Trek Route of Valley of Flowers Trek
Haridwar – Joshimath – Govindghat – Ghangaria – Valley of Flowers – Hemkund Sahib
Drive to Govindghat about 22 km away from Joshimath. The trek towards the Valley begins at Govind Ghat or Pulna Village, after crossing the Alaknanda river across a hanging bridge. A new motorable bridge has been erected in Govindghat, connecting 4 km towards the Valley of Flowers till Pulna Village. The 7 kms trail from Pulna to Bhyundar village will take you to Bhyundar Village that can be used as an opportunity for resting a while. From here, you will reach Ghangaria by trekking only 10 km, the base camp for treks to Valley of Flowers and Hernkund Sahib.
History of The Valley of Flowers
The valley of flowers was declared as the National Park of India in the year 1982 and it was recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site in the year 2002.
History : In the year 1931, three young British Mountaineers, Frank S. Smythe, Eric Shipton and R.L. Holdsworth went astray from their path while descending from Mt. Kamet. The group accidentally reached a valley which was blanketed with alpine flowers and was left in awe with its beauty, thus naming it as “The Valley of Flowers”. One of the climbers, Frank S. Smythe, later wrote a book called the ‘Valley of Flowers’.
Mythology about Valley of Flowers : The locals always knew about the existence of the valley and believed that it was inhabited by Gods. It was also believed earlier that one goes to the Valley, is captured by fairies and never returned back.
This beautiful valley is also believed to be the place from where Lord Hanuman brought the magical herb to resuscitate Lakshman in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
About The Valley of Flowers
Tucked at 3,658 metres in Bhyundar Valley, the Valley of Flowers in Chamoli district, it expands up to 87.50 square kms, measuring 8 km long and 2 km wide. Valley of Flowers is also the second core zone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve blessed with numerous cascading waterfalls. Ghangaria, a tiny hamlet situated 13 km from Govindghat is the last human habitation centre on the way to Valley of Flowers. The valley is home to many celebrated flowers like the Brahmakamal, the blue poppy and the cobra lily.
The valley of flowers seems to change its colours throughout the season from May to October, as blooms hundreds of different flowers, taking on various colours and shades as time progresses. The blooming of flowers in the valley generally begins in the end of May or early June.
It is home to endangered species and rare animals. From the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, musk bear, brown bear to red fox and blue sheep and even birds, you will also find high altitude birds like Himalayan Monal Pheasant.
Best Time to Visit/Trek
The best time to visit the Valley of flowers is only in July and August. The weather in July and August is quite good but monsoon time and trek friendly. With the temperature during the day ranging in between 10 °C to 15 °C and during the night the temperature comes down to 6°C to 10 °C. The Valley of Flowers National Park remains open for visitors from 1st June to 31st October.
The Valley of Flowers falls in the inner Himalayan valley of the Nanda Devi Basin and the region is dry with low annual precipitation. Heavy monsoon rainfall is expected from late June to early September.
Valley of Flower Seasons Valley of flowers in Summer (May and June): The Valley of flowers becomes accessible in the last week of May when snow starts melting and there will be no to less rain as the rainy season starts in the last week of June. The month of June is flooded by a lot of pilgrims for Shri Hemkund Sahib
Valley of flowers in Monsoon (July and August): Rainy season starts only in June end or in the first week of July. You will see a lot of flowers blooming till mid July. There are almost 650 varieties of flowers in total that can be seen in Valley of Flowers. The Best time to see the maximum number of flowers is mid July to Mid August.
Valley of flowers in fall (September): September is the Autumn season of Valley of Flowers. This is the last month for visiting the Valley of flowers. The Last official trip to Valley of Flowers is generally taken in the last week of September.
Best Places to Visit During The Valley of Flowers Trek
Joshimath : In the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, the sacred town of Joshimath is situated in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The two mighty rivers, the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga meet at the confluence of Vishnuprayag overlooking the town of Joshimath. And the view of Hathi Parvat and other Himalayan Peaks is mystifying.The town of Joshimath is also nicknamed as Jyotirmath and is the winter seat of Lord Badri, whose idol is brought down from Badrinath temple to Vasudeva temple at Joshimath. This holy town is revered by the Hindus for being an important pilgrimage centre of the country. The 8th-century Jyotirmath math or the Shri Shankaracharya monastery is manifested in the town itself.
Govindghat : Govindghat is in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state, perched at an altitude of 1800 metres above sea level. It is located on the way to Badrinath at the confluence of Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga rivers. Govindghat is also the starting point of the trek to Hemkund Sahib and the Valley of Flowers. Govindghat is the starting point of many treks in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The world-famous Valley of Flowers trek commences from Ghangaria which can be reached from Govindghat. The holiest shrine of Badrinath is just 25 kms from Govindghat while the pilgrimage on foot to the revered Sikh shrine Hemkund Sahib at an elevation of 4,600 metres goes via Govindghat.
Ghangaria : Located in the Chamoli district, the small hamlet of Ghangaria is a popular base camp for trekkers. It is the meeting point of Pushpawati and Hemganga rivers, which then flow as Lakshman Ganga. The last human habitation on the way to the Valley of Flowers, Ghangaria is a bustling village with a popular gurudwara. You can reach Ghangaria, which is perched at an altitude of 3,050 m, via an easy trek of 13 km from Govindghat. Ghangaria also has a helipad for the ease of travellers. Ghangaria is nestled on the confluence of River Pushpawati (coming from Valley of Flowers) and River Hemganga (coming from Hemkund Sahib, also known as Lakshman Ganga).
Hemkund Sahib : Just behind the Gurudwara lies a lake that remains frozen for 6 months. Govind Singh Ji the 10th Guru of the Sikh faith meditated on the bank of this lake during ancient times. Shri Hemkund Sahib also known as Hum Hemkunt. This Gurdwara is dedicated to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), and the place finds mention in the Dasam Granth, directed by Guruji himself, where mythological components are present in the work. It is approached from Govindghat on the Badrinath Highway. It is at a distance of about 19 kms from Govindghat, the nearest main town is Joshimath. The elevation of the lake at Hemkund is about 4,160 m.
How to Reach to the Base Camp : Joshimath
By Road : Joshimath is well-connected with major cities and towns of Uttarakhand. The city is also connected with Delhi. Uttarakhand state buses provide good connectivity between Joshimath and other places in the state.The National Highway 58 is the best and the shortest way to reach here. Cab services are also readily available for reaching Joshimath.
By Air : The nearest airport to Joshimath is situated in Dehradun and is called Jolly Grant. The airport is situated around 272 kms from Joshimath. From there, one can get a bus/cab to Joshimath.
By Rail : The nearest railway stations near Joshimath are located in Haridwar and Rishikesh which are 277 km and 250 km away from Joshimath, respectively. The major railway station remains, you can avail the taxi service or take a bus to Joshimath.
