Valley of flowers is an Indian National Park located in North Chamoli and Pithoragarh in the state of Uttarakhand. It is known for its meadows of beautiful flowers and a variety of flora and fauna. It is a higher altitude Himalayan valley because of which it is admired by renowned mountaineers, botanists, and literature. This National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is located in the upper area of Bhyundar Ganga near Joshimath in the Garhwal region. You can majorly spot pink and yellow flowers in the valley.

Some Facts about Valley of Flowers

It is believed that the Valley of Flowers is the place from where Hanuman brought the magical herb to rescue Lakshman in the Hindu Epic Ramayana. There is a mythology about the Valley of flowers that the valley was inhabited by fairies and gods and it was believed that if someone goes to the valley, the person is captured by fairies and never returned.

Best time for the Valley of Flowers trek

The best time for the valley of flowers trek is between July and early September, just after the outbreak of the monsoon. At this time, the valley is full of flowers and the scenic view is very beautiful. The rest of the year, the place is covered with white snow.

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How to reach

You can reach the Valley of Flowers by:

Flight: You can take a flight to reach the nearest airport to the Valley of Flowers, Jolly Grant Airport. From there, you have to go to Govind Ghat from where you have to trek for 16 kilometers to reach your destination.

Train: You can catch a train to reach the nearest railway station to the Rishikesh Valley of Flowers. Then you can take a bus or taxi to reach Govind Ghat which is 273km from the station.

Cab: The roads are well connected up to Govind Ghat. You can reach there by any motor vehicle. After that, you have to trek for 16 kilometers to reach the valley.

Things to carry 

To make your trek easy and successful in the valley of flowers, you need some essential things like:

  • Warm shirts, light pullovers, full sleeve T-shirts, or thermal innerwear, woolen cap, gloves, scarf/muffler to keep yourself warm.
  • Water-resistant trekking pants and jacket.
  • Raincoat, small lightweight socks.
  • Trekking shoes and woolen socks.
  • Insulated water bottle.
  • Caps, sunglasses, sunscreen lotion, lip balm.
  • Trekking pole
  • Torch 
  • First aid kit and personal toiletries.

Level of Difficulty

The level of difficulty of the valley of flowers Trek lies between easy and moderate levels. This trek is well-defined and well-paved but it is steep at many places. You can hire a pony to reduce the difficulty level of the trek.

Reasons to do

  1. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was declared a part of the Nanda Devi national park and reserve which is in the UNESCO World Network of biosphere reserves 
  2. You will have an experience similar to entering the world of Jurassic Park. It looks like a dense forest similar to Jurassic Park while hiking upwards from Govind ghat.
  3. It is one of the tracks which have difficulty between easy and moderate. It is well-paved so you can travel solo too. There are budget-friendly hotels and premium camps in Ghangaria and trails are well made.
  4. It is the home to some of the rare species of flora like “Brahma Kamal”. It is a rare, legendary, and mythological Himalayan flower. It is the state flower of Uttarakhand State. It is found at an altitude from 3500 meters to 4500 meters and usually blooms in monsoon season.
  5. It is a valley full of rare and endangered animal and bird species like Asiatic black bears, blue sheep, red fox, snow leopard, Musk deer, Himalayan Monal, brown bears, etc.
  6. The valley of flowers is a place filled with flowers mainly, pink and yellow flowers. The stunning landscape of the valley offers very beautiful views. It can be called a heaven for photographers and a day isn’t enough to capture the beauty of this wonder.

Places to visit during the Valley of Flowers trek

There are many places to visit nearby the Valley of Flowers like:

Badrinath: It is one of the pilgrimage sites of the “Char Dham Yatra”. It is 39 kilometers away from the Valley of Flowers. It is located at an average elevation of 3,300 meters (10827 feet) above sea level on the banks of the Alaknanda River.

Auli: It is a  famous hill station and winter holiday destination in India. It is 44 kilometers away from the valley. It offers Himalayan views, meadows, adventure sports, etc.

Govindghat: It is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It is 14 kilometers from the valley. It is located on the way to Badrinath. It is very admired by pilgrims and adventurers. The tourists visiting the National park reside here as it offers budget-friendly hotels and delicious food. 

About locals

The locals of the valley of flowers are very humble and polite which makes it safe to travel. Tourists stay in Ghangaria, a small village on the way to Hemkund Sahib because it is the only village where you can find hotels and food to eat. The people open their homes to tourists where they can enjoy the charms of rustic life. The locals believe that it is the place from where Hanuman Ji brought the magical herb Sanjivani to rescue Lakshman in the Hindu Epic Ramayana. They also believe that this valley was inhabited by fairies and gods and if someone goes to that valley the person is captured by fairies and never returned.