The wonderful Valley of Flowers!
Valley of Flowers is a really breathtakingly beautiful place, a walk through the garden of the Gods. I am glad that I chose to go, because I would have missed seeing all those wonderful flowers, but it is not an 'easy' trip. The actual Valley can only be reached after a steep and difficult climb, especially a bit of a challenge for those who are not routine trekkers or have a sedentary lifestyle. Situated in Uttarakhand, India, nestled in the Himalayas, one must put in some effort to reach this beautiful place where the flowers bloom just for the joy of doing so. There are lots of travel sites that will tell you how to reach the Valley, but I wanted to share my perspective after my visit. So read on ...
Planning the trip
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The Valley is open only from June to October, as it is covered by snow at other times. this year the Park opened on the 1st of June. When the snow melts after May, the flowers awake one by one to dance in the breeze and show off their myriad colors to the heavens. Different species bloom at different times, but July and August are the main flowering periods. So if you want to see those beautiful flowers, you need to decide your dates, book your travel tickets and hotel stay, pull out your packing lists and get going for this unforgettable trip. We visited in the first week of August, 2016, and were lucky as there was more sunshine and less rain.
You really don't really need a tour operator to visit the Valley of Flowers, provided you can book your hotels yourself. If you need help with that a travel agent would probably suffice. I made the mistake of using a tour operator and was really sorry that I did so.
You can choose to fly to Dehradoon, or take a train to Haridwar to start your journey. From there you need to go by road to Joshimath which is the last town before Govindghat. It is a long trip. Buses, and taxis are available. There are some facilities to stay in Govindghat too, but Joshimath is a larger place where there is a greater choice of accommodation.
You can choose to fly to Dehradoon, or take a train to Haridwar to start your journey. From there you need to go by road to Joshimath which is the last town before Govindghat. It is a long trip. Buses, and taxis are available. There are some facilities to stay in Govindghat too, but Joshimath is a larger place where there is a greater choice of accommodation.
Planning the trip
There is no motorable road to the Valley of Flowers. Vehicles go only upto Govindghat, from where it is 13 kms of climbing to the one street town of Ghangaria which is the base for day treks to the Valley. The path is mostly paved with stones, and the climb is not that steep. It is just a single track carved out between the mountain and the river, and there are a lot of people going up or down at any point of time. For those who do not wish to trek, mules or dolis (palanquins) are available. There is a helicopter service too, but it only operates if the weather is clear. If you choose to trek, your luggage can go on a mule. Prices for services fluctuate with demand, we paid Rs.750/- for a mule from Govindghat to Ghangaria at the time of our visit.
Going up from Govindghat to Ghangaria on foot may take take 4 to 7 hours depending upon individual capacity and speed, a mule or doli may take 3 to 4 hours. The helicopter takes less than 10 minutes, but there would be some time waiting in the queue.
We took mules for this section, and our luggage also went on a mule that was loaded with other's bags too. We had reduced our stuff to one backpack each, and left the rest of our belongings in the taxi. Deciding what to take and what not to take had been a huge dilemma, since I didn't want to be without anything that was needed and I didn't want to carry too much! Even deciding what to wear was like trying your luck. If the weather was cold and you didn't wear a thermal layer it would be a problem, and if it was warm the inner wear would be an added discomfort. Luckily it did not rain that day. The beauty of the waterfalls and sight of the the rushing river helped me forget the discomfort of the ride, and I was happy that the helicopter service was not functioning that day, I would have missed all those sights! There were small eating houses on the way, serving standard brands of aerated drinks, tea, coffee, biscuits and even meals. Bottled water was available. With a couple of stops, we were at Ghangaria by 3:00 pm.
Going up from Govindghat to Ghangaria on foot may take take 4 to 7 hours depending upon individual capacity and speed, a mule or doli may take 3 to 4 hours. The helicopter takes less than 10 minutes, but there would be some time waiting in the queue.
We took mules for this section, and our luggage also went on a mule that was loaded with other's bags too. We had reduced our stuff to one backpack each, and left the rest of our belongings in the taxi. Deciding what to take and what not to take had been a huge dilemma, since I didn't want to be without anything that was needed and I didn't want to carry too much! Even deciding what to wear was like trying your luck. If the weather was cold and you didn't wear a thermal layer it would be a problem, and if it was warm the inner wear would be an added discomfort. Luckily it did not rain that day. The beauty of the waterfalls and sight of the the rushing river helped me forget the discomfort of the ride, and I was happy that the helicopter service was not functioning that day, I would have missed all those sights! There were small eating houses on the way, serving standard brands of aerated drinks, tea, coffee, biscuits and even meals. Bottled water was available. With a couple of stops, we were at Ghangaria by 3:00 pm.
Starting off early in the morning from Ghangaria for the Valley is a good strategy as it often starts raining in the afternoons, and the park does close at 5 pm. There is an entry fee for the park, officials write down tourist's names when they enter, and check those names when people leave the park. Depending on where you are staying in Ghangaria you may need to trek from 3 to 4 kms, to reach the Valley. The trek to the Valley after one passes the entry check post is a steep climb on a narrow stony and uneven trail. There is only one path, going to the Valley and no possibility of getting lost. Since the Valley is open during the monsoons only, rains may make the trail slippery and progress slower. For those who cannot climb, dolis are available to go nearly right up to the meadows. Some may take a mule till the park entry point, reducing a half or one km of walk. Mules are not allowed beyond the entry point. Remember the higher altitude will also diminish your capacity to exert yourself. It is like climbing 45 floors in a building. You need to plan for enough time to make the climb, and the descent, and still have enough time in the Valley, that is what you have traveled all the way for. There are flowers and beautiful vistas on the path going up, but the actual meadows of flowers are right at the top. Traveling all that way and not going to the top of the valley would be very unfortunate.
We had taken small backpacks to carry up into the Valley, but I realised that it would have been better to have a light but larger backpack, in which I could have stuffed my jacket when I didn't need it. We had black ponchos from Quecha, they kept us dry but were a bit unwieldy to manage. The poncho was also not the best choice for climbing as it voluminous folds sometimes came in the way and limited visibility while negotiating the uneven mountain paths. Our shoes from Quecha were a real help, and I was glad I splurged on a good pair. I took a doli till the top, the price negotiated was Rs.4000/- but I was very glad to add a Rs.500/- tip when I came back down. I was very glad that I took the doli at my husband's insistence, as I would never have made it to the top on my own legs and steam. Taking the doli gave me the opportunity to walk in the actual valley and enjoy the flowers. One of the Nepalese carriers accompanied me in the valley and was a great help.
Once you are up in the Valley (finally), the terrain is mostly flat though the stone path may be uneven at times. You can walk through the riot of beautiful flowers and go on as deep and further as you think you can manage. There is no chance of getting lost up there as there is a well laid out path. Enjoy the flowers, glory in the view of the mountains, the mist and clouds. Sit on a rock and take in the beauty!
You can walk ahead in the Valley as far as you wish, only ensure you have enough time to get back down. It may take longer to go down than it takes to come up. As you go further down the path, the vistas change, and you can see different types of flowers too.
We planned for two days in the Valley and I was glad to be able to visit a second day, once would not have been enough. Since we made a point of leaving early in the morning we found that we were nearly alone up in the Valley and we enjoyed the quiet and beauty of the place before others came up. Since it started raining slightly after noon on the first day we came down early and were back in Ghangaria by 2 pm.
You can walk ahead in the Valley as far as you wish, only ensure you have enough time to get back down. It may take longer to go down than it takes to come up. As you go further down the path, the vistas change, and you can see different types of flowers too.
We planned for two days in the Valley and I was glad to be able to visit a second day, once would not have been enough. Since we made a point of leaving early in the morning we found that we were nearly alone up in the Valley and we enjoyed the quiet and beauty of the place before others came up. Since it started raining slightly after noon on the first day we came down early and were back in Ghangaria by 2 pm.
Because the Valley is a narrow section with a well defined path, one can walk ahead as far as one is capable of without fear of getting lost. The second day we explored for longer and went further ahead, and my husband made it to the last riverbed where the "River Beauty" grows. We now took the time to look past all the abundant types of flowers such as the Balsam and Hogweed, and notice the smaller ones. I also saw the beautiful Bladder Campion flowers only on the second day. It did start raining in the afternoon again. Fortunately it was just a gentle drizzle, but we didn't want to risk having to descend in the rain in the mountains one never knows what moods the weather may have.
About Ghangaria
Ghangaria is a really small town, most people there work only during the months that tourists visit, and go down to the plains in other times. There is an interpretation centre where you can see a documentary about the Valley and hire guides. There is nothing to do in the evenings here except rest your muscles. Most basic needs are available, For example, you can buy mineral water, chocolates, biscuits, even electrical plug adapters here. You can even rent woolens, sticks and raincoats. Of course everything is expensive. You can even call home from a Walky phone for a cost. Think of it as contributing to the local economy.
I really regretted carrying 4 bottles of water and a large assortment of biscuits all the way up to Ghangaria. It was carried up on a mule but I had to leave behind the book I was reading in the trade-off of what went up and what stayed down. Be careful about getting your clothes wet, they will never dry! My gloves fell down and got wet. Fortunately my husband didn't need to wear his and I used those. We paid Rs.300 to dry a pair of shoes, which were still damp after they were returned. Next time I will pack a small hairdryer!
I really regretted carrying 4 bottles of water and a large assortment of biscuits all the way up to Ghangaria. It was carried up on a mule but I had to leave behind the book I was reading in the trade-off of what went up and what stayed down. Be careful about getting your clothes wet, they will never dry! My gloves fell down and got wet. Fortunately my husband didn't need to wear his and I used those. We paid Rs.300 to dry a pair of shoes, which were still damp after they were returned. Next time I will pack a small hairdryer!
Some useful sites - click to visit.
The state government's official site.
One of the best no nonsense accounts of the Valley of Flower, with focus on the flowers.
This site has good and clear information about the valley and also gives the blooming time for various flowering species.
Wonderful site with listing and photos of the flowers with botanical details. Probably more of post visit interest.
One of the best no nonsense accounts of the Valley of Flower, with focus on the flowers.
This site has good and clear information about the valley and also gives the blooming time for various flowering species.
Wonderful site with listing and photos of the flowers with botanical details. Probably more of post visit interest.