The Valley of Flowers National Park is the second core zone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. The credit for the discovery of the Valley of Flowers goes to the British mountaineers Franks S. Smythe and R.L. Holdsworth who incidentally reached this valley after a successful expedition of Mount Kamet in 1931.
Nestled in the west Himalayan region, Valley of Flowers covers a vast expanse of 87.50 sq kms with myriad alpine flowers. Valley of Flowers is situated in Bhyundar Valley at an elevation of 3,658 mts above sea level. You will encounter numerous cascading waterfalls on the route to Valley of Flowers.
The region of Valley of Flowers is rich in varied flora and fauna. The valley of flowers was declared as the National Park of India in the year 1982 and it is now a UNESCO world heritage site. The virgin beauty of this mystical valley has always lured botanists, nature lovers and adventure lovers.
Ghangaria is the last human habitation centre on the way to Valley of Flowers. It is a scenic hamlet, situated 13 kms from Govindghat at a height of 3046mts above the sea level. Valley of Flowers lies in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state offering diversified beauty of nature. The region remains completely covered with thick blankets of snow during winters and with blooming flowers from June to October. The Valley of Flowers is the home of over 500 species of wild flowers of unique design and colours.
Place to See
Hemkund Sahib: The tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Govind Singhji mediated at Hemkund Sahib for years. The word Hemkund literally suggests 'Lake of snow' and the immaculate water of this lake is as cold as snow.It is located at an elevation of 4,329mts above sea level amidst several snow capped peaks, which are collectively called Hemkund Parvat. A star shaped Gurudwara near the lake is visited by thousands of devotees every month. A temple dedicated to Lakshman, brother of Lord Rama is also located here. One must complete a trek of 6km from Ghangharia to reach Hemkund Sahib. The best time to visit this place is from July to November.
Ghangaria: It is the last human habitation centre on the way to Hemkund Sahib and the Valley of Flowers. Ghangaria is a scenic hamlet perched at an altitude of 3,050mts above sea level at a distance of 13km from Govind Ghat and 4kms before Valley of flowers. The trek becomes easy to moderate from this point if you are travel towards Hemkund Sahib. The region is prone to heavy snowfall in winters, therefore the region remains opened from May to October. A Gurudwara, GMVN rest houses and a few more hotels provide accommodation facility at Ghangharia.
How to Reach
By Air: Jolly Grant Airport is the nearest Airport to Valley of Flowers but the roads are only connected upto Govind Ghat from where you have to commence trek of 16kms to reach Valley of Flowers. It is situated at a distance of 292kms from Jolly Grant Airport and is well connected to Delhi with daily flights. Govindghat is well connected by motorable roads with Jolly Grant Airport. Taxis are easily available from Jolly Grant Airport to Govindghat.
By Rail: The nearest railway station to Valley of flowers is Rishikesh but the roads are only connected upto Govind Ghat from where you have to commence trek of 16 kms to reach Valley of Flowers. Rishikesh railway station is situated 273 kms before Govindghat on NH58. Rishikesh is well connected by railway networks with major destinations of India. Trains to Rishikesh are frequent. Govindghat is well connected by motorable roads with Rishikesh. Taxis and buses are available from Rishikesh, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Joshimath and many other destinations to Govindghat.
By Road: Valley of Flowers is connected upto Govind Ghat with motorable roads and from here you have to commence trek of 16 kms to reach Valley of Flowers. Govindghat is well connected by motorable roads with major destinations of Uttarakhand state. Buses to Haridwar, Rishikesh and Srinagar are available from ISBT Kashmiri Gate. Buses and Taxis to Govindghat are easily available from major destinations of Uttarakhand state like Rishikesh, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Ukhimath, Srinagar, Chamoli etc. Govindghat is situated on National Highway 58 making it easy to reach.