Valley of Flowers Trek
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All About It
- 20 Slots
- Difficulty - Moderate
- For 12+ years
Valley of Flowers is a vibrant and splendid national park in the Himalayas. Nestled in Uttarakhand, this alluring place is famous for its charming meadows of alpine flowers. Endowed with a diverse range of endemic flora, it is picturesque in its beauty. This lush region is also home to some rare and endangered animal species. You may spot animals like Asiatic black deer, snow leopard, musk deer, red fox, brown bear, and blue sheep. High in the lofty Himalayas of the Garhwal region sprawls this enchanting valley. Legends believe it to be the place from where Hanuman had collected the Sanjeevani Booti for curing Lakshmana. This place has floral pastures, running streams and a beautiful backdrop of the mountains.
Highlights
Day 1: Travel from Rishikesh to Joshimath/Pipalkoti, a distance of 253 kilometers that would take approximately 8 hours to cover by car.
Day 2: Commence with a 1-hour drive covering 22 kilometers from Joshimath/Pipalkoti to Pulna, followed by a 9-kilometer, 5-hour trek to reach Ghangaria.
Day 3: Embark on a 10-kilometer, 7-hour trek from Ghangaria to the Valley of Flowers, followed by the return journey to Ghangaria.
Day 4: Proceed with a 14-kilometer, 9-hour trek from Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib, and return to Ghangaria.
Day 5: Trek 9 kilometers for 5 hours from Ghangaria to Pulna, followed by a 22-kilometer, 1-hour drive to Joshimath/Pipalkoti.
Day 6: Return to Rishikesh from Joshimath/Pipalkoti via an 8-hour, 253-kilometer car journey.
Govindghat is the base camp for Valley Of Flowers Trek, for which we pick you from Dehradun railway station at 6 AM. Dehradun is well connected with Delhi via trains, buses, and taxis. It will be a 10 hours drive through Devprayag – the holy confluence of river Bhagirathi and Alaknanda to form the mighty River Ganga. The drive takes you through some of the remote Himalayan regions along the river. Be mesmerized and thrilled at the same time throughout your drive. Arrival at Govindghat by evening, check into the homestay/guesthouse. Briefing in the evening along with hot dinner.
After an early breakfast at Govindghat, we gradually start ascending along the well-maintained pilgrim trail towards Pulna which is 4 KMs from Govindghat. The trek can be a little strenuous today as the climb is almost sudden. The trek from Pulna is along the river-Laxman Ganga, the green rocky mountains and occasional snow-clad mountain peaks from across of the valley keep the trekkers engaged. Upon arrival at Ghangaria check into the campsite / Homestay. Explore the surroundings in the evening and retire yourself.
Wake up, freshen up and get ready. We will take a taxi from Govindghat to Pulna village and then began our trek towards Ghangaria village. The trek is 9 km long and is completely paved. The gradient of the trek is easy and is steep at a few stretches. More than half of your trek goes parallel to the river. The whole trek is scenic and is full of scenic views of valleys, mountains, and waterfalls. Ghangaria is a kind of settlement situated at an altitude of 3010 meters and offers some great views. The village houses some shops where one can buy daily need stuff. After arriving at the village, relax and enjoy the beauty of the place surrounded by conifers-covered mountains. Dinner and overnight stay in hotel/guest house at Ghangaria.
After breakfast at Ghangaria, trek to Hemkund Sahib (4329 m). Hemkund Sahib is one of the holy pilgrimages of the Sikhs. In the Sikh holy book, The Granth Sahib, the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh recounts that in a previous life, he meditated on the shores of a lake surrounded by seven snowcapped mountains now recognized by Hemkund. The climb to the Gurudwara is quite steep but the settings make up for the hard climb. Late afternoon trek back to Ghangaria. Dinner & overnight stay at camp.
After breakfast trek down to Govind Ghat. This marks the return journey of the trek and we arrive at our basecamp today in the evening. Spend the evening recounting the days spent in the mountains and by making new friends with a promise to meet and trek again to make memories of a lifetime. Overnight stay in camp with dinner in the hotel/guesthouse.
Hosted by
Plan The Unplanned
- Verified Host
- Logout's Trusted
- Traveler's Choice
What’s life without adventure? Isn’t the real purpose of life to travel, to experience new places, and witness the sunrise from new mountaintops? This thought is what united Jatin and Tarun over a cup of chai, in spite of being from two unrelated backgrounds (CA and IT). They knew each other since the time Jatin was helping Tarun learn the ways of the wilderness through weekend treks and outings with another traveling group. Their love for traveling and trekking together motivated them to start something of their own. Thus was born “Plan The Unplanned”, where travel goals come true. Under the Companies Act, Plan The Unplanned is incorporated as Unplanned Journeys Private Limited They started their journey on unsteady ground, much like any other company, but they shared an infatuation for travel and adventure with their customers, which amplified their determination, and thus, Plan the Unplanned family keeps getting bigger every day! Just about any travel idea can come alive with Plan The Unplanned…treks, adventure activities like rock climbing, kayaking, rafting, backpacking trips across the country, cultural outings, photo walks; everything that fellow travelers need, to explore the great outdoors together. Well now that the wanderlust has kicked in and you can already see a vacation in your nearest future, here’s what we have to offer!
Inclusions
Accommodation: Two nights of accommodation in a hotel in Joshimath and three nights in a hotel in Ghangaria, on a triple/quad sharing basis.
Transportation: A surface transfer service will be provided for the entire journey from Rishikesh to Rishikesh.
Meals: The package includes vegetarian meals, starting from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 6.
Snacks: Morning and evening tea and coffee will be served with light snacks.
Trek Leader: The trek will be led by a qualified and experienced trek leader, along with a support staff.
Permits: All the necessary permits and fees required for the trek are included in the package.
Safety Equipment: A basic first aid kit, along with an oximeter and an oxygen cylinder, will be provided for ensuring safety during the trek
Exclusions
- Air fare/Train ticket
- Accommodation at Rishikes
- Enroute meal (Rishikesh - Govindghat - Rishikesh
- Backpack offloading during the tre
- Any charges for carrying still/video cameras etc
- Soft drinks, bottled water, beverages, etc
- Personal expenses like tips, telephone calls, laundry, etc
- Trekking equipment like trekking bag, shoe, trekking pole etc
- Any meals/services not mentioned above
- Any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances like landslides, road blocks, bad weather, health condition etc
- Travel insurance
Policy and Terms
Himalayan/ Backpacking Trip Refund/Cancellation Policy
| Intimation Period* | Cancellation Fee** |
| 30 days or more | 10% of the total invoice value |
| Between 15-29days | 50% of the total invoice value |
| Between 0-14 days | 90% of the total invoice value |
- *Intimation Period means the number of days before the tour is scheduled to start
- **Cancellation Fee is the amount of money that will be deducted from the total billing amount before offering a refund.
NOTE:
- Last-minute cancellations due to work, health issues, etc., any kind of emergencies will not be entertained and no refund or transfer shall be allowed for the same.
You can transfer your bookings to anyone who is willing to join the event to avoid loss of money!
The tickets once booked cannot be moved to any other dates.
In the rare event that we cancel your trek, this is the cancellation policy we follow:
In case we cancel a trek because of natural calamities (thunderstorms, floods, landslides, earthquakes) or unexpected political unrest, curfews, local riots, government orders, forest department orders, Plan The Unplanned shall issue a VOUCHER for the full amount of your ticket.
Note: The Voucher has a validity of 1 year and it can be redeemed at any point in time.
A prior intimation as regards which trek you wish to join can be communicated to us over mail or phone
In a case where we cancel your trek, due to a limited number of bookings for a particular batch or we do not have the minimum number of required people:
PLAN THE UNPLANNED shall offer a 100% refund of the trek fee ( No transactional/internet handling charges shall be deducted)
Frequest Questions
Q: I have booked the trek when will I get further updates regarding the trek?
A: Well, most of our treks are usually confirmed by Thursday and you would receive a BON VOYAGE mail that would contain details as regards Pickup Points ( Location and Timings ), Outdoor Leader ( Point of Contact ), Do’s and Don’ts. You’ll be added to Whatsapp Group for all the further updates.
Q: Would I be added to a WhatsApp Group once the trek is confirmed?
A: Yes, the Bon Voyage mail would contain a link for Whatsapp Group through which one can join and interact with fellow travellers and outdoor leaders.
Q: I'm a solo traveller, Can I join?
A: The interesting thing about travelling alone is that you get to meet new people from diverse backgrounds, and towards the end, you are no longer strangers. Hence solo travellers are always welcome to join us on our trips.
Read more about solo travelling here and get inspired! https://www.plantheunplanned.com/solo-yet-accompanied/
Q: Is it safe for Women/Girls?
A: Safety and security are our priority at all times. Hence it is safe for women/girls to join us on our treks and travels. Our trek leaders accompany the team at all times, and our campsites are secured and safe for accommodation. We also have female trek leaders who accompany us on most of our treks.
Q: Do I have to carry luggage all the way during trekking?
A: Not at all. You could keep all the extra luggage back at the campsite/homestay and carry only the necessary stuff for the trek (Raincoats, Torchlight, Waterbottle, lunchbox, and your valuable)
Q: Do you have Washrooms during the trek?
A: Well, you are in the mountains and none of our trails has a washroom facility during the trek.
Q: How do I avail discounts?
A: Details for availing discounts are mentioned in the following link, https://www.plantheunplanned.com/membership/
Q: Would I be able to postpone to the future in case I do not attend the trek/trip on the day of departure?
A: We are extremely sorry, you cannot postpone to any future date in case you fail to attend the trek on the mentioned date for any reasons whatsoever (family/health/work emergencies). You can write to us at [email protected] as regards and our team will get in touch with you on the same
Q: How difficult is the Valley of Flowers trek?
A: The Valley of Flowers trek ranges in difficulty from simple to strenuous (except Hemkund).
Q: What is the best time to visit the Valley of Flowers trek?
A: The valley is at its most beautiful in July and August. These are also the monsoon months, though.
Q: Can senior citizens take this trek to Valley of Flowers?
A: We'll respond by saying "it depends." We observed several elderly hiking more expertly than we did. It does wear down the legs, thus it can be taken based on fitness.
Q: What kind of flowers do we get to see in the Valley of flowers?
A: There are 520 species of high altitude plants, including angiosperms, gymnosperms, and pteridophytes, in the Valley of Flowers, 498 of which are blooming plants.
Q: How are the connection and network during the trek?
A: The Valley of Flowers trek is not connected to any networks; the only cell coverage is available up to Govind Ghat Base Camp. Internet access and network connectivity are available in Auli. In Ghangariya, the Valley of Flowers, or even Hemkund Sahib, there is no connectivity. 3G service is available in Auli, although BSNL phone service is spotty at Govind Ghat and Ghanghariya.
Q: How to reach the basecamp of Valley of Flowers?
A: Rishikesh serves as the meeting location for our walk to the Valley of Flowers, thus getting there by plane is the most practical option.
By Air:
Direct flights are available to Dehradun's Jolly Grant Airport, which is around 21 kilometres from Rishikesh.
From Jolly Grant Airport, you may take one of the hourly airport shuttles that run between Dehradun and Rishikesh, or you can choose to drive yourself (takes roughly 2 hours to reach without traffic). The alternative is to hire a private, pre-paid taxi to take you to Rishikesh. As you leave the airport, several cabs are waiting for you. Taking a cab has the advantage of allowing you to get to our hotel quickly. To save money, you might split the cost of the cab fare with fellow trekkers.
By Train:
Train travel is an option if you are leaving from Delhi. There isn't a functioning train station in Rishikesh. Haridwar is the closest station. You may go to Haridwar by Nanda Devi Express chair car in the morning and arrive there before midday.
Getting to Rishikesh from the Haridwar Railway Station: From Haridwar, it will take you around 21 kilometres to go to Rishikesh. From the train station, you may either take a bus or a private cab.
It will save you time and effort to arrange and use several modes of transportation to go to Rishikesh if you book a direct flight there.
By Bus:
Taking a direct bus from Delhi is another way to get to Rishikesh, particularly for trekkers coming from Delhi. From Kashmere Gate ISBT, you can easily find a Volvo or even a non-AC bus for about INR 500–INR 800.
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