Nanda Devi, at 7,816 metres, is the second-highest mountain in India and the highest lying wholly within the country. It stands inside a near-perfect ring of peaks that encloses a remote glacial basin — the Nanda Devi Sanctuary — entered only through the fearsome gorge of the Rishi Ganga. Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman found a way in in 1934, and Tilman and Noel Odell climbed the mountain in 1936.
The area became a national park in 1982 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988; the Valley of Flowers was added to the same listing in 2005. The inner sanctuary has been closed to trekkers and climbers since the 1980s to let its damaged ecosystem recover.
What to see and do at Nanda Devi National Park
See the mountain from Auli
The easiest way to admire Nanda Devi is from the meadows of Auli and Gorson above Joshimath, where its twin summits rise across the Dhauliganga valley.
Trek in the outer zone
A regulated route from Lata village, in the Dhauliganga valley beyond Joshimath, climbs towards Lata Kharak and the Dharansi pass in the park’s outer zone, with views into the sanctuary. Numbers are limited and a forest permit and local guide are required — arrange it through a registered operator in Joshimath.
Understand the World Heritage listing
UNESCO describes the two parks as complementary: the stern, glaciated wilderness of Nanda Devi and the gentle flower meadows of the Bhyundar valley. Together they protect a transition zone between the Zanskar and Great Himalayan ranges.
How to get to Nanda Devi National Park
- Viewpoints: Auli is around 13–16 km by road from Joshimath.
- Lata village: roughly 25 km from Joshimath on the road up the Dhauliganga valley towards Malari.
Practical tips
- Do not plan on entering the inner sanctuary: it is closed, and no operator can legitimately take you there.
- The outer-zone trek is a serious multi-day route, best outside the heaviest monsoon weeks.
- The goddess Nanda is the presiding deity of Garhwal and Kumaon — the mountain is sacred as well as spectacular.
Best treks & tours for Nanda Devi National Park
These packages are the easiest way to see Nanda Devi National Park with a guide, transport and lodging sorted:
Village stay & treks from US$244 Urgam Valley: An Offbeat Himalayan Tour with Yoga & Treks
Five slow days in the Urgam Valley, a terraced side valley a short drive below Joshimath. It is the opposite of the crowded pilgrim trail: village homes, gentle walks and yoga. A good add-on before or after the Valley of Flowers if you have a week or more in Chamoli. No reviews yet.
- A quiet side valley off the Badrinath road below Joshimath
- Village life, yoga and easy treks
- Home of the Kalpeshwar temple, one of the Panch Kedar
Private guided trek from US$498 Rishikesh: 5-Day Valley of Flowers Trek with Private Guide
The most complete Valley of Flowers package we found on GetYourGuide: five days from Rishikesh with a private guide, the drive up the pilgrim highway, the walk in to Ghangaria and a day among the flowers. The listing is new and has no reviews yet, so read the day-by-day plan and what is included before you book.
- The drive up the Alaknanda past Devprayag and Joshimath
- Trek from Govindghat to Ghangaria with a private guide
- A full day inside the Valley of Flowers National Park
Guided trek from US$405 Uttarakhand: Dayara Bugyal Trek (Meadow Trek)
Dayara Bugyal is a vast high meadow in the Uttarkashi district — a different valley system from the Valley of Flowers but the same kind of open alpine country. Four days from Dehradun, with one five-star review so far.
- One of the broadest alpine meadows in Uttarakhand
- Wide views of the Garhwal snow peaks
- A gentle gradient suited to beginners
