Valley of flowers national park
Day 1: Hyderabad
to Haridwar
I took a morning flight from Hyderabad to
Delhi. I then took an afternoon train to Haridwar. It took 5 hours to reach
Haridwar. I checked into a hotel close to the railway station and stayed the
night.
Day 2: Haridwar
to Joshimath
The Haridwar bus stand is very close to the
railway station, and from here you easily get buses to Joshimath. However,
there are only early morning buses, so you will have to start early. I took a
bus at 5 A.M. and reached Joshimath by 3 P.M. I checked into a hotel and stayed
overnight at Joshimath.
Day 3: Joshimath
to Ghangaria
I checked out and started early in the morning.
Since I was planning to return to the same hotel after the trek, I left my
luggage there and carried only the things essential for the 3-day trek. I took
a jeep to Govind Ghat from the local taxi stand. From Govind Ghat, you need to
take another jeep to Pulna, which is the starting point of the trek. From here,
it is a 10 km trek uphill, to Ghangaria. I started the trek around 9 A.M. and
reached Ghangaria by around 2 P.M. Most part of the route is dotted with frequent
stalls from where you can get water and food, and the trek route is pretty
clear throughout. After checking into a hotel at Ghangaria, I took a stroll to
a nearby waterfall, which was less than a kilometer away. I spent some time
there before retiring for the day.
Day 4: Valley of
flowers
I got some food packed for lunch and left my
room early in the morning. The check-post to the valley opens at 7A.M., so make
sure you reach on time to make the most of the day (The entry point is about a
kilometer from Ghangaria). It is a unidirectional (except for a small detour to
the Legge’s memorial grave) trek with a clear trail that you can do on your
own. There are no stalls in this route, so go prepared. Camping inside the
valley is not allowed since it has an exit time of 5.30 P.M. An average person
should be easily able to make it till the Pushpavati riverbed and back to the
gate on time, covering a total of about 12 km.
Day 5: Hemkund
Sahib
I got some food packed and started early
towards Hemkund Sahib. This trek route is also dotted with frequent stalls
throughout. It is a steep 7 km climb one way, to the Gurudwara situated on the
banks of a scenic lake. There is no place to stay at the top. After spending
some time by the lake, I returned back to my room in Ghangaria and retired for
the day.
Day 6: Ghangaria
to Joshimath; Auli
I checked out from my hotel at about 6 A.M. and
started trekking back to Pulna. This is the same trail that one takes from
Pulna to Ghangaria but climbing down was easier and I reached Pulna by 9 A.M. I
then took a jeep to Govind Ghat and then another one to my hotel at Joshimath.
After checking in and having lunch, I left for Auli. I took the ropeway from
Joshimath to Auli. After spending some time at Auli, I returned back to
Joshimath by ropeway again.
Day 7: Joshimath
to Rishikesh
I checked out early and took a bus to
Rishikesh. There are only early morning buses available, so you will need to
start early. I took a bus at 5.30 A.M. and reached Rishikesh by 3.30 P.M. I
checked into a hotel and rested for the day.
Day 8: Rishikesh
Monsoon is off season at Rishikesh, so none of
the adventure activities were open. I rented a two-wheeler from one of the many
bike rentals available and spent the day at Beetles ashram, Ganga view cafes,
Laman Jhula, and Neergarh waterfalls.
Day 9: Rishikesh
to Hyderabad
0 comments
New comments are not allowed.