“The Valley of Flowers”
As the name suggests a gorgeous valley full of flowers. The Valley of Flowers is an Indian National Park which has a lot of rare endemic species of flora. The terrains or lush meadows all are carpeted with beautiful, colorful, and exotic range of flowers. Brahma Kamal, Blue poppy, and cobra lily are some of the ravishing and rare species of flowers. The amazing landscapes, streams flowing, lush pastures & meadows, with a backdrop of snow-capped mountains make you fall for this place. The Valley of Flowers is a wonderful trekking destination and attracts thousands of trekkers every year. The Valley of Flowers is a part of the Nanda Devi Biosphere which comes under the list of UNESCO world’s best heritage sites. Apart from the blooming flowers of every shape, size or color, the valley offers a great chance to spot some wild creatures of the planet. You can spot snow leopard, musk deer, Asiatic black bear, and other animals and birds like pheasant, Himalayan monal, and other higher altitude birds. The Valley of Flowers is a paradise for nature lovers, botanists, and mountaineers.
Location and Altitude
The Valley of Flowers is nestled in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and sits in the laps of the Garhwal Himalayas. It is perched at an altitude of between 3562m to 3658m above sea level. The National Park spreads in the area of 87.50 sq.km with a width of 2km and 8km long. It is declared as a National Park in the year 1982.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit the Valley is from June to the beginning of October. The rest of the year the valley is covered with deep snow. Mid-July to Mid-August is the perfect time to visit and feast your eyes with the blooming flowers after the monsoon showers.
Visiting before July will not be a good idea, you will only see snow melting glaciers and it will be hard to see the clear views of the flowers. The sudden changes in colors from greenish to yellow seems like magic if you visit in Mid-August.
In September month, the weather remains calm with fewer rains and clear blue skies. Winters are quite colder and chilly in this region.
The Valley of Flowers opens only from June to October. The timings of visiting the valley are from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and camping in the area is prohibited.
How to reach?
The journey starts either from Haridwar or Dehradun. Take a direct bus, train from Delhi and reach both the places. Flights are only available from Delhi to Dehradun.
Take another bus or cab and reach Joshimath, a religious town which 280km and can be reached in 10 hours.
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After reaching Joshimath, take a cab or bus to reach the base camp of the trek Govindghat which is 20km from Joshimath.
The trek starts from Ghangaria village.
You can also reach Ghangaria by a helicopter ride from Govindghat or doing a walk by foot with a porter.
Other sightseeing places:
We all know the Valley of Flowers is a great place to visit but it has so many nearby places which you can visit around it. Some of them are:
- Hemkund Sahib: The nearest and another great destination that you can reach by doing a trek is the sacred spot Hemkund Sahib. It is a Sikh pilgrim site near an alpine crystal clear lake Hem Kund. every month thousands of pilgrims visit Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara. The trek starts from Ghangaria village.
- Panchprayag: Vishnuprayag, Nandaprayag, Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag, and Devprayag are the five confluences of rivers in the Himalayas which can be seen on the way to Joshimath to Haridwar. The color of the water changes according to the season to season.
- Haridwar: A great and religious place to visit and spend some time near the Ganga ghat. Har ki Pauri is a famous place where you can spend some time and take a dip into the cold water of the Ganges.
- Rishikesh: You can also witness the grand Ganga Aarti at Rishikesh.
- Joshimath: A religious town with so many temples and ashrams also serves as a base camp to so many treks and pilgrim sites. You can do another Himalayan trek from Joshimath.
Things to carry:
The Valley of Flowers trek is of moderate difficulty. One should be prepared with all the necessary and essential things.
- Sports shoes/ trekking shoes
- Backpack or rucksack
- Woolen clothes
- Jacket
- Extra pair of socks
- A medical kit
- Trekking pole
- Snacks and energy bar
- Umbrella
- Water bottle
- Swiss knife
- Torch or flashlight
- Hand sanitizer
- Trek pants or trousers
- Cap or hat
- Woolen gloves
- Sunscreen, lip balm, and sunglasses
- Trek route or map
- Powerbank
- Camera (if needed)
General Travel Tips:
- Do not litter. Keep the surroundings clean and green
- Be a responsible trekker. Do not harm the flora of the valley by plucking flowers.
- Carry water bottles from home and fill them from freshly flown natural streams. Do not spread plastic waste.
- Please do not use anything harmful that can destroy or damage the flora.
- Do not listen to loud music while trekking.
- Always listen to the instructions of the trek leader.
- Be motivated and confident during the trek.
This was all about the Valley of Flowers, be prepared and make this trek a memorable one. Choose the right tour operator for your trip. Plan a week-long holiday and embark on this amazing adventure.
Live. Travel. Explore!!
