment? To which I replied ‘yes’. After 30 mins of waiting at the crowded station, the train arrived and we all got in. Thankfully, the seats were comfortable and the cabin cool, neat and clean. As some of us were meeting for the first time it was nice to know each other.We were awake for almost 2 hrs when we decided to sleep as the next day was going to be long and tiring with a drive from Haridwar to Joshimath. Somehow I was unable to sleep due to excitement and anxiety.
On the 22nd of July, 09 we reached the Haridwar train station early morning at 6 am. Suresh ji met us at the platform and guided us to the place where our Innova was ready to take us for a Himalayan drive. The weather was pleasant good company of likeminded people kept me awake even when I hadn’t slept that previous night. It had rained heavily and the skies were clear. Luckily no landslides (a common phenomena in this region) had occurred on our route.
We had or first halt at Monal restaurant,Kaudiyala for freshening-up and breakfast. I sneaked in enough time to take a shower J. Enroute Suresh ji kept as entertained with stories and facts about Prayaag and we kept stopping to take pictures every now and then around the ‘Panch prayag’ – the five most sacred river confluences of the Garhwal Himalayas – which are of immense religious importance. The five Prayags are VishnuPrayag, NandPrayag, KarnaPrayag, RudraPrayag and DevPrayag, of which three are in Chamoli district.
DevPrayag:
It is the confluence of river Alaknanda and Bhagirathi and is famous for temples and river GHATS. It is believed that it was at DevPrayag where lord Vishnu begged for 3 steps of land from King Bali. Fairs are held on the occasion of Ramnavmi, Dussherra and Basant Panchami.
Shrinagar:
RudraPragay:
It is the confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers and is well known for LaxmiNarayan and Durga temples. At Monal resorts we got change to freshen up and had our lunch.
KarnaPrayag:
It is situated on the sacred confluence of Alaknanda and Pindari rivers and is known for the Karna Temple and the Uma Devi Temple. It is believed that Lord Surya gifted Kavatch, Kundal and Tuneer to Karna at KarnaPrayag. KarnaPrayag hosts several temples groups- KaalBhairov temple dedicated to Kaleshwar in the North, Jaleshwar temple in the South and Chandika temple & Narayan temple in the East.
NandaPrayag:
It is the confluence of Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers, about 21 kms from Karnaprayag, on the main route to Badrinath. The famous Gopalji temple is situated here. NandaPrayag hosts fair on the occasion of Baisakhi and Janmasthami.
Joshimath: we arrived joshimath at 6:30 pm hotel Dronagiri (2254) which I suppose is the best hotel in town. Afterwards, we got a chance to visit a 2400 years old Mulberry tree, little above Shankaracharya’s cave. The tree has an astonishing girth of 36 meters.
Back at the hotel, we slept early and woke up the next morning at 5:30 am (23rd of July, 09) all ready for breakfast. We fed sumptuously as it was going to be a long and tiring day. Later,we drove for 16 kms down to Govindghat crossing VishnuPrayag – the confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauli Ganga Rivers 6000 feet above sea level. This site is amazing as it’s part of Nandadevi Biosphere and one can easily feel the difference as everything seems to be neat, clean and natural.Around 7:30 am, we arrived at Govindghat and found it to be too congested and dirty. I think we Hindus and Sikhs should learn to make our religious places clean and silent rather than dirty, congested and noisy. We never expected such remote place to be so dirty.We didn’t spend much time and started our 14 kms trek to Ghanghariya. This is where I made a mistake of carrying my 35 kg rucksack. The route is stony and has a considerable gradient; its not recommended to carry it on your own. I strongly advise to carry the rucksacks or luggage on pony or mules and walk free hand to enjoy the trek and surroundings. It takes some doing to ignore the dirt created by the regular ponies and mules. Somehow we managed to concentrate more on the surrounding then on what we were walking over. For the most part, the trek goes parallel to the river and crosses beautiful villages like Pulna and Bhundyar.Also there are spectacular waterfalls and thick jungle sites.
It was the first time in my life that I saw such a thick forest of Bhojpatra trees and a heavy flow of rivers in the upper course. We were lucky that it didn’t rain and was not sunny either. Another interesting aspect was the sprit of Sikh pilgrims – it was amazing to see that people who never walk for 500mts a day were able to walk for 15 kms on a steep and stony path – some people even barefoot. ‘Vahe Guru’!
Everybody was helpful on the treacherous path, ready to offer food items, hand, and support. We kept feeding on dry fruits provided by Suresh ji, just before trek started. After a long trek of 14 kms we arrived at ‘Sarovar camp’, Ghanghariya around 18:30 pm – totally exhausted.
I realized carrying 35kgs was too much for testing my endurance. But we all liked the arrangements at Sarovar. We were happy to find comfortable beds, attached toilets, dining room and perfect view of the valley.
My wife was dead tired as she never had such an experience before. Seeing her, I decided to have our dinner at Sarovar itself. It was a little expensive but totally worth it – as at such a remote place we got home made phulkas, dal and mixed veg.
When our group members returned back they told us that we did right by staying back and having our dinner at the camp itself as Ghanghariya is 500 mts steep trek. We all were tired and ready to hit the bed after a ‘MOOV’ massage
I somehow managed to wake up at dawn – 5:00 am, and took a bath. It was the perfect time to look around. Perfect view of the valley, chirping of birds, sound of a nearby river – all made it a divine experience.
Athough I couldn’t sleep well but the early morning made me all charged up. We had our breakfast by 7 am and left for the Valley of Flowers at 8 am
Within 30 mins we arrived at the entrance gate of Valley of flowers, while crossing Ghanghariya en-route I really felt bad to find it dirty,congested and stinky.I request all ‘ Dharam gurus’ to tell their disciples to keep our surroundings clean – I guess only then will our Indian crowd do something otherwise we just care for our house and not the surroundings. Thanks to the forest department, mules are not allowed into the valley and the real fun started after entering the valley.
One can feel the difference. Everything was picture perfect.
Various species of flowers, nice trails, upper course river, waterfalls, bridges, lovely smells and perfect temperature. Although the real ‘Valley of Flowers’ start after 3 kms from entrance gate, my wife was tired and we gave up deep exploration, and kept exploring it near the entrance of the main valley.
While the other group members left to explore deep into the valley, we (my wife and me) climbed up the biggest boulder on the entrance of the valley to have the perfect view. We remained there for 2 hrs, it was such a romantic experience to be with my love seeing the whole valley from the top of the boulder.
I never saw such a clear blue sky. We both got a proper tan as we were at the height of more than 3000 mtrs where the sun rays were directly over us.
At 4 pm we decided to come back as we wanted to avoid rain & walking in the dark. Within 90 mins we all were down to Ghanghariya all hungry and excited. We ate at the local dhaba. The food was not good though and in the evening we decided to have meals at ‘Sarovar’ which is expensive but safe and good.
We did have Hemkunt Sahib in our cards but seeing the situation of half of our group members we decided to drop the plan.On the 25th of July,09 we woke up in a lazy way at 7:30 am by the breakfast alarm and directly hit the breakfast table for sumptuous breakfast: Juice, porridge, Milk, tea, paratha.
After an hour we decided to visit the nearby helipad for photo sessions and I also practiced my game ‘POI’.
Then we left for the nearby river and enjoyed the ambience.The river water was so cold that I could dip my feet for more than 15 seconds.But my wife resisted it for 7 min and won the bet.We came back to the camp by 12:30 pm and started our lunch at the camp itself.
After a short relaxation we moved for the Waterfall on the way to hemkunt where we tried to come closest to it and finally Mr. Joshi and I made it.If someone ask me to compare ‘Valley of flowers’ and bathing in this waterfall, I would say the later was more enjoyable. I was free, I was adventurous, it thrilled me and it was touching experience and felt as if I was a part of it, completely dissolved.
I wish my wife was with me then.After two 2hrs of bathing we started feeling cold and thought of moving from there.
4 of the group members left for the ‘valley of flowers’ and I and Mr. Bahuguna left for Ghanghariya.I moved further to bring Aruja from the camp to ghanghariya for an early dinner.
This time the restaurant was better than a day before.I also made a call to papa from the only available satellite phone Rs 20 per min. Came back to the camp by 7:30 pm and we all sat for 2-3 hrs enjoying as much as possible as the next day was going to be tiring and taxing. Next day, the 26th of July, 09 morning 5:30 am was the scheduled departure time and this time we hired a pony (Rs 450 per mule) to carry our rucksacks. We settled all our bills the same night.
We all got up around 4:30 am by a wakeup called and were at the breakfast table at 5:00am , as we knew it was going to be a tiring day we took sumptuous breakfast. Mules were on time and we loaded our stuffs and told him to wait for us at the Govindghat gate in case he reaches early. We started descending at 5:45 am and today we are were free hand without anyload on our shoulders.The only experience that was lacking was to touch the clouds and we were happy to see them now.Was not feeling good to leave such a wonderful place but we have to. We descended 14 kms comfortably in 4 hrs.And by 11 am we were near over INNOVA at govindghat.Then started the tiring journey to haridwar. After driving for 1:5hrs driver suspected a landslide as no traffic was approaching us and he was right there was a huge landslide near Pipalkoti and the traffic was jam for last 13 hrs. Our smart driver somehow zigzagged the car and parked it nearest to the landslide effected area as his gut feeling was that the traffic Jam will be curved in few hours. It was amazing to see how BRO (border Road Organisation) blasting the required area and clearing it, I wish I could record the blast. By 2 pm the road was cleared and the traffic starting moving.Authorities gave a green signal to the bikers and then followed the others.We were a bit skeptic if we would be able to make it to the the railway station by 11:20 pm as almost whole route till rishikesh is landslide area.We stopped for the lunch (30 mins) at Rudraprag not good food but yes enough to satiate.Our driver was really driving well –fast but cautious. By 7:30pm we had reached devprag and now we were relaxed that we would make it to the train station. But when we arrived kaudiyala this situation was different there was huge stretch of landslide and the traffic stopped at the byasi, we saw bikers turning back and telling us that the stones are falling.Most of the cars and bikers went back and some parked a safe area.It was then Mr. Suresh and I decided to inspect the area, it was 1 kms trek and we vigilant while walking as the stones were falling.When we reached the landside area we found the edge broken but we realised we can move some stones and make enough space to move the traffic at least for small 4 wheelers. We collected a few guys and started making the road , within 20 mins the road was ok and started moving the traffic.Our innova made it after 10 mins and we felt happy.It was still 35kms to the railway station.And it started raining heavily.We feared of another landslide area as the whole stretch from kaudiyala to NIM beach was landslide effected.But thankfully we made it to Rishikesh to stuck at ram jhula, courtesy Kanvars for nilkanth.We escaped it and finally reached the haridwar train station by 10:30 pm.We were happy that we were able to make it to the train station after a long and tiring journey with landslide effected area.
Overall, the trek was great and we all came back refreshed with great memories, a little less weight and broad smiles.
For more information & pics click you can contact me.
Written 7 August 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GolakaNath
Mumbai, India1,566 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
The trek to Valley of Flowers is not an easy one. We visited the place along with Hemkund Sahib, Badrinath in July'14 and were stuck for couple of days at Govind Ghat for land slides while coming from Badrinath Dham. The stop over is at Ghangaria which you reach after trekking about 13-14 km in a hilly road and at many places the road is really bad. We hired ponies to reach Ghangaria. Most part of Valley of Flowers were closed to public because of the disaster of 2013 and we could only walk upto the new bridge. However, we saw varieties of flowers on our ways to the bridge which is about 3km from the entrance. We found more flowers on our way to Hemkund Sahib (like Blue Poppy, Brahma Kamal, etc.). The sheer beauty of the place is mesmerizing. You can see the snow clad mountains surrounding the valley. Not many good places to stay at Ghangaria. Basic facilities are there. We booked through Blue Poppy Holidays and our experience is really bad and we advise people to be careful while choosing the travel agent. Visit to Valley of flowers and Hemkund Sahib is a life time experience and the trip was worth the trouble.
Written 5 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kiranjeet C
New Delhi, India140 contributions
Aug 2012 • Friends
Wordsworth never came to this place, else he would have camped here for eternity. The lines he penned above truly capture the mood and look of the Valley of Flowers for me. A vist here is a truly unforgettable experience. Once you have been there, it is forever going to be a part of who you are, and you will be pulled back again and again by its magic.
Here, it is easy to believe in fairies and elves and all sorts of mythical stories about other fantastic creatures. It is hard to believe this was actually grazing pastures for villagers around and part of a trade route to Tibet at one point of time. Today it is a well preserved natural wilderness, remote, lush and green, bordered by the treeline and rising above it in places, surrounded by snow capped peaks and run across by glaciers, streams and waterfalls. And in the short and lively summer from June to August every inch of it almost is very heavily carpetted with wild Alpine/ Himalayan flowers.
All this dazzling beauty is hard to arrive at of course. After a nearly 500km/ 200 miles drive from Delhi, you arrive at the nearest road head of Govindghat. Then you trudge up a long and ardous climb 14 kms uphill to Ghangharia, the base point for the entry into the Valley, at some 11, 000 ft. You can make this trudge easier, and save full days on the trip, if your pocket and the weather permit by booking a chopper ride till Ghangharia either all the way from an airport in Dehradun, 300 kms downhill in the plains, or from Gauchar, some 150 kms away in the hills, or at least from Govindghat . The last option is most often used, and in 2012 it cost Rs. 4000 one-way, cutting short a 5 hours trek of 14 kms to 10 mts.
From Ghagharia, you have to walk a couple of kms to the enterance of the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Valley of Flowers National Park, Bhyunder Valley. A nominal entry fee is paid to enter, entry being on from early morning 7 a.m till 2 p.m in the afternoon. You are not allowed to camp or stay overnite in the valley so all visitors have to exit the gate by 5 p.m. Inside th eValeey the walking is a moderate one, and you gain heights of upto 12, 000 ft and a little more depending on where you chose to go. The typical walk is for about 4 to 7 kms, depending on your interest and capabilty. The entire walk is beathtakingly beautiful and one cannot really take it all in at one go. Many people therefore come back the next day, and planning at least a two nights halt in Ghangharia is the best way to truly relish and savor the joys of coming here.
Camping options are there in Ghangharia, as are other less pleasant brick and mortar basic rooms on hire. Ghangharia is a temporary town that comes to life for the few summer months that are snow free, and all materials, food supplies , workers etc are hauled up from the lower altitudes. So simple things like Maggi cost three times, uncooked and 4 times when cooked !
Some people also take mules for the climb from Govindghat to ghagharia. Afterghagharia, no Mules are allowed into the Valley. But Mules can go upto the highly revered Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib, at a lofty 14,000 plus feet, on another track that veers of from ghangharia. Porters carry people up to the valley and to Hemkund Sahib in back hoisted baskets, and many children and older folks make the trip this way too.
It can rain anytime here so rain gear and waterproof shoes are a must. So is layers of clothing as weather and sun conditions keep changing. On the trek into the valley carry a smal day pack with water, light snacks and some band aid. Water streams are plenty for replenshing your water bottle. Please do not litter and respect and presrve the fragie eco-system of the valley by not plucking or destroying the natural growing plants and flowers.
Here, it is easy to believe in fairies and elves and all sorts of mythical stories about other fantastic creatures. It is hard to believe this was actually grazing pastures for villagers around and part of a trade route to Tibet at one point of time. Today it is a well preserved natural wilderness, remote, lush and green, bordered by the treeline and rising above it in places, surrounded by snow capped peaks and run across by glaciers, streams and waterfalls. And in the short and lively summer from June to August every inch of it almost is very heavily carpetted with wild Alpine/ Himalayan flowers.
All this dazzling beauty is hard to arrive at of course. After a nearly 500km/ 200 miles drive from Delhi, you arrive at the nearest road head of Govindghat. Then you trudge up a long and ardous climb 14 kms uphill to Ghangharia, the base point for the entry into the Valley, at some 11, 000 ft. You can make this trudge easier, and save full days on the trip, if your pocket and the weather permit by booking a chopper ride till Ghangharia either all the way from an airport in Dehradun, 300 kms downhill in the plains, or from Gauchar, some 150 kms away in the hills, or at least from Govindghat . The last option is most often used, and in 2012 it cost Rs. 4000 one-way, cutting short a 5 hours trek of 14 kms to 10 mts.
From Ghagharia, you have to walk a couple of kms to the enterance of the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Valley of Flowers National Park, Bhyunder Valley. A nominal entry fee is paid to enter, entry being on from early morning 7 a.m till 2 p.m in the afternoon. You are not allowed to camp or stay overnite in the valley so all visitors have to exit the gate by 5 p.m. Inside th eValeey the walking is a moderate one, and you gain heights of upto 12, 000 ft and a little more depending on where you chose to go. The typical walk is for about 4 to 7 kms, depending on your interest and capabilty. The entire walk is beathtakingly beautiful and one cannot really take it all in at one go. Many people therefore come back the next day, and planning at least a two nights halt in Ghangharia is the best way to truly relish and savor the joys of coming here.
Camping options are there in Ghangharia, as are other less pleasant brick and mortar basic rooms on hire. Ghangharia is a temporary town that comes to life for the few summer months that are snow free, and all materials, food supplies , workers etc are hauled up from the lower altitudes. So simple things like Maggi cost three times, uncooked and 4 times when cooked !
Some people also take mules for the climb from Govindghat to ghagharia. Afterghagharia, no Mules are allowed into the Valley. But Mules can go upto the highly revered Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib, at a lofty 14,000 plus feet, on another track that veers of from ghangharia. Porters carry people up to the valley and to Hemkund Sahib in back hoisted baskets, and many children and older folks make the trip this way too.
It can rain anytime here so rain gear and waterproof shoes are a must. So is layers of clothing as weather and sun conditions keep changing. On the trek into the valley carry a smal day pack with water, light snacks and some band aid. Water streams are plenty for replenshing your water bottle. Please do not litter and respect and presrve the fragie eco-system of the valley by not plucking or destroying the natural growing plants and flowers.
Written 13 May 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anjum z
Kuwait1 contribution
Sept 2014 • Friends
I was extremely surprised to see the very deep parts of the valley. I read a lot about the Valley of Flowers before but nobody mentioned about how people miss important places there. Blue Poppy Holidays helped me to discover the true beauty.
I was glad that my trip was worthwhile and I saw many unexplored areas there. Flowers are so colorful and I saw many species that are rare to find anywhere else. I really want to come here once again because it’s such a mesmerizing location
I was glad that my trip was worthwhile and I saw many unexplored areas there. Flowers are so colorful and I saw many species that are rare to find anywhere else. I really want to come here once again because it’s such a mesmerizing location
Written 18 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dilip123
Bengaluru, India90 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
Valley of flowers is heaven on earth. The sights and even the smell is mesmerizing.
Here are some tips for travel:
1. The base camp of VOF is Ghangria, a small village 15kms from Govinghat. Ghangria is not accessible through road. One either needs to walk or ride on a horse to reach the place. There is also helicopter service from Govindghat, the operation of which is highly weather dependent. There is a new road made for vehicular movement from Govindghat to Pulna (5kms) after which one needs to trek or ride on a horse for the next 10 kms. If one is not very fit, it’s better to take a pony ride and conserve energy for the VOF trek.
2. If you opt to ride a horse, do bargain well since rates are not fixed. Also carry something like a soft blanket to spread on the horse saddle since long durations on a horse back gives one a sore bottom!
3. Its highly recommended to book a hotel room in Ghangria well in advance. It’s a small place with limited options for accommodation and gets terribly crowded during the peak season.
4. Pack lunch from a restaurant and carry it to VOF since nothing is available there.
5.Can old people visit VOF and Hemkund? Yes, provided they are fit enough to ride a pony and sit it in a “pittu”, which is a basket like chair carried on a person’s back. Horses are available to Hemkund, but not VOF. One needs to sit in a pittu which is only allowed to VOF.
6.Every commodity sold in Ghangria is priced double the MRP. So carry as much stuff as possible before coming to Ghangria.
7. Do not forget carrying medicines since the place is very remote
8. Himalayan weather is unpredictable. Its recommended to carry rain coats and rain proof clothing.
9. Entry to VOF is a steep ascent and takes time. Better start early, that is, as soon as the ticket counter at the entrance opens up at 7AM. The ticket counter is at about 15 - 20 mins walk from Ghangria.
10. Trek to Hemkund is tough. All though the route is fixed and the path is stone cobbled, the ascent is very steep.
11. A lot of dhabhas are available enroute Hemkund.
12. There are a few temporary toilets on the way to Hemkund Sahib. There is a clean toilet near the Gurudwara on the top. However, nothing is available in the VOF.
13. Only BSNL SIMs work in Ghangria. Shops have phone booths and charge Rs 10 a minute.
14. Please do not litter the place with plastic. VOF is a world heritage site and part of the nanda devi biosphere, an eco sensitive zone.
15. There is an info center in Ghangria that plays a 20 mins video on VOF. The center also sells books and post cards. Its very informative. Center opens only at 4.30 PM
Here are some tips for travel:
1. The base camp of VOF is Ghangria, a small village 15kms from Govinghat. Ghangria is not accessible through road. One either needs to walk or ride on a horse to reach the place. There is also helicopter service from Govindghat, the operation of which is highly weather dependent. There is a new road made for vehicular movement from Govindghat to Pulna (5kms) after which one needs to trek or ride on a horse for the next 10 kms. If one is not very fit, it’s better to take a pony ride and conserve energy for the VOF trek.
2. If you opt to ride a horse, do bargain well since rates are not fixed. Also carry something like a soft blanket to spread on the horse saddle since long durations on a horse back gives one a sore bottom!
3. Its highly recommended to book a hotel room in Ghangria well in advance. It’s a small place with limited options for accommodation and gets terribly crowded during the peak season.
4. Pack lunch from a restaurant and carry it to VOF since nothing is available there.
5.Can old people visit VOF and Hemkund? Yes, provided they are fit enough to ride a pony and sit it in a “pittu”, which is a basket like chair carried on a person’s back. Horses are available to Hemkund, but not VOF. One needs to sit in a pittu which is only allowed to VOF.
6.Every commodity sold in Ghangria is priced double the MRP. So carry as much stuff as possible before coming to Ghangria.
7. Do not forget carrying medicines since the place is very remote
8. Himalayan weather is unpredictable. Its recommended to carry rain coats and rain proof clothing.
9. Entry to VOF is a steep ascent and takes time. Better start early, that is, as soon as the ticket counter at the entrance opens up at 7AM. The ticket counter is at about 15 - 20 mins walk from Ghangria.
10. Trek to Hemkund is tough. All though the route is fixed and the path is stone cobbled, the ascent is very steep.
11. A lot of dhabhas are available enroute Hemkund.
12. There are a few temporary toilets on the way to Hemkund Sahib. There is a clean toilet near the Gurudwara on the top. However, nothing is available in the VOF.
13. Only BSNL SIMs work in Ghangria. Shops have phone booths and charge Rs 10 a minute.
14. Please do not litter the place with plastic. VOF is a world heritage site and part of the nanda devi biosphere, an eco sensitive zone.
15. There is an info center in Ghangria that plays a 20 mins video on VOF. The center also sells books and post cards. Its very informative. Center opens only at 4.30 PM
Written 23 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arijit S
Cape Town, South Africa34 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
Could anyone please guide me for this trip. I have some 5 days. I shall be starting from Delhi on 17th of October and need to return the same on 22 afternoon. Will this be possible for me to visit valley of flower and Auli in between. Please suggest.
Thanks in advanced
Thanks in advanced
Written 16 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes, Ghangaria is the place where every visitor need to stay on his trip to Valley of flowers and Hemkund Shahib
Written 19 February 2022
I want to visit KAGBHASANDI TAL - fron where I can arrange Guide & potter?
Written 31 May 2021
We 4 cousins want to go in sept by bikes ...we r from gorakhpur..is there any other route to joshimath except from rishikesh...
Written 21 May 2020
Planning VoF tour as below. Please let me know if day-1 and day-3 are comfortably possible. Else have to add one more day
Night before arrive and stay at govind ghat
Day-1
govind ghat to pulna -Jeep
Pulna to Ghangriya by pony
Ghangriya to VoF and back and stay at Ghangriya
Day-2
Ghangriya to hemkund and back with stay at ghangriya
Day-3
Ghangriya to pulna by ponny- Badrinath and nearby site seeing including mana village.
Day-4
Badrinath to Rishikesh/Haridwar
Written 20 May 2020
Hi,
The Itinerary you are planning for is Impossible to achieve due to the drastic change in altitude, it is extremely difficult to cover such a long route even if you are travelling on a pony. I would suggest the below itinerary:
Day 1 - Govind Ghat to Pulna by Jeep and then to Ghangaria on pony back. Stay at Ghangaria.
Day 2 - Ghangaria to Valley of Flowers and back (This journey takes up the whole day)
Day 3 - Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib and back (This one also would take up the whole day)
Day 4 - Ghangaria to Govindghat. The same day, you can Visit Badrinath Temple and stay may be at Joshimath in case you do not want to go back to Govindghat
Day 5 - Back to Rishikesh / Haridwar. When I had travelled last year, it took us nearly 14 hours to get back to Haridwar from Govindghat due to all the road blocks. So, I would suggest you to plan accordingly.
Written 8 October 2020
The Valley of flowers is closed in February, it opens on 1st June every year.
Written 27 January 2020
Is it wise to visit in October end? How it can be reached from kathgodam or Haridwar by bus?
Written 24 August 2019
Valley of flowers closes in first week of August. It’s good to reach from Haridwar.
Written 25 August 2019
Is it wise to visit in October end? How it can be reached from kathgodam or Haridwar by bus?
Written 24 August 2019
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