From the ghats of Haridwar to a glacial lake at 4,329 metres — the fourteen places that make up the journey.
A trip to the Valley of Flowers is a journey up a single river system. You start where the Ganga meets the plains, follow the Alaknanda past its sacred confluences to Joshimath, turn up a side valley on foot to Ghangaria and finally step into the park itself. Each stage has something worth stopping for.
We have grouped the places in three bands: the trek itself, the high valleys around Joshimath that make natural side trips, and the towns on the road from the plains.
On the trek A glacial valley that turns into a garden every monsoon
The park itself: a high valley of the Pushpawati river, roughly 3,300 to 3,700 metres up, where hundreds of species of alpine flowers bloom between June and September. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, open to day hikers only from Ghangaria.
On the trek A Sikh shrine beside a glacial lake at about 4,329 m
One of the highest gurudwaras in the world, set beside a cold, clear lake ringed by seven peaks, with the small Lakshman temple next to it. A steep six-kilometre climb from Ghangaria, lined with Brahma Kamal in late summer.
On the trek 
On the trek Where the road ends and the trail begins
A roadside settlement on the Badrinath highway at the meeting of the Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga rivers. From here shared jeeps run the few kilometres to Pulna village, the start of the walk to Ghangaria.
Joshimath & the high valleys The gateway town above the Alaknanda
The main town of upper Chamoli and the usual overnight halt before the trek: ancient temples, the last dependable ATMs and shops, and the road junction for Auli, Badrinath and Govindghat. Parts of the town were damaged by land subsidence in 2023.
Joshimath & the high valleys 
Joshimath & the high valleys 
Joshimath & the high valleys The last village before the Tibetan border
A stone-built village of the Bhotia people three kilometres beyond Badrinath, with the rock bridge of Bhim Pul over the roaring Saraswati, the Vyas cave and the start of the walk to Vasudhara Falls.
Joshimath & the high valleys The other half of the World Heritage Site
The ring of peaks around India’s second-highest mountain, inscribed by UNESCO together with the Valley of Flowers. Its inner sanctuary is closed to visitors, but the mountain can be admired from Auli and a limited trek runs in the outer zone.
Joshimath & the high valleys Meadows and the highest Shiva temple
A detour off the main highway to the meadows of Chopta, the short trek to the Tungnath temple at around 3,680 metres and the Chandrashila summit above it. A classic trek for the months when the valley is closed.
On the road from the plains 
On the road from the plains 
On the road from the plains 
On the road from the plains The confluence where the Kedarnath road turns off
A busy town at the meeting of the Alaknanda and the Mandakini, roughly halfway between Rishikesh and Joshimath. A natural lunch or overnight stop, and the junction for Kedarnath and Chopta.
See the trek guide for the full itinerary and treks & tours for packages that cover it.
Trek from Govindghat to Ghangaria, spend a day among the flowers, climb to Hemkund Sahib and stop at Devprayag and Rishikesh on the way. Compare guided treks and book in a couple of taps.
