Are you planning a trip to Valley of Flowers & Hemkunt Sahib Ji and looking out for a perfect day by day detailed trip plan? Are you planning a trip to Valley of Flowers & Hemkunt Sahib Ji and looking out for a perfect day by day detailed trip plan? This detailed itinerary will help you plan a memorable trip.
In this article, I will be representing the detailed day by day most popular itinerary on Valley of Flowers and Shri Hemkunt Sahib already published under DwD Community and very well drafted by one of our core devil, Preet Kamal Singh.
The information posted on the community thread here is so valuable that I could not resist myself to re-share it in the form of a blog article so that it reaches more like-minded travelers or followers of DoW which are still to join our DwD Community !!
Valley of Flower and Shri Hemkunt Sahib are the two fabulous places housed in the lap of the western Himalayas in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Gurudwara Sri Hemkunt Sahib Ji is devoted to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Govind Singh Ji.
Let's quickly dive into the details:
About Valley of Flowers & Hemkunt Sahib
Located at a staggering height of 4632 meters (15,197 feet), amidst seven mountain peaks with a glacial peak in the middle, one can trek 25 km from Govindghat which is the second last station on Rishikesh-Badrinath highway, to reach this amazing gift of nature.
On the other hand, the Valley of Flowers National Park, a world heritage site, is situated at an altitude of 3700 – 4000 Mtrs in the west Himalayan region and is the second core zone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. The Valley of Flowers covers an area of about 87.50 sq km, housing almost 300 varieties of alpine flowers.
Travel Expert Tip: You must checkout our travel guide for valley of flowers.
It was discovered by great mountaineer Frank S Smith in the year 1931. The trek to Valley of Flowers also starts from Govindghat and diverts from Ghangaria which is near Govind Dham and is about 16 km from Govindghat.
Most Common Itinerary for Valley of Flowers & Hemkunt Sahib
Let us look at this detailed most popular itinerary for visiting these places in Uttarakhand.
Day 1 | Delhi to Rishikesh/Haridwar (200 km, 4 Hours)
Delhi to Rishikesh is about 200 km and takes about 4 hours depending upon the traffic. The roads are in good shape mostly, but traffic can be a headache some times. You can also reach Haridwar by train and proceed further from there by road.
Travel Expert Tip: Do not forget to carry these must-have things when going on a trekking or hiking trip.
Day 2 | Rishikesh/Haridwar to Govind Ghat (275 km, 10-12 Hours)
You can take a bus from Haridwar, which starts at 4.30/5 AM in the morning, and it reaches 5/5.30 AM at Rishikesh. You can also take the shared cabs which are available at both the places near the bus stand and start early morning only at around 5-5.0 AM.
If you are driving your car, then try to start early in the morning as you have to cover about 275 km in a day with time for jams and landslides taken into account. In your day, you will drive through Devprayag – Srinagar – Rudraprayag – Joshimath.
You would be able to reach Govind Ghat by 5 PM. There are a lot of hotels available in Govind Ghat suited for economical budgets, and you can also get the accommodation in Gurudwara Sahib as well.
Day 3 | Govind Ghat to Govind Dham/Ghangaria (15 km of trek 4-6 hours)
You have to start early on this day also as the trek is tiring and is of moderate difficulty. Ponies and Porters are available. You will pass thru Pulia and Bhyundar village, and there are shops on the way, so you will have things to eat.
Day 4 | Govind Dham/Ghangaria to Valley of Flowers (5-7 km of trek 4-6 hrs)
You should start early by six and see a beautiful waterfall on your right side just in front of the Valley of Flowers, checkpoint gate. After taking entry tickets, you will enter the beautiful valley called the valley of flowers.
Porters are available, carry your food as nothing is available inside it once you enter the gate. Start back by two so that you can easily reach before evening or darkness falls.
Day 5 | Multiple Options
From Day 5 onwards, you will have multiple options to choose from and plan this trek further.
Option one Ghangaria to Hemkunt sahib to Govind Ghat (27 km of tiring trek 12-14 hours)
You have to start early and reach Hemkunt Sahib. The trek is very tough, and it is the hardest you will face on this route. But you will be treated with some breathtaking views of the Garhwal Himalayan range. Then you have to trek down to Govind Ghat which is going to be tiring and heavy for knees as a maximum of it is descent.
Option two is Ghangaria/Govind Dham to Hemkunt sahib to Govind Dham/Ghangaria. (12 km of a trek up and back 5/6 hrs).
You can take a rest if you can’t continue towards Govind Ghat
Option three is Govind Dham To Govind Ghat (15 km of trek / 3 hrs).
You can trek down to Govind Ghat in a maximum of three hours and proceed towards Badrinath which is 25 km from there.
You must check detailed beginner’s guide on trekking in the Himalayas which has lots of tips and tricks to help you prepare for such treks.
Day 6 Govind Ghat to Rishikesh (275 km 10/12 hrs).
You can take a shared taxi which starts early in the morning or bus which starts at 6 AM and reach the exit either Rishikesh or Haridwar.
Day 7 Rishikesh to Delhi (200 km, 4-5 hrs)
This will be the last day when you start the journey from Rishikesh, exit Uttarakhand and finally reach Delhi.
You should always carry your water bottle and refill it as many times as you need water. It will not only keep you hydrated always, but you will also help in saving the Himalayas from plastic garbage. Remember, every tiny step counts and your step in this direction can help save the Himalayas too !! 🙂 🙂
Short Itinerary, recommended only for pro/advanced trekkers
This short itinerary of Valley of Flowers and Hemkunt Sahib Ji is recommended only for travelers who are used to trekking in the Himalayas and have high endurance.
- Day 1: Rishikesh to Govind ghat (night travel from Delhi (200kms 4hrs))(275kms, 10-12 hrs)
- Day 2: Govind Ghat to Govind Dham/Ghangaria (16kms of trek 4/6hrs)
- Day 3: Govind Dham to Valley of flowers to Govind Dham (5/7 km of trek 4/6hrs)
- Day 4: Govind Dham to Govind Ghat to Srinagar (15kms of trek 3 hours and 175 km of road travel 3/5 hours). Buses are available from Govind ghat till 3 in the evening which reaches Srinagar by 8 in night
- Day 5: Srinagar To Rishikesh to Delhi (100 km till Rishikesh 2 hours and 200kms till Delhi 4 hrs)You can take the same bus which you took last day from Govind ghat or can take the first bus which starts at 6 in the morning)
Please note, attempt this only if you are sure about your stamina to undergo this hectic schedule.
Travel Tip: You may also want to visit Auli as well in case you have some more days at hand.
Best time to visit Valley of Flowers & Hemkunt Sahib Ji
Valley of the flower has a cool but pleasant climate in the season time, which is mainly summers, and for the rest of the season, it closes down due to snow/cold temperatures. Summers (June to October) has cool weather with maximum temperature reaches nearly 10-17 °C and is a good season for viewing the refreshing beauty of the Valley of flowers.
Winters (November to April/May) minimum temperature can go well down below zero. Of course, this place receives a lot of snowfall in winter and hence, closes as well. Good time to visit Valley of Flowers/Hemkunt Sahib is between June/July to October, which is quite pleasant and ideal for the visit of the national park. It is also a good time window for spotting endangered animals at times.
August and September are the first eye-catching months with blooming flowers justifying the name of the place. It is the time when about 300 varieties come to life and make this place look like a fairyland, but of course, August is when you need to face monsoon hassles as landslides are pretty common in Garhwal.
December to May is not recommended as it snows up there and temperatures are below 0 °C without another support en-route.
Trip Suggestion: If you love hiking and trekking, then you must also check out the trek to Gaumukh – A Step by Step Guide
Modes of Reaching Govind ghat
- Buses – Local buses and state transport buses run on this route. Check the timings in certain sections as the routes get closed in the evening
- Cabs / Taxis – Private taxis, as well as shared cabs, also ply on this route
- Lifts from Border road organization trucks and local plying on the route 😉
- Motorcycles / Bikes, which can be hired from Rishikesh or Delhi
Do you need a guide for Valley of flower trek?
- Seasonal Trekkers – No guide needed
- Rookie trekkers – It is recommended to a guide or local with you for any help required. Please check the List of Trekking Guides in Uttarakhand & Porters
- First Timers – A guide is highly recommended. Please check the List of Trekking Guides in Uttarakhand & Porters
Conclusion
Valley of Flowers is such a trek whichever nature lover should experience once in a lifetime. It will surely go to leave you asking for more, and you will cherish these memories for a lifetime.
Have a travel question?? You can subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment to ask your travel questions about traveling to the Himalayas.
In the end, I apologize for my absence for the last month or so as I was transitioning from one home to another. But now that I have settled to an extent to be back online on Discover with Dheeraj to offer any help/support in making your travel with a difference in the Himalayas !! Do expect the usual regular updates and much much quicker replies from this new year 🙂 🙂
All the pictures in this article are from the amazing travel tale of Madhu bhai in dow community: Two old beauties, a promise & The Valley of Flowers.
46 Comments
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Hey dheeraj, i am planning visit Hemkunt sahib and Vof in the first week of july, i would be travelling from gurgaon with my cousins, we will probably take baleno(petrol) instead of train.i have no clue how to plan a itinerary for this trip so please guide me and what’s the least time to cover this trip and how much would it cost per person.
Jatin, you can plan the trip as mentioned in the article for the itinerary of it. Also, you can check our detailed guide on Valley of Flowers Trek – A Travel Guide
Regarding the cost, it should cost you around 8-9K types per person.
Hi Team, first of all, i had got great help from you guys in planning my Leh trip last year. Thanks a lot for that.
Now its VOF. I have a swift VDI and planning to self drive DEL to Govindghat. Is it practical to self drive in that monsoon season in such a landslide prone zone. If this is a real hassle, can do with hiring a taxi. We are a couple 37-38yrs.
Self drive is fine but in case of monsoon beware that any kind of drive self or in taxi is always dangerous and comes with risks in Garhwal
yes. But they say. July and August are the best times for VOF. Any Driver recommendations you know ??
Sorry on the driver front and yeah, unfortunately, if you want to see the beauty of it, you have to take the chance and make the trip during that time
That`s exactly the way, i did it 🙂
Nice article Sir 🙂
Good to know that bhai and thank you 🙂 .. I hope you doing great now a days 🙂
Hi,
I would like to visit Valley of flowers with my kid which is 1.5 years old. Please let me know if it is goo decision to take him. Pony is available there?
Regards,
Girish
I will suggest to avoid taking 1.5 yr old kid to valley of flowers.
Hello Dhiraj!
I was wondering if a foreign national requires a Protected Area Permit to go to the Valley of Flowers?
Not a permit but a fee is to be paid. For Indians I guess it is around Rs 200 and for foreigners around Rs 700
Hi Dheeraj,
Just one question, I know we can have accomodation at govindghat, but could you please tell whether accomodation is available at Ghagaria or not. We do not want to carry tents with us. We are a group of 8 people. Thanks in advance
Yes Rishab there are options of stays available at Ghangaria including a KMVN Rest House.
Thanks Dheeraj for your valuable inputs. Would you be able to suggest couple of more himalayan treks of Uttarnachal and Himachal which we can do on our own without any trek community/facilitator ?
Rishab, well, check this out: Top 6 Easy Winter Treks in Uttarakhand & Himachal
Hi Dheeraj
I am planning to Travel from Delhi to VOF on my Car (Maruti Ciaz)
I will be following Delhi > Haridwar> Rishikesh> Joshimath> Govind Ghat route.
Can you please let me know about the Road conditions of this route. It will really help me decide if I need to find an alternative vehicle in case the road conditions are bad.
Waiting for your response.
Many Thanks – Amit Dabas
Amit, as of now last week there was an update up to Rudraprayag that roads are in fine shape. Beyond that, I do not have any latest update on road conditions post monsoons. Sorry about that, but nothing major has been heard about.
Thanks Dheeraj, for your quick response and suggestion.
Can you also please suggest hotel at all the locations of your iternary.we Are planning from Aug 20 (delhi)-Aug 28 (delhi)Thank you!
Sorry about the hotels, we mostly book on the spot or majorly stay with KMVNs or GMVNs whenever we travel to Uttarakhand.
Sorry what I meant was accommodation only… (‘hotels’) unable to find any available now for this month. Just wanted to check.
Thank you!
Can you let me know where have you stayed at ghangariya
Check with Hotel Bhagat at Govind Ghat: 9412936360. He may help you out.
Thanks a lot 🙂 will contact the person.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am starting from Mumbai to VoF and Hemkund Sahib trek on 23rd and the following is my itinerary:
23/07 Flight from Mumbai to Delhi leaving at 02.50 hrs reaching Delhi at 5Am. Scramble from there to New Delhi Station to catch the Shatabdi train to Haridwar, take a rick to Rishikesh and halt for the night.
24/07 take the early Morning Bus to Govindghat and saty there for the night.
25/07 Leave for Ghangariya early morning by 7Am and start the trek( i want to walk rather than the mule/pony. (I am not an experienced trekker but high on enthusiasm n determination, I have done Mata Vaishno Devi trek, Kedarnathji trek, Yamunotri trek, Tirupati Balaji trek etc in the past few years. I found Keadrnathji trek very difficult but managed to do it in about 8-9 hrs. So how difficult is Ghanghariya trek in comparison, I am 52 yrs old)
26/07 Ghangariya to VoF
27/06 Ghangariya to VoF
28/07 Ghangariya to Hekund Sahin n back to Ghangariya
I would request your comments on the itinerary and inputs regarding the degree of difficulty of the trek, estimated time for a slow guy like me, how cold will be and what kind of warm clothing is needed?
Regards
Sudhakar
29th Ghangariya to Govindghat to Badrinathji to Joshimath.
Sir, the plan looks OK to me just that on 27 you should go to Hemkunt Sahib ji and return to Ghangariya and on 28 reach back to Govindghat which will ease out things. It is a moderate difficulty trek, so will suggest that you carry a porter or guide with you so that you only walk and he carry stuff for you. Plus a company of local is always more than helpful. Cold conditions are OK but do carry a pair of warm clothes and a jacket plus rain cut jacket with you. Raincoat may be necessary too I feel.
Thanks a lot for your guidance Dhiraj ji. It is just that i wanted to spend more time VoF to go deeper so i have given myself 2 days. You see i am not constrained for time 🙂
As suggested i shall hire the services of a porter or a guide. BTW what might be the cost for that person if i have to hire for all days that i am up there in the hills.
Regds
Sudhakar
Sudhakar ji, I do not think you are allowed to sleep in Valley of Flower and one has to come back, this is based on my own limited knowledge of the place. So, please check with locals before doing that. I am sorry, never got a porter but will check with few friends about the general rates of the porter and revert.
Hello Dheeraj,
I have planned to VOF on 2nd week of Aug.
I planned my itinerary as –
6 Aug Nagpur to Delhi
7 Aug Delhi to Rishikesh. Stay at Rishikesh
8 Aug Rishikesh to Joshimath or Govindghat. Stay.
9 Aug Govindghat to Ghangariya.
10 Aug Ghangariya to VOF
11 Aug Ghangariya to VOF
12 Aug Ghangariya to Hemkund Saheb return Ghangriya. Stay at Ghangriya
13 Aug Ghangariya to Govindghat/joshimath
14 Aug Joshimath to Haridwar
14 Aug Night Haridwar to Delhi
15 Aug Night Delhi to Nagpur
I have few questions-
Can I get Guide to VOF and Hemkund saheb.? how? (at least from Ghangariya to VOF)
Is it possible to go to Badrinath and Vasundhara falls once reach at Govinghat from Ghangariaya on the same day(on 13th Aug)?
Well, plan looks good to me. Regarding guides, yes you will be able to reach Badrinath from Ghangaria. Just leave a bit early always in the day. Regarding guide, the porters are available for sure but guide would be available too up there tough not sure if it will be guide or not. You can check the thread: List of Trekking Guides in Uttarakhand & Porters too
ok, that’s great. I will definitely check there at Ghangariya and at Govindghat. Thanks a lot.
Best wishes for trip 🙂
Hey Vyankatesh, Just curious to know if you are back from this trip. I had planned the trip for this week too but had to postpone it because everybody warned me of the rains and roads. How bad are things up there? Do you think I should wait till Sep?
I will suggest of postponing it to September.
Hi dheeraj,we planning to go to valley of flowers in month of July end.will it be safe to travel in the rainy season.little worried.please guide us.
Thanks.
Well, it is the time to travel unfortunately. Mostly you have to deal with rains during that time. do check the weather conditions before going ahead.
Hi Dheeraj
Quick question on VOF trek:
1. Can this trek be done with Quecha ARPENAZ Sandal 100L or its quechua forclaz 500 trekking shoes?
Regards
Avni
Well, sandals are prone to have bruised feet or cut feet on a simple slip. And you know when you are in no mans land, a small bleeding cut or bruised feet can make you trouble a lot. I never advice trekking in Himalayas in sandals or sleepers. Best is to wear shoes.
Hello Dheeraj,
Really appreciate the good work you are doing. I am really keen to become a member of DoW.
I am planning my trip (25th June to 3rd May) to Valley of Flowers, Hemkund Sahib, Badrinath, Deoria taal and Chandrashila peak. I planned my itinerary as –
24-Jun Delhi to Haridwar
25-Jun Haridwar to Joshimath
26-Jun Joshimath to Govind Ghat Govind Ghat to Ghangaria
27-Jun Ghangaria to Hemkunt Sahib & back
28-Jun Ghangaria to valley of flowers & back
29-Jun Ghangaria to Govind Ghat Govind Ghat to Badrinath Badrinath to Joshimath
30-Jun Joshimath to Saari Village Sari Village to Deoria Taal
01-Jul Deoria Taal to Sari Village Sari Village to Chopta Chopta to Tungnath to Chopta
02-Jul Chopta to Haridwar Haridwar to Delhi
It would be great if you can shed some light over following points :
a) First of all, What do you think of this itinerary? I must mention that I am trekking for first time. If you this this itinerary can be improved, please suggest.
b) We will be travelling in Honda City. Would it be ok to travel in Sedan?
c) Where would be ideal places to stay according to itinerary? (I must mention that we will be looking for decent but economic accommodation)
d) Do you have any inputs for blossoming of flowers around that time of the year, in valley of flowers?
e) Is there any one way road along the whole route?
Thanks a lot in advance for your help.
Ankit Gupta
Hi Dheeraj-Ji,
We are planning to visit VoF in July/Aug 2016.
It would be great if you can clarify my queries:
– How difficult is the trek ? This would be our first trek in North.
– Route from Dehradun ? We are planning to go to Dehradun from Pune. Which route you would suggest – Pune->Delhi or Pune-> Dehradun ?
– Any trek group/guide which we can join?
Thanks in advance!
Shilpa, it is of moderate difficulty trek. Route is suggested above along with complete plan.
oooffff …. just want to be there … but you have frightened me Dheeraj …
Any specific reason?? I hope the article was useful in planning not frightening anyone 😀
I have been there on the Month of August, 2015. what an immense beauty. I fall in Love. I have not seen heaven but i am prety sure that it will look like this. Thanks to God for this type of Gift he has given to us. #Shivaye
Happy New Year Dheeraj
Happy new year Vipin !! Yeah, indeed a god’s gift