Explore Uttarakhand

Kedarnath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and a highlight of the Char Dham Yatra, stands at the head of the Mandakini valley beneath the towering Kedarnath range. The final approach is a pilgrim trek from Gaurikund, and the sight of the temple against the snow wall at dawn is one of the Himalaya's most moving experiences.

Hemkund Sahib is a high-altitude gurudwara beside a glacial lake ringed by seven snow peaks — one of the most revered Sikh pilgrimage sites. The valley below, pushed wildflowers every monsoon, is also the gateway to the Valley of Flowers.

Tungnath, the highest Shiva temple in the Himalaya, crowns a emerald meadow ridge above Chopta. The short but steep climb passes through rhododendron forest and ends with a 360° panorama of the Garhwal peaks.

Chandrashila, the 'moon rock' summit above Tungnath, offers arguably the finest 360° Himalayan panorama in Uttarakhand — Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and the Gangotri group all line up on a clear morning.

Surkanda Devi crowns a forested ridge near Dhanaulti, where Sati's head is said to have fallen. The short climb is rewarded with a close-up panorama of the Bandarpunch and the Doon valley far below.

Kanatal is a high meadow camp country between Dhanaulti and Chamba — apple orchards, starlit tent stays and forest trails. Its quiet roads are among the most scenic drives out of Dehradun.

Chakrata is a cantonment hill town on a ridge above the Yamuna valley — deodar forests, limestone caves at Budher and the roaring Tiger Falls nearby. Far quieter than Mussoorie, it's Dehradun's favourite offbeat escape.

Rishikesh, the yoga capital on the Ganga, strings ashrams, suspension bridges and white-water rapids beneath forested hills. Evenings at Triveni Ghat and mornings on the river make it Uttarakhand's most versatile stop.

Munsiyari is the end-of-the-road Johari valley town that stares straight up at the five fins of Panchachuli. Homestays, Johari crafts and the trailhead of the Milam and Nanda Devi routes make it Kumaon's grand frontier.

Auli, India's finest ski meadow, rolls beneath the twin summits of Nanda Devi and Trishul. The Joshimath ropeway, winter skiing and summer grasslands make it a year-round mountain playground.

Chopta, the 'Mini Switzerland' of Garhwal, is a high meadow camp under the Tungnath ridge — bugyal grass, rhododendron thickets and some of the easiest grand-view treks in the Himalaya.

Naukuchiatal, the 'nine-cornered lake', is the deepest of the Kumaon lakes, wrapped in oak forest and paraglider thermals. It's the calmest of the lake circuit and a favourite of paddlers.

Deoria Tal mirrors the entire Chaukhamba range in a single still frame — the most rewarding short trek in Garhwal. Campsites on the meadow rim make sunrise unforgettable.

Dodital, the 'Ganesh lake', is a hidden forest pool of the Assi Ganga beneath the Bandarpunch massif. Golden mahseer legend, deep oak forest and a night at the lakeshore make it a trekker's quiet classic.

Roopkund, the mysterious 'skeleton lake' at the Shila Samudra glacier below Trishul, holds centuries-old remains preserved in ice. One of the Himalaya's great trekking legends — and one of its most regulated.

Tehri Lake, the emerald reservoir behind one of the world's tallest dams, has become Uttarakhand's water-sports playground — jet-ski circuits, banana boats and a lakeside festival each winter.

Vasudhara drops a silver ribbon down a wall of moraine above Mana village — legend says the water turns away from the wicked. The trail up the Alaknanda is as beautiful as the falls.

Tiger Falls drops in a single white thread through deodar forest near Chakrata — one of Uttarakhand's loveliest wild cascades, with a cold pool and picnic rocks below.

Neer Garh (Neer Gaddu) is Rishikesh's jungle waterfall — a series of cold pools and small cascades hidden above the Ganga, reached on a shady footpath popular with yoga-school crowds.

Birthi Falls drops 125 m-ish through a wall of green on the road to Munsiyari — a dramatic roadside cascade and the first taste of the Johar valley's wildness.

The Valley of Flowers, a UNESCO World Heritage site, blooms with hundreds of high-altitude wildflower species beneath the Ratban Parbat walls — a meadow so bright it changed botanical history. entry is strictly regulated to protect it.

Around Nanda Devi, India's second-highest peak, lies one of the world's most strictly protected mountain sanctuaries — a ring of peaks and glaciers that few outsiders have entered. Nearby viewpoints and meadows offer the practical experience.

Govind Pashu Vihar, the great forest of the Tons valley, shelters snow leopards, Himalayan black bears and the westernmost populations of many alpine species — and holds the trails of Kedarkantha and Har Ki Dun.

The classic trek through a UNESCO wildflower amphitheatre below Hemkund's peaks — green gorge, silver river and a floor of blooms that peaks in the monsoon.

A steep, soulful climb from Ghangaria to a glacial bowl at ~4,600 m (approx.) where the gurudwara mirrors in a lake of seven peaks.

India's favourite winter summit — a snow-forest climb from Sankri to a 360° peak-view summit, with camp nights under some of the darkest skies in Garhwal.

The best short snow trek near Dehradun — a weekend climb of the Nag Tibba 'Serpent's Peak' through oak forest to a ridge facing the whole Garhwal range.

Lord Curzon's classic trail — meadows and oak forest to a pass that looks straight up the Nanda Devi sanctuary wall, with Dronagiri and Kamet filling the sky.

The 'Valley of Gods' — a cradle-shaped valley of old wooden villages, walnut groves and hanging meadows beneath the Swargarohini peaks, on trails walked for a thousand years.

One of the loveliest high meadows on earth — an ocean of grass at 3,400 m-ish with the Bandarpunch and Sri Kanta walls ahead, and a frozen lake at its heart in winter.

Twin meadow continents above the Roopkund trail — vast, rolling grasslands with Trishul rising over the ridgeline like a dream. Spring carpets the slopes in gorson flowers.

A winter-perfect trek to a frozen lake framed by oak forest, with the giant ridgeline of Roopkund's peaks standing guard beyond the camp.

The 'Queen of Kumaon treks' — a week's walk up the Sarayu valley to the snout of the Pindari glacier between Nanda Devi and Nanda Kot, through Khati, the largest village on the old trade road.

Kumaon's grandest old trade route — a week up the Gori Ganga from Munsiyari to the vast Milam ice-field beneath Hardeol and Trishuli, through villages that winter at the glacier's edge.

The legendary climb to the skeleton lake — bugyal meadows, glacier moraine and a finale at ~4,800 m (approx.) beneath Trishul. Access has been restricted in recent years; confirm the current status before planning.

The best short Himalayan trek in Uttarakhand — from the meadows of Chopta to the highest Shiva temple, doable in a morning and unforgettable at sunrise.

The summit beyond Tungnath — an extra ridge-mile to a 360° platform over the whole Garhwal Himalaya, famed for the first light of dawn hitting Nanda Devi.

The trek to Gaumukh, the 'cow's mouth' snout of the Gangotri glacier where the Ganga is born — a walk up the source valley through bhojpatra forest to the ice wall itself.

One of the Himalaya's great expeditions — the technical col between the Jogin and Bhirgupanth peaks linking the Rudugaira and Khatling sides. Expert-only, weather-window dependent and never a casual trek.

The five Shiva temples of Garhwal — Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar and Kalpeshwar — linked by high trails and legend: one of the Himalaya's great pilgrimage circuits.

Ski meadows and mountain towns — the ropeway over Joshimath to Auli's slopes, Gorson meadow walks and the Nanda Devi wall overhead.

The best short Himalayan combo — a mirror-calm lake at Deoria Tal, the meadows of Chopta and the highest Shiva temple at Tungnath.