Day 01: Arrive at Govindghat
Valley of Flowers trek starts as you arrive at Govindghat, the start point of our journey.
Our representative shall meet you and assist you in check in at the pre-booked hotel at Govindghat. Relax for the rest of the day.Overnight stay at hotel in Govindghat.
Note: Travel arrangements can be done for trekkers from Delhi/Dehradun/Haridwar to Govindghat at an extra cost.Please note that the accommodation at Govindghat and or Ghangaria is basic as these are high altitude areas. Accommodation includes attached bath/toilets with hot water facility at Govindghat.
Day 02: Govindghat – Ghangaria (4 km. by road and 10 km. by trek)
Trek Difficulty Level: Easy to moderate
Leave Govindghat to reach Ghangaria,the base camp for Valley of Flowers trek and Hemkund Sahib trek. We drive you up to 4 km. after which you must trek for 10 km. to access the place. It is located at an altitude of about 3,050 m. on the confluence of River Bhyundar Ganga and River Pushpawati that meet to form River Lakshman Ganga.
The Valley of Flowers trek difficulty level for this stretch is easy for the first 7 km.and tends to get steeper during the last 3 km. with the final 1 km. being moderately difficult. You would be greeted by the astounding beauty of Hathi Parvat which wears the crown of snow as well as many captivating waterfalls, striking meadows and occasional glimpses of exquisite flowers hinting at what the final reward of this trek would be.
There are options like ponies(mules), porters (pitthus) and dolis (palanquins) as well as helicopter rides (availability subject to weather conditions) till Ghangaria if you find it difficult to trek.(Please let us know if you need to prebook these services which would be at an extra cost).
On arrival, check in at the booked accommodation and take rest while you acclimatise with the weather. You may spend time admiring the visual treat of nature’s spotless panorama all around. Stay overnight at Ghangaria.
Day 03: Ghangaria – Valley of Flowers National Park (3.5 km. till the entry point and about 5-6 km. inside the park) - Ghangaria
Trek Difficulty Level: Easy to moderate
Get ready for the final leg of Valley of Flowers trek as we begin the journey towards the national park. About a km.from Ghangaria, you would find a check post where you are required to pay the required costs to enter Valley of Flowers Uttarakhand:
· Entry Fee: INR 150 per Indian and INR 600 per foreigner for 3 days. Note that the fee for Indians is already included in the package cost.
· Camera Fee: Nil for still and non-professional video cameras and INR 500/1500 for professional video cameras per Indian/foreigner
The park opens from 07:00 a.m. till0 5:00 p.m. and the tickets are issued till 02:00 p.m. It is important to note that no ponies are allowed beyond Ghangaria to Valley of Flowers. However, porters and palanquins (you must buy an entry ticket for each porter) can be hired at an extra cost for which you need to call us and prebook.
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Reach the entry point of the national park admiring the picturesque beauty of melting glaciers, waterfalls, river beds and diverse vegetation. The Valley of Flowers height ranges between 3,350m and 3,660 m. and one can feel like entering the heavens painted in multiple hues. You would be awe-struck discovering some of the never-seen-before flowers popping out of the lush green carpets and painting rainbows on the earth. Blue poppies, Himalayan balsam, Himalayan Whorl flower, geraniums, primulas, orchids, daisies, marigolds, Himalayan hogweed, edelweiss, bellflowers and many other flowers help the valley flaunt ethereal beauty.
The park is also home to bhoj patra trees. known for their white barks, and rhododendron and birch expanses. As far as the wildlife is concerned, it shelters the likes of red giant flying squirrels, Himalayan black bear, snow leopard, goral, red fox, musk deer, yellow-throated marten and more. The birds spotted here include Himalayan monal, spotted dove, snow pigeons, Himalayan vulture and many types of choughs, woodpeckers and barbets. Many species of colourful butterflies add to the glory of the park which is also adorned with chirpy streams.
After this exhilarating day of Valley of Flowers package, we get back to Ghangaria for a night stay.
Day 04: Ghangaria – Hemkund Sahib (6 km. by trek) – Ghangaria
Trek Difficulty Level: Easy to moderate
Another day of Hemkund Sahib Valley of Flowers tour begins as we head towards the holy Sikh shrine located at the height of about 4,630 m. Occupying the bank of the pristine glacier lake called Hemkund (‘hem’ means snow and ‘kund’ means pond in Sanskrit), this Gurudwara is dedicated to the tenth Sikh Guru Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji who is believed to have meditated on the Hemkund Parvat near the lake and bathed in the lake water. The trek route unveils the nature’s magnificence in the form of waterfalls, cold water springs and many varieties of rhododendrons and shrubs lending exoticness to the region.
You may also include mules, porters as well as palanquins in the Valley of Flowers trekking packages to reach Hemkund Sahib as the trek can be steeper at places as compared to the trek toValley of Flowers. (This would entail extra cost. Please call us to pre-book these extra services, if required).
On arrival, you may choose to take a holy dip in the lake’s freezing cold water. Later, pray at the shrine which is built in the shape of a star and is surrounded by seven snow-covered peaks that collectively form the Hemkunt Parvat. Each peak has a Nishan Sahib – the holy Sikh flag hoisted from a flagpole. There is a small Hindu Temple dedicated to Lakshmana, the brother of Lord Rama, who is believed to have meditated here.The sights of streams from Hathi Parvat and Saptarishi Peaks feeding the lake and River Himganga originating from the lake are simply hypnotic.
Finally, get back to Ghangaria for night stay as this day of Valley of Flowers trek comes to an end.
Day 05: Ghangaria - Govindghat
Descend back to Govindghat and check in at the booked accommodation (we may arrange accommodation for the day in Joshimath) to take rest.
If time allows and on your willingness, we may include a visit to Badrinath in the Valley of Flowers Uttarakhand trek package(at extra transport cost). Located at the distance of about 25 km. from Govindghat and at the height of about 3,300m., the town is home to the holy Hindu shrine of Lord Badrinath (a form of LordVishnu). On the bank of River Alaknanda and surrounded by the towering peaks ofNar, Narayan and Neelkantha, the temple features a black shaligram idol of the lord which is believed to have been discovered from the holy water of Alaknanda.
Apart from praying at the temple, you may explore other attractions like Tapt Kund hot water springs.
Finally,drive back to Govindghat/Joshimath for night stay.
Day 06: Govindghat/Joshimath – Haridwar (290 km. by road)
On the sixth day of Valley of Flowers trek, drive back to Haridwar by your own mode of transport.
Note: Drop facilities can be arranged from Govindghat/Joshimath to Haridwar at an extra cost.