The Valley of Flowers located in Uttarakhand state is one of the pristine biospheres which is located in India. It is all flowers as far as eyes can see, as varied as it can be in size, colour and shape. The gentle streams flowing down from the mountains, picturesque meadows, distant snow peaks contrasting the green mountains make the place scenic. The occasional mist makes the place even more beautiful. 

LOCATION 

The Valley of Flowers which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. This is nestled in snowy peaks such as Gauri Parvat, Rataban, Kunt Khal and Nilgiri Parvat. This Valley runs alongside the banks of river Pushpavati. This originates from the Tripa glacier of Bhyunder of Garhwal Himalayas and joins Lakshman Ganga at Ghangaria. 

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HOW TO REACH 

The place is a little difficult to reach as you will have to take multiple journeys. 

• Delhi – Haridwar / Dehradun by train, bus or flights 
• Haridwar / Dehradun – Joshimath by road
• Joshimath – Govindghat by road 

ROUTE A

• Govindghat – Trek starts here that goes on for 4 km
• Govindghat to Ghangaria – You will have to travel 11 km by foot
• Ghangaria to Valley of Flowers – a journey 5 km by foot

ROUTE B 

• Govindghat to Ghangaria by helicopter 
• Ghangaria to Valley of Flowers by foot

TREK DETAILS 

• You will have to go along a gradual ascent from Govindghat located at an altitude of 1920 m to the trek starting place which is at an elevation of 2195 m above sea level. 
• There are lots of porters to hire at the place where the trekking begins. 
• Trek start place is at a height of 2195 m to Ghangaria which is at an altitude of 2926 m above sea level and is graded as an easy to moderately difficult trek. It is a gradual ascent along the trail. 
• From Ghangaria you will have to go further about 2 to 3 km to reach Valley of Flowers located at an elevation of 3505 m above sea level. Only 3 km among the whole park is open to tourists and the rest is covered under the core area of the park. 
• You can go further if you want to visit the Hemkund Sahib which is at an altitude of 4300 m above sea level. This is a sikh pilgrimage site which has a gurdwara and a glacial lake behind it surrounded by misty mountains. The 6 km long trek is a little difficult one

BEST TIME TO VISIT 

Every year a spectacular flowering bonanza begins in these high altitude meadows. The best time to visit is to view the blooming flowers in July and August though it is open around mid June till September. The Valley of Flowers is not accessible beyond December until early May. Different flowers bloom each month carpeting the Valley in various shades of flowers. 

SUGGESTED ITINERARY 

• DAY 1 : Reach Delhi and overnight journey to Haridwar or Dehradun 
• D-AY 2 : Haridwar to Govindghat as you cross Joshimath
• DAY 3 : Govindghat to the starting place of trek and then reach Ghangaria, a total of 15 km trek
• DAY 4 : Ghan garia to Valley of Flowers and back, a 10 km trek
• D-AY 5 : Ghan garia to Hemkund Sahib which is a 12 km trek
• DAY 6 : Ghan garia to Govindghat, a total of 15 km trek
• D-AY 7 : Govindghat to Badrinath and back as you go across the Vasudhara Falls
• DAY 8 : Govindghat to Haridwar or Dehradun 

OTHER SIGHTSEEING DETAILS

• BADRINATH 

Badrinath is around 25 km and takes about an hour to reach. The Neelkand peak can be seen from the Badrinath temple if the weather permits. The temple is one of the abodes of the Chardham Yatra. 

• MANA VILLAGE

Mana is about 3 km away from the Valley. The trek from Mana village to Vasundhara falls is one of the beautiful trails which is around 6 km. It is a very scenic route and make sure you start early in the morning. The trail is easy when compared to that of Valley of Flowers or Hemkund Sahib. 

• PANCH PRAYAG

The confluence of five rivers in the Garhwal region of Himalayas is splendid. You can see Vishnuprayag, Nandaprayag, Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag and Devprayag on the way from Joshimath to Haridwar. 

• JOSHIMATH

This place is a gateway to several Himalayan treks and surrounding pilgrim sites. Auli can also be visited from this place. The trail of Kedarnath starts at this place.