Valley Of Flowers Trek

Suggested trek itinerary for Valley Of Flowers trek starting from Govindghat, the closest road head to Valley of Flowers. Ideally, this trek should be done in 5 days i.e 4 nights 5 days from Govindghat. TrailHikers recommends that you should stay a day at Govindghat on arrival to acclimatize and a day on return to rest so the trek requires a week to undertake. So it becomes a 5 Nights 6 Days itinerary from Dehradun.

Drive from Dehradun to Joshimath / Govindghat. Overnight at lodge / guest house.

Govindghat (1,828m) is a humongous parking lot, catering to the thousands of Sikh pilgrims threading up to the Hemkund Lake (locally known as Lokpal). The pilgrim traffic, and those catering to it, completely dominate the landscape and the walk is unending ribbon of stalls, providing tea, refreshments, full-fledged meals, phone calls and, as you climb higher, even massages ! Leave your transport on the right bank of the Alaknanda. The ascent begins as soon as you cross, and join the cheerful groups heading up to Ghangaria – now also known as Govind Dham. Tracing the path of Laxman Ganga, the mule track climbs past the terraced fields and vegetation, to the hamlet of Pulna (3km).

From here, the trail is a little wider, and more forested, with occasional glimpses of snow peaks, and of the cascading waters that feed the Alaknanda. The 7 km from Pulna to Bhyundar Village are a steady ascent and, mercifully, the altitude is moderate, so your lungs should have no problem coping.

Shortly after Bhyundar, the trail crosses the Laxman Ganga, over a bridge elevated by giant boulders. The going is somewhat harder now, but Ghangaria is only 3 km away. During the short season ( Jul-Sep ), Ghangaria (3,050m) can be enormously crowded. You can always find a place to shelter – including a Forest Rest House, gurudwara, and associated dharamshalas. But if you want some solitude, there is ample camping spots both before and after Ghangaria.

Leave Ghangaria with the stream of pilgrims heading to Hemkund. You need to veer left (north-west) as they climb east to the lake. The trail is well marked, and is a delightful ramble as it climbs gently through a coniferous forest, before dropping down to a bridge, shack and check-post that mark the official beginning of the Valley of Flowers trek (Bhyundar Valley, 3,858m). Pay your entry / permit fee (Indians: Rs150, foreigners: Rs650 – for 3 days) here and climb up a rocky trail.

The forest is now behind you, and the flowers begin to appear. As the trail levels out and turns right (east), you begin to get a sense of the valley. To the right, just below the trail, a marble slab marks the death of Margaret Legge, a botanist from Edinburgh who fell to her death here in 1939: “I will lift mine eyes unto the Hills from whence cometh my strength.”

The Valley Of Flowers is exquisite and it seems a shame not be able to spend the night here – depending on the weather, snow bridges may still span the river below, and scrambling up-valley, crossing its numerous feeders, is a delight. In any case, do try and reach there early – both to catch the morning dew on the blossoms, as well as to make the most of the day.

Crossing the bridge over the Hem Ganga once again, head east up the heavily trafficked path. It is a challenging ascent, but derive some strength from the perseverance of the thousands of pilgrims who make the climb uncomplainingly. And if you have done the Valley of Flowers the previous day, you will be better acclimatised than most others. If you nevertheless feel drained when you reach the glacial lake (4,329m), you could try joining the more abiding in faith, who swear by the restorative powers of a dip in its clear waters.

Return the same way !

Drive back from Govindghat / Joshimath to Dehradun.

From Rudraprayag to Joshimath, it’s 114 km/4 hrs by car or 6 hrs by bus, on the Badrinath Road via Chamoli.

Joshimath to Govindghat is another 20 km/45 mins by taxi or 1 hr by bus on this route.

Return the same way from Govindghat. This narrow road from Joshimath to Govindghat is one-way only and traffic is governed by ‘gates’, time slots that regulate departure in each direction, so look for the earliest time which you can leave. Direct buses (13 hrs) to Haridwar between 4 and 7 am. Taxis take 11 hr