Description

A team of mountaineers chanced upon Bhyundar (Bhuidhar) valley in the Garhwal Himalayas on their return after scaling Mt. Kamet. Struck by the beauty of the innumerable wild flower blooms, the leader of the team, Frank Smythe, decided to call it the ‘Valley of Flowers’, and the moniker stuck. Now-a-days, thousands of trekkers and pilgrims visit the region during July and August to enjoy stupendous views of the valley that breaks into a riot of colours during the rainy months of the year.

The trek begins and ends at Pulna village near Govindghat, about 18 km short of Badrinath on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway. Ghangria is the base for visiting Hemkund Sahib and the Valley of Flowers.

Lokpal, a picturesque lake at the foot of seven peaks, is situated above Ghangria. It is considered holy by Hindus and Sikhs. Lord Ram’s brother, Lakshman, is said to have meditated here and an ancient Lakshman temple is situated next to the lake. It is also believed that Guru Gobind Singh attained Nirvana here in his previous life. Hemkund Sahib is a Gurdwara that was constructed here in 1939 and has since become an important place of worship for Sikhs.

The trip includes visiting Hemkund Sahib and The Valley of Flowers from Ghangria.

The best time to do the trek is from mid-July to mid-Sept.

Itinerary

• Day 1Dehradun airport - Srinagar

  Reach Dehradun before noon. Set off on the scenic 120 km drive to Srinagar. It should take about 4 hours.

• Day 2Srinagar - Govindghat (1860m)

  The 180 km long drive to Govindghat should take around 6 hours.

• Day 3Govindghat - Badrinath - Govindghat

  The day’s program includes Badrinath temple visit, Mana village (the last village before the Tibet border) and an optional trek from Mana to Vasudhara falls and back, covering a distance of 10 km.

• Day 4Govindghat - Ghangria (3050m)

  Drive to Pulna village (4 km). From there, Buidhar village is 5 km away. The steep trail from there to Ghangria (6 km) passes through a lovely oak rhododendron forest. The walk should take about 6 hours.

• Day 5Ghangria - Valley of Flowers - Ghangria

  The 3 km trail to the entrance of VoF follows the Pushpawati river. After entering a gorge, the valley widens and can be seen in its entirety from a place called Bamani Dhaur. After enjoying panoramic vistas of lofty peaks (Nilgiri, Rataban, etc) and a flower-strewn valley floor, we return to Ghangria for the night as camping is prohibited in the sanctuary. The day’s walk takes about 6 to 7 hours.

• Day 6Ghangria - Hemkund (4150m)

  The trail to Hemkund Sahib is steep in places. The picturesque lake is surrounded by rare Brahmakamal and other flowers. After visiting the lake, Gurudwara and Temple, we return to Ghangria for the night. The day’s walk of around 16 km should take about 7 to 8 hours.

• Day 7Ghangria - Govindghat - Srinagar

  The descent to Govindghat should take not more than 4 hours. From Govindghat, we drive down to Srinagar (180 km away) to stop for the night.

• Day 8Srinagar - Dehradun Airport/Dehradun city

  The drive from Srinagar to Dehradun should take about 4 hours. Plan to take an evening flight from Dehradun. Alternately, one can get dropped off at Dehradun and catch a train from there.

Inclusions

– Two nights in a resort in Srinagar, Uttarakhand
– Two nights in a guesthouse in Govindghat
– Three nights in Swiss tents in Ghangria
– Comfortable transport by Tempo Traveller (Dehradun airport to Dehradun airport)
– Trekking and nature guides
– Porterage – 1 bag per person
– Breakfast and dinner on all days, lunch inlcuded during stay at Ghangria

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