Bestowed with the rare and exotic Himalayan flora, the Valley of Flowers is a bouquet of nature peacefully snuggled in the West Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. The trek of Valley of flowers goes through dense forests, along with Pushpawati river and can be reached by crossing many bridges, glaciers and waterfalls on the way. This glaring piece of nature is an Indian National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site exhibiting plush meadows blossomed with endemic alpine flowers and diverse fauna in this valley.
The region of Valley of Flowers is rich in varied flora and fauna. The valley of flowers was declared as the National Park of India in the year 1982 and it is now a UNESCO world heritage site. The virgin beauty of this mystical valley has always lured botanists, nature lovers and adventure lovers.
Tucked at 3,658 metres in Bhyundar Valley, the Valley of Flowers in Chamoli district sprawls over a vast expanse of 87.50 sq kms, measuring 8 km long and 2 km wide. Valley of Flowers is the second core zone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve blessed with numerous cascading waterfalls, silvery glaciers and thickets that greet the visitant at every step. Ghangaria, a tiny hamlet situated 13 km from Govindghat is the last human habitation centre on the way to Valley of Flowers. The Valley of Flowers seems to change its colors throughout the season from May to October, as blooms hundreds of different flowers taking on various colours and shades as time progresses. The valley is home to many celebrated flowers like Brahamakamal, the Blue Poppy and the Cobra Lily. It is a much sought destination for flower-lovers, botanists, trekkers, photographers, bird watchers and wildlife photographers. This valley is very popular among international tourists and thousands of foreigners flock to Valley of Flowers every year.
History of Valley of Flowers
In the year 1931, three young British Mountaineers Frank S. Smythe, Eric Shipton and R.L.Holdsworth went astray from their path while descending from Mt. Kamet. The group accidentally reached a valley which was blanketed with alpine flowers and was left in the awe with its beauty, thus naming it as “The Valley of Flowers”. One of the climbers Frank S. Smythe later wrote a book called the ‘Valley of Flowers’.
Mythology about Valley of Flowers
The locals always knew about the existence of the valley and believed that it was inhabited by fairies and Gods. It was also believed earlier that one go goes to the Valley, is captured by fairies and never returned back.
Valley of Flowers Trek Information
The trek towards the Valley begins at GovindGhat or Pulna Village, after crossing the Alaknanda river across a hanging bridge. The zig-zag mule track straightens through an ascending valley of terraced fields and vegetation. The trek becomes more exciting after Pulna Village - the Laxman Ganga becomes swifter, and between the green, rocky mountains, you can catch a glimpse of snow-clad peaks. The 7 kms trail from Pulna to Bhyundar village is full of nature's scenic splendours including cascading waterfalls and cold water springs. Shrubs and wild roses grow abundantly and Rhododendrons colour the area with pink and dark red. Small wayside tea stalls run all across the route and young and enthusiastic tourist guides can be engaged at Bhyundar village. After resting awhile here, the trek on the right bank of the Laxman Ganga continues through the rich vegetation till a log bridge, supported on huge boulders, is reached. Crossing over to the left bank now, the trail becomes steeper and harder and 2 kms. from here, you will reach Ghangharia, the base camp for treks to Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib.
Valley of Flowers Entry Fees
| Indians | INR 150 |
| Foreigners | INR 600 |
Trekking: Adventurers and nature lovers visit beautiful Valley of Flowers which offer travelers with abundant natural beauty in the form of waterfalls, verdant hills covered with pine and oak trees, gushing rivulets and streams and of course, myriad flowers.
Village Tourism: Ghangaria is the last inhabited village one encounters on the Valley of Flowers trek. One can explore the beautiful village situated at the confluence and learn about their rustic way of life, customs and beliefs. You can also visit Byundar village enroute Ghangharia from Govindghat.
Pilgrimage: Hemkund Sahib is one of the most revered Sikh shrines in Uttarakhand and thousands of pilgrims partake in arduous pilgrimage every year. The shrine sleeps under a thick blanket of snow during winters.
It's just Awesome Experience. One of the best trekking experience with 360 degree view of Himalayan range . we group of 6 friends started from chopta. Stayed there enjoyed evening rain with chai pakoda. Next day we moved to trekking point to tungnath temple. After 4 hours of trek we reached to tungnath temple where we took rest for 1 hour. Then moved to chandrashila trek. Ohhh god it was really thrilling trek till chandrashila you can't look down during trek. After reaching at the top view was breathtaking. It's a must trek one should do in lifetime.
The 360 degree view from the Chandrashila Peak is a dream come true and we had an amazing time. The view is simply amazing and we saw several other beautiful peaks from Chopta.
Tungnath is the highest temple of Garhwal. While I was on this trekking, I witnessed the pristine clear view of majestic peaks like the Panchchuli, Nanda Devi, Neelkanth and even Kedarnath. Chopta is too underrated. It even gives a beautiful and picturesque view of the whole Himalayas. I guess the early spring season is the right season to trek. The Rhododendron forest actually glows red as the flowers bloom during the spring. It was a very nice trek. It starts and ends in Haridwar. I had a great time. WOW, is an understatement to explain how awesome this trek was.
Tungnath Temple is a very peaceful place, away from the noisy life. I had a very nice time there with my wife. We both love going for hiking and treks. And this one was everything we could ask for. We are planning for another trip now. Hope it will be as good and fulfilling as this one.
Joining this trek, I realized why the Himalayas are the most sought after ranges in the world. The view was just way too beautiful. There are so many secrets and mysteries to reveal in this trek. And with the expert and his experience, it was really an exciting experience over all!
Chopta Tungnath Trek was one memorable experience; I was just awe-struck throughout the trekking expedition. The best part about the trek is that you get to see Himalayas from so close - no doubt the trek is challenging at times but the entire views that you get to experience is something that will make the effort worth the effort.
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