Valley of Flowers FAQs

Valley of Flowers is a high altitude tourist destination, which remains open for only for 4 months June until October for tourists. Therefore, these four months are the best time for visit VOF. Because of high altitude location, heavy rainfall is very common in Valley of Flowers area; therefore, we suggest that check the weather conditions before you start the trek to Valley of Flowers.

It is always safe while you travel in Uttarakhand as locals are humble and polite. As Valley of Flowers trek is quite demanding, therefore tourists should be physically and mentally fit for the trek. Before you start, crosscheck the weather and route conditions from the locals. Don't forget to carry your trekking essentials as advised by your trekking guide.

June to October is the only and the best time when Valley of Flowers opens for tourists. Because of high altitude location, the weather is expeditiously changed of Valley of Flowers so checks the weather condition earlier and don't forget to carry waterproof warm clothes with you. We notify that there is a quite unsafe to travel in the month of August due to heavy monsoon so, avoid it if you can.

No, there is no ATM facility available in Valley of Flowers. So tourist can withdraw the cash from the previous location like Govindghat and Joshimath where plenty of ATMs are available.

Valley of Flowers is a complete tourist destination itself. There are several places to visit nearby in Valley of Flowers like Hemkunt Sahib, Badrinath and much more for more detail you can also follow the link Places to see in Valley of Flowers.

Of course, tourists can visit Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib in a single trip. The basecamp is at Govindghat which is common for both destinations and the route is also same till Ghangaria (Ghangaria is the only place nearby where accommodation facilities are available for tourists). After Ghangaria, treks are divided differently for both Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib. Tourist can visit both of destinations one by one from Ghangaria. The distance of Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib from Ghangaria is 3.2 km and 2.1 km respectively.

Valley of Flowers is the complete trekking destination to explore Valley of Flowers and its nearby surroundings at a relaxed pace, one would need 3 - 4 days minimum. This 16 km Trek for VOF Starts from Govindghat and followed by Ghangaria. You can also stretch the trek duration as per your convenience.

Because of the high altitude location, person should be physically fit and mentally prepared for the trek. There is low oxygen availability and therefore is always a point of concern for high altitude areas, therefore we advise that the tourists with breath related health issues should avoid this trek. Please carry some essential medicine with you while you trekking and muffled yourself with the warm and waterproof clothes. Talk to your tour guide in case of any emergency.

After 2013 disaster occurred in Uttarakhand, this question becomes more important for the tourist who wants to visit Valley of Flowers. It is always a good practice to check road conditions in advance when you planning to travel to the hilly areas, especially in the monsoon season when the roads are prone to landslides due to heavy downpour. However, being part of well-maintained NH-58 till Govindghat, roads are pretty good and smooth till last road head and well suited for your personal vehicle. Trek starts for valley of flowers from Govindghat is also in very good condition. One can hire a pony or trek by on foot as per their ease from Govindghat. This is advisable to avoid the plan to visit Valley of Flowers during monsoon or heavy rainfall and strictly follows all guidelines imposed by your trekking guide.

The nearest airport to Valley of Flowers (Govindghat) is Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun which is approximately 285 kms from Valley of Flowers.

The nearest airport to Valley of Flowers is Haridwar railway station at a distance of 294 kms from Valley of Flowers with numerous trains connecting Haridwar junction with other major cities like Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata etc.

Valley of Flowers is at a distance of 505 km (by Road) + 17 km (trek) from Delhi. One can reach this world heritage site by the trekking route of 16 km only that starts from Govind Ghat nearest road head to Valley of Flowers.  There are various modes of transportations that are available to reach Govind Ghat:

• By Road: Govindghat is the nearest road head to Valley of Flowers. From Govindghat, a 16-km trek takes one to the beautiful Valley of Flowers. Govindghat is well connected via motorable roads with major destinations of Uttarakhand. Buses and taxis to Govindghat are easily available from major destinations of Uttarakhand like Rishikesh, Haridwar, Joshimath, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Ukhimath, Srinagar, Chamoli etc. Govindghat is situated on National Highway 58 thus making it easy to reach. We suggest that tourists have to take bus or taxi for Govindghat or Joshimath from Haridwar and Rishikesh. There are plenty of buses and cabs available for these places and they well connect with all major parts of the country.
• By Rail: The nearest railhead is Haridwar Railway Station, which is 294 kms from Govindghat. There are numerous trains connecting Haridwar with other major cities like Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata etc. The frequency of trains to Haridwar is quite high as it is the gateway to the Garhwal region and major pilgrim city of Uttarakhand.
• By Air: The nearest airport is the Jolly Grant airport which lies approximately 285 kilometres from Valley of Flowers, and offers daily connectivity with New Delhi.

Valley of Flowers is at a distance from 287 km and 310 kms from Rishikesh and Haridwar respectively. One can easily opt for taxi services on a private basis. Various local and state-run buses provide daily services from Rishikesh to Joshimath that is at a distance of 36 km from Valley of Flowers.

Being of remote trekking destination there is no any accommodation facility available in Valley of Flowers, tourist only accommodates at Ghagaria that is 3.2 km behind Valley of Flowers. You can also find some restaurants and food joints that serve the variety of cuisines. Food and services of the hotels are good at reasonable prices. You can find enough hotels for stay in Ghangaria.

Being a National Park and a World Heritage site, Valley of Flowers trek is subjected to strict ecological discipline and the trekker is expected to be careful not to disturb the ecosystem of the region. Therefore, government has disallowed camping and overnight stay here, Tourists can only stay in hotels and camps at Ghangaria which is 3.2 kms downhill from the Valley of Flowers.