A must visit place for the flower and nature lovers, Located in the Nanda Devi Biosphere, The Valley of Flowers is a UNESCO World Heritage site and also Declared as a National Park of India in 1982. The Valley of Flowers “Phoolon Ki Ghati” is flawlessly nestled in the West Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. The Valley of flowers is located at an altitude of 3250 to 6750 meters from the sea level, famous for its mesmerizing natural beauty, endangered animals and endemic alpine flowers. It is spread over an area of around 88 sq. Km. in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand, the Valley Of Flowers trek is one of the best-known treks in the world. This national park is surrounded by the dense lush forests along with the Pushpawati river, snow-capped mountains, high cliffs, pristine glaciers, and beautiful waterfalls which add more stars to the beauty.
Mountaineers Frank Smith and R L Holdsworth first discovered this place on 9th July 1931 while returning after successfully scaling Mt Kamet. Frank Smith came again in the year 1935 to explore the area and collect seeds. He wrote a book called “The Valley of flowers”.
Valley of Flowers is one of the most beautiful trekking expeditions from where you can explore Himalayas and can be enjoyed during the monsoon season. So when you came on Uttarakhand trip, don’t forget to add this heavenly beauty to your tour itinerary.
As you step into the valley, pleasing fragrances emitted from the flowers makes you feel in a paradise. You will find variety of wildflowers like the Orchids, Poppies, Primulas, Calendulas, Daisies and Anemones. saxifrages, sedums, lilies, geranium, zinnia, and petunia. Animals found in the valley include the Tahr, Snow Leopard, Musk Deer, Red Fox, Common Langur, Bharal, Serow, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Brown Bear. and blue sheep.
Best time to visit
One of Uttarakhand’s most scenic destinations are the two adjoining treks, Valley of Flowers and Shri Hemkund Sahib. The Valley is accessible from June but the best time to visit is from mid-July to end of August. It’s monsoon season and also the best time for the flowers to bloom. A rich variety of birds and butterflies are found in this national Park. One can see around 125 to 200 species of flowers. From July to August is the best climate to trek this beautiful valley. The maximum temperature in this area goes up to 17°C and the minimum goes down to 7°C. This temperature is best to trek this high altitude valley. Average rainfall in this area is almost 1800.2 mm.
Fee/Permit
For Indian visitors have to pay a fees of INR 150 and for foreigners Rs. 600 (Approx US $10) for a permit of three days at the entrance.
Things to Do
Trekking – It is a great spot for trekking and mountaineering. The 17-kilometre trek commences from Govind ghat.
Bird Watching – Valley of Flower is home to exotic birds and Indian Himalayan birds, you can find here the Himalayan golden eagle, snow pigeon, Himalayan monal, Himalayan snow-cock and sparrows.
Have some blessings – The Valley of flower trek is incomplete without an exhilarating climb to the world’s highest Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib. It is one of the most sacred temples in the Himalayas. The crystal-clear Hemkund Lake offers a reflection of the magnificent mountain ranges and the pristine. It is a difficult trek of about 6 km, but mules are available for hire in Ghangaria that you can use for Hemkund.
Village walks – On nearing Ghangaria (which is roughly 3 km from the valley), frangrances of the flowers start coming and visitors are mesmerized by the experience. You need to take a permit from Ghangaria to enter Valley of Flowers. The permit is for 3 days and you can trek only during daytime.
Eye treat – Paradise on earth The Valley of Flowers is more than a delight to your eyes, make you fall in love with nature and its beauty. Maybe this is the reason that the site has earned the title of ‘Centre of Plant Diversity’. Apart from this, you will find beautiful butterflies fluttering around the colourful flowers.
How to reach
- By Air – The nearest airport is Jolly Grant at Dehradun. The airport is well connected by daily flights to Delhi.
- By Train – Rishikesh is the nearest railway station. From there you can book Taxis and buses are also available from here to reach Govindghat.
- By Road – Motorable roads exist only till pulna village (4kms from Govindghat.) From Govindghat you can hire a jeep to Pulna . Bigger vehicles do not ply on this short stretch. From there, the village of Ghangharia is a 9 km trek. Ghangaria is the base camp for the trek to the Valley of Flowers.
Helicopter service
there is a helicopter service from Govind ghat to Ghangaria after that you have the only option of trekking
Staying
Budget hotels are available at around INR 1400-1500 per night at Ghangaria. Dormitories are also available. However travellers cannot expect expensive luxury facilities.
Tips for this trip
- Carry/Pack your lunch or snacks from Ghangria
- Staying overnight at the park is not allowed. and all visitors need to exit by 5 pm.
- It is better to reach the counter early or get the tickets on the day you reach Ghangaria.
- Wear moderately warm clothes, carry water and some food, wear comfortable waterproof sandals/shoes, also carry raincoat/plastic cover in monsoons.
- Guide Required only if you are very much into flowers and botany. Else one can easily explore the natural flowers on their own.
- Only 3 km of the valley is open to tourists and rest all are covered under the core area of the park.
- At the place where the trekking begins, there are lots of porters, mules available for hire. It is best to leave luggage at Govindghat and carry only essentials in a backpack for the trek.
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