By road
Roads reach only as far as Govindghat; from there it's a 13-17 km trek via Ghangaria to the valley
North India · Uttarakhand
Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand
A UNESCO meadow that blooms for weeks · Roads reach only as far as Govindghat; from there it's a 13-17 km trek via Ghangaria to the valley
Getting there
By rail
Rishikesh, ~272-276 km
By air
Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, ~290-295 km
Best time to visit
Mid-July to mid-September — the bloom IS the season
Don't miss
The flower valley itself
Hemkund Sahib
Govindghat's river confluence
Things to do
The valley day-hike from Ghangaria
Alpine botany spotting
Hemkund climb
Where to eat
What to pack
Rain gear, trekking boots, permits, layers for Ghangaria nights
A quieter corner
Hemkund Sahib's glacial lake gurdwara, 1,100m above the valley trail
About Valley of Flowers
- Mountains
Where it is
The Valley of Flowers is a high alpine valley in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, in the western Himalaya above the Bhyundar valley, reached on foot from Govindghat by way of Ghangaria.
History
Long known to local shepherds, the valley was made famous by the British mountaineer Frank Smythe, who came upon it in 1931 and later wrote a book named after it. It was declared a national park in 1982 and, together with Nanda Devi National Park, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
People
The valley itself is uninhabited, but the villages below are home to Garhwali and Bhotiya communities who farm, herd and run services for trekkers and pilgrims. Sikh pilgrims bound for Hemkund Sahib share the trail each summer.
Known for
- Alpine flowers in the monsoon
- Blue poppies and brahma kamal
- The trek from Ghangaria
- Glaciers and the Pushpawati river
- UNESCO-listed alpine meadows
Did you know?
The Sikh gurdwara of Hemkund Sahib, above the valley trail, stands beside a glacial lake ringed by seven peaks at over 4,500 m.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.