Monsoon in Himalayas: Valley of Flowers + Hemkund + Badrinath + Auli

Today we will begin the first day of our trek to Ghangaria, the base for Valley of Flowers trek.

b. From Govindghat, post breakfast we will begin our trek on the paved path.

c. Today we will take the ascent upto 10,200 ft from Govindghat which is at 5,500 ft.

d. From Govindghat upto a few Kms is a paved path, post which one has to cross a bridge & the rugged terrain begins. This moderate trek today will acclimatize you well for the higher altitudes of the Valley of Flowers.

e. Check in to the homestay at Ghangaria & relish lunch after a good trek.

f. Take a walk along the market at Ghangaria & witness typical Himalayan settlement.

g. Dinner & overnight at Ghangaria.

a. Today we will rise with a lark & post breakfast head for the Valley of Flowers.

b. Spread over 87 sq Kms, the Valley houses 300 different varieties of alpine flowers.

c. Along the trek you will find a spellbinding landscape of lush green mountains & waterfalls, making the view serene.

d. One can walk for a good 5 -6 kms to reach the stream which flows straight from the mountains.

e. You can enjoy a packed lunch here, or simply engage in a meditation session.

f. There is no better place to meditate than in nature's lap, and here the
Earth has blossomed at its best.

g. Having spent some time in the routes taken by the man who discovered this Valley, Frank Smyth, you can happily trace your way back to Ghangaria.

h. Post freshening up at the homestay, take a walk to the nearby Gurudwara & unwind yourself at your pace.

i. Dinner & Overnight in Ghangaria.

a. Wake up with a lark, you have already acclimated to the Valley. So today we will trek to Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara & Lake.

b.The trek goes through a moderate uphill hike along a paved way for pilgrims.

c.On the entire trail, as you keep ascending the walk will be studded with the Brahma Kamal flower on all sides.

d.The trek itself is a sight to behold for its mystical spirituality & the eagle eye view of Ghangaria.

e. Once you reach the premises, walk towards the Gurduwara, spend some quality time listening to Gurbani & refresh your soul.

f. Outside the Gurudwara is the Langar center, where you can either engage in Seva or enjoy a hot prashad with tea.

g. From the Gurudwara walk towards the glacial lake & just spend some spellbinding time in the premises.

h. After exploring the Hemkund Sahib, it's time to start your descent before late noon.

i. Walking downhill is an enjoyable experience after you have trekked uphill & taken back with you the majestic beauty of this valley.

j. Once you reach Ghangaria, unwind with a wholesome lunch & take some sleep.

k. You are free to explore the market & also can visit the Government center for watching a short film on Valley. It’s a typical Himalayan experience to watch a movie on a small projection.

l. In the market you can also buy souvenirs & take back the beautiful memories of this Valley.

m. Dinner & Overnight in Ghangaria.

a. Today post breakfast, prepare for a downhill trek to Govindghat.

b. From Govindghat, be driven to Badrinath Temple, the famous Dham of Uttarakhand.

c. On arriving you will have to walk for about a Km to the temple premises & visit this famous Dham of Uttarakhand.

d. Badrinath temple, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu as it is here, Goddess Laxmi after seeing him perform intense mediation in extreme weather conditions, protected him in form of Badri tree.

e. The temple dates back to the 8th Century when Adi Guru Shankracharya converted it into a temple.

f. After the temple visit, walk along the trail that takes you to Mana Village, the last village on the India Tibet border. Here you will find the inhabitants engaged in knitting & selling handcrafted products which are of immense value. The inhabitants here are Bhotia (Mongol tribes) who are dressed in their traditional attire.

g. Walk further from Mana & you will come to Vyas Gufa (Cave) where Ved Vyas wrote the Hindu epic, Mahabharata.

h. A little further from Vyas Gufa is the celebrated stairway to Heaven created by Bheem, one of the Pandava brothers. Bheem pul is built over River Saraswati’s gushing presence & is a sight to behold.

i. From Bheem pul on your way back relish a hot cup of tea at the Last Tea Shop of India, as it connects Tibet/ China border.

j. Trace back the same route to the parking & be driven back to Joshimath.

k. In the evening spend some time soaking in the essence of this High Himalayan township.

l. Dinner & Overnight at the homestay.

a. From Joshimath, post early breakfast be driven to Rishikesh along the Ganges.

b. Check in to the homestay at Rishikesh & unwind your long journey.

c. Towards evening, spend some time along the riverside to take back much more than just the mountains.The flow of River Ganga here is said to soothe you of all troubles.

d. Return to the homestay

e. Dinner & Overnight at Homestay

a. Post breakfast, check out & be driven to the airport.

b. Trip ends here.