Uttarakhand Travel Guide: Garhwal, Kumaon and the Himalayan Temples

Travel here falls into three bands. On the edge of the plains lie Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun and Corbett's forests; in the middle hills, at around 2,000 metres, the old hill stations of Mussoorie and Nainital; and in the high Himalaya of Garhwal, the Char Dham temples, the Valley of Flowers and the ski slopes of Auli. Kumaon, to the east, adds Almora, Kausani and Munsiyari.

Rishikesh

The pilgrim town Uttarakhand Tourism calls the yoga capital of the world sits on the Ganga at the foot of the Garhwal Himalaya. Its ashrams run yoga courses for visitors, the evening aarti at Triveni Ghat draws pilgrims every day, and the river above the town is the state's best-known rafting stretch, open from September to June. It is also the usual gateway for the Char Dham Yatra. Our Rishikesh travel guide covers its ghats, ashrams and hill temples in depth.

Haridwar

About 25 km downstream, Haridwar is where the Ganga enters the plains and one of the four cities that host the Kumbh Mela. Its centre is Har Ki Pauri, where the Ganga aarti is held at dusk every day, and two hill temples, Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi, look down on the city from the Shivalik hills, each reached by ropeway or on foot. One full day covers it; our Haridwar travel guide has the details.

The Char Dham: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath

The four temples of the Char Dham Yatra stand above 3,000 metres in the Garhwal Himalaya, and are visited from west to east: Yamunotri, near the source of the Yamuna; Gangotri, the temple of the goddess Ganga; Kedarnath, one of Shiva's twelve jyotirlingas; and Badrinath, the temple of Vishnu. They open in late April or May and close for winter in October or November, every pilgrim must register with the state, and Yamunotri and Kedarnath are reached on foot, by pony or by palanquin. Our Char Dham travel guide explains the route and the rules.

Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib

In Chamoli district, the Valley of Flowers National Park covers 87 sq km of alpine meadow, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Nanda Devi National Park, and more than 600 species of flowers bloom here, most abundantly from July to September. The walk in starts at Govindghat: 13 km to Ghangaria, the last village, then on into the valley, where no one may stay overnight, so you must be back at Ghangaria by 5 pm. Above Ghangaria is Hemkund Sahib, the Sikh shrine at over 15,000 feet, snowbound from October through April. Our Valley of Flowers trek arranges the drive and a local guide.

Auli and Joshimath

Auli, at about 2,500 to 3,050 metres above Joshimath, is India's best-known ski slope: from January to March its slopes usually lie under deep snow, and Uttarakhand Tourism gives those months as the ski season. It looks out at Nanda Devi, Kamet and Dunagiri, and the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam runs skiing courses. Joshimath, 16 km below by road, is where Badrinath's deity is worshipped in winter, at the Narsingh temple. Outside the snow months, Auli's meadows suit walkers.

Chopta, Tungnath and Chandrashila

Chopta, on the road between Ukhimath and Gopeshwar, is a base of high meadows and forest from which a trail of about 9 km climbs past Tungnath, which Uttarakhand Tourism calls the world's highest Shiva temple, to the summit of Chandrashila at about 4,000 metres. The forests around it hold more than 240 species of birds, including the Himalayan monal, the state bird. The tourism board gives November to May as the best months.

Mussoorie and Dehradun

Mussoorie runs along a 15 km horseshoe ridge at about 2,000 metres above the Doon valley; Captain Frederick Young climbed up from the valley in 1827 and the hill station grew from his visit. Walk Camel's Back Road and the Mall, ride the cable car to Gun Hill, and climb to Landour at the eastern end of the town. Kempty Falls is 15 km out on the Yamunotri road. Below it, Dehradun, the state capital, has the Forest Research Institute and the cave and springs of Sahastradhara, 11 km out. See our Mussoorie travel guide.

Nainital

Nainital, in the Kumaon hills at about 2,000 metres, is built around Naini Lake and ringed by seven hills; it was the summer capital of the United Provinces in British times. Boat on the lake, take the ropeway from Mallital up to Snow View point, and walk the Mall Road between Mallital and Tallital. Kathgodam, the nearest railway station, is 23 km away. Uttarakhand Tourism suggests March to June, and the town gets heavy snow in some winters. Our Nainital travel guide covers the lakes around it.

Jim Corbett National Park

Set up in 1936, Corbett is India's first national park, in the foothills near Ramnagar, whose railway station is 12 km from the park. Safaris run in eight tourism zones on permits booked through the reserve's official website: Dhikala opens from 15 November to 15 June, while Jhirna and Dhela stay open all year. Private cars may not enter, and phones may not be used in the core tourism zones. Our Jim Corbett tiger safari includes a private naturalist and the permit for your zone and slot; the Jim Corbett travel guide has more.

Almora, Jageshwar and Binsar

Almora spreads along a 5 km ridge in Kumaon and was once the capital of the Chand rulers. About 30 km beyond it, Binsar, at 2,420 metres, was the Chands' summer capital and now has a 47 sq km wildlife sanctuary with views of Nanda Devi, Trishul and the Panchachuli peaks. Jageshwar, in Almora district, is a cluster of more than 100 stone temples to Shiva in a deodar valley, protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, with a museum beside it. Uttarakhand Tourism gives March to May and mid-September to December as the best months for Almora.

Kausani, Ranikhet and Mukteshwar

These three Kumaon hill towns are known for their views of the snow peaks. Kausani, on a pine ridge, looks across to Trishul, Nanda Devi and the Panchachuli peaks, and Mahatma Gandhi stayed at what is now the Anasakti Ashram in 1929. Ranikhet is the headquarters of the Kumaon Regiment, with a nine-hole golf course. Mukteshwar, at 2,171 metres and 51 km from Nainital, takes its name from its Shiva temple and looks out at Nanda Devi.

Munsiyari

In Pithoragarh district, Munsiyari faces the five peaks of the Panchachuli across the valley and is the base for treks to the Milam and Ralam glaciers. It is a long way from anywhere: Tanakpur, the nearest railway station, is about 286 km by road. Uttarakhand Tourism gives March to June and September to October as the best months.

The answer depends on the height. On the edge of the plains, around Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun and Corbett, October to March is the comfortable season, and summer is hot: IMD's 1991–2020 averages put May days at about 35°C in Dehradun and 37°C at Pantnagar. The hill stations are the summer escape: at Mukteshwar, at 2,171 metres, May averages about 24°C by day, while January nights fall to about 2°C. In the high Himalaya, the Char Dham temples are open from late April or May to October or November, the Valley of Flowers blooms most from July to September, and Auli has snow from January to March. The monsoon reaches Uttarakhand in the second half of June and normally withdraws by the end of September; July and August are the wettest months, when landslides can close hill roads and the authorities pause the yatra on red alerts.