The Valley of Flowers (Uttarakhand)

This gorgeous trek lies in Uttarakhand, around 50 kilometers from Delhi. It is one of the most stunning Himalayan treks. This quaint place is at the very edge and is surrounded by small places full of myth and lore. What is incredible about this place is that it remained hidden for tens of thousands of years. You will come across a lot of pilgrims around here, but once you pass Gobind Ghat, which is a small town near the valley, you will escape from the crowd. The actual trek is from Gobind Ghat, is where you start the trek, to Ghangaria, which is a small tourist village, and from there it takes about a day to reach the actual valley of flowers. It is a tough walk, but completely worth it.

 

The Valley of Flowers can be visited anytime between Junes to September that is when the weather conditions are the best. If you visit this place in August, that is when the peak time of the blooming of flowers in this valley. What triggers the blooming of these beauties is the monsoon, so before then, it’s hard to catch the valley in bloom, the most you will come across are tiny buds. The peak of the monsoon is the best time to see these flowers, so prepare you for walking in the rain and getting soaked. It is extremely slippery and misty, but the trek is completely worth it for the sights. Good trekking and rain gear are going to be your best friend during this trek. There is also the facility of mules and porter who carry you uphill. The actual park of the valley of flowers is open from 10 am to 5 pm, so the time window is comparatively short, because you will have to leave from there around 2-3 pm as it will take you 2 hours to climb downhill, and one must also be careful about this as the path is steep and slippery. So plan the day well and start off in good time as you will HAVE to leave the place at 2. They will want you off the mountain after 5, as it is too dangerous after that. While there is not a direct mule or porter to the valley, they are available up to the Hemkund point. Hence, it is always a good idea to have a couple buffer days in your itinerary.

 

 

In the village of Ghangaria, a small documentary is shown to educate the tourists more about the kind of flowers which are present in the valley, and also some history about it. Watching this is highly recommended. The most prominent flowers you will come across in the valley would be the Himalayan bell flower, Geraniums, and the Morina Longifolia.

 

 

This was my short take on this breath taking valley of flowers which is one of the most stunning treks in India. This one is definitely going in my bucket list because this place seems just too good to not visit. I hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful. Please let us know if you did!