Uttarakhand
Garhwal and Kumaon — forest treks, Char Dham, the gentlest high Himalaya. 33 places, grouped into circuits you can combine in one trip.
Dehradun, Mussoorie & Pauri hills
Plan this circuitQuick hill escapes a few hours from Delhi: Mussoorie, Landour, Chakrata, Lansdowne and the Nag Tibba weekend trek.
Chakrata
A secluded cantonment above the Yamuna with Tiger Falls, deodar forest and Chilmiri Neck.
Kanatal & Dhanaulti
Forest and meadow country on the Mussoorie–Chamba road, with camping and ziplining.
Landour
The quiet cantonment above Mussoorie — deodar walks, old bakeries and writers' cottages.
Lansdowne
A quiet Garhwal cantonment town of pine ridges, a golf course and the Garhwal Rifles museum.
Mussoorie
The 'Queen of Hills' above Dehradun — Kempty Falls, Gun Hill, Camel's Back Road and the Mall.
Nag Tibba
A two-day weekend trek a few hours from Dehradun, with a camp under the stars.
Rishikesh & Haridwar
Plan this circuitWhere the Ganga leaves the mountains — aarti, ashrams, yoga and rafting.
Haridwar
Where the Ganga leaves the mountains — Har Ki Pauri, the evening aarti, and the gateway to Char Dham.
Rishikesh
Yoga capital in the Himalayan foothills — ashrams, Ganga aarti, river rafting.
Sankri treks
Plan this circuitThe Govind sanctuary trailheads: Kedarkantha in winter, Har Ki Dun most of the year.
Har Ki Dun
A cradle-shaped valley below Swargarohini, walked through ancient Mahabharata-linked villages.
Kedarkantha
The classic first winter trek: pine forest, snow camps and a summit sunrise over the Garhwal range.
Gangotri valley
Plan this circuitHarsil's orchards, Dayara's meadows and the glacier source of the Ganga.
Dayara Bugyal
Rolling alpine meadows at 3,600 m with a gentle gradient — the friendliest high-altitude trek in Garhwal.
Gaumukh & Tapovan
Walk to the source of the Ganga, then climb to the Tapovan meadows beneath Shivling.
Harsil
A Bhagirathi-side village of apple orchards and deodar forest, once called 'Mini Switzerland'.
Kedartal
A steep, boulder-strewn climb from Gangotri to an emerald glacial lake under Thalay Sagar.
Kedarnath & Chopta
Plan this circuitKedarnath, Tungnath and Deoria Tal — pilgrimage and big views in one loop.
Chopta, Tungnath & Chandrashila
A short climb to the highest Shiva temple in the world and a 360° Himalayan summit.
Deoria Tal
A short climb to a forest lake that mirrors Chaukhamba on a still morning.
Kedarnath
One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, reached by a 16 km walk (or pony, palki or helicopter).
Badrinath valley
Plan this circuitAuli's snow slopes, the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib.
Auli
Snow slopes with a view of Nanda Devi, and India's best-known ski meadow outside Gulmarg.
Hemkund Sahib
A high-altitude gurudwara beside a glacial lake at 4,329 m, reached by a steep 6 km climb from Ghangaria.
Valley of Flowers
A UNESCO-listed alpine valley that blooms with hundreds of flower species in the monsoon.
Lohajung treks
Plan this circuitBrahmatal in winter and Roopkund in summer, from the same trailhead.
Brahmatal
A winter trek with frozen lakes and close views of Trishul and Nanda Ghunti.
Roopkund (Skeleton Lake)
A glacial lake at 5,029 m holding hundreds of human skeletons, reached over the deadly Ali–Bedni ridge.
Kumaon lakes
Plan this circuitNainital, Bhimtal and Mukteshwar — easy, family-friendly lake and orchard country.
Bhimtal & Naukuchiatal
Two quieter Kumaon lakes 20 minutes below Nainital, with paragliding and lakeside cottages.
Mukteshwar
A quiet ridge town with a 350-year-old Shiva temple and a clean sweep of the Kumaon Himalaya.
Nainital
The classic Kumaon lake town — Naini Lake, the Mall Road, Snow View and Naina Peak.
Kumaon ridges
Plan this circuitAlmora, Ranikhet, Kausani, Binsar and Jageshwar — slow ridge towns facing Nanda Devi.
Almora
The cultural capital of Kumaon — a horseshoe ridge town of temples, bazaars and Kasar Devi.
Binsar
An oak and rhododendron wildlife sanctuary with a 300 km sweep of Himalayan peaks.
Jageshwar Dham
A cluster of over 100 ancient stone temples inside a deodar forest, dating to the 8th–12th century.
Kausani
A ridge town facing a 300 km wall of peaks — Nanda Devi, Trishul and Panchachuli all in one frame.
Ranikhet
A cantonment hill station of pine and oak forest, golf greens and colonial-era quiet.
Kumaon high country
Plan this circuitMunsiyari and the long glacier valleys of Milam and Pindari.
Milam Glacier
A remote Johar Valley route to a 5,500 m glacier, past the old silk-trade village of Milam.
Munsiyari
A remote Kumaon town facing the five peaks of Panchachuli.
Pindari Glacier
A long valley walk through Bageshwar villages to the snout of the Pindari glacier at 3,900 m.
Before you go
Uttarakhand: good to know
Getting in
For Garhwal, come through Dehradun, Haridwar or Rishikesh. For Kumaon, take the train to Kathgodam or fly to Pantnagar.
Permits and paperwork
Pilgrims to the Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib must register before travelling. Gangotri National Park (Gaumukh, Tapovan, Kedartal) limits the number of people each day and needs a permit. The Johar valley beyond Munsiyari, including Milam, needs an Inner Line Permit from the local administration. Valley of Flowers charges an entry fee at the gate.
Permit rules change. Treat this as a starting point and confirm before you travel.
Worth knowing
Landslides close hill roads most monsoons, from July to mid-September. Avoid Haridwar and the roads around it during the Kanwar pilgrimage in July and August.
What to eat
- Aloo ke gutke
- Spiced hill potatoes, often with a sharp hemp-seed chutney.
- Kafuli
- A thick gravy of spinach and fenugreek leaves.
- Bhatt ki churkani
- Black soybean dal, eaten with rice.
- Mandua roti
- Flatbread of finger millet, with ghee.
- Bal mithai
- Almora's fudge-like sweet rolled in sugar balls.
Festivals and seasons
- Char Dham seasonLate April or May to October or November
- The four shrines open around Akshaya Tritiya and close near Diwali.
- International Yoga FestivalMarch
- In Rishikesh.
- Kanwar YatraJuly and August
- Millions walk to Haridwar; roads are jammed. Best avoided.
- Nanda Devi fairSeptember
- In Almora and Nainital.
- Uttarayani fairMid-January
- At Bageshwar, on the river.
Many of these follow the lunar calendar, so the dates move each year.
Uttarakhand: questions people ask
What are the best places to visit in Uttarakhand?
This guide covers 33 places in Uttarakhand, grouped into 10 circuits: Dehradun, Mussoorie & Pauri hills, Rishikesh & Haridwar, Sankri treks, Gangotri valley, Kedarnath & Chopta, Badrinath valley, Lohajung treks, Kumaon lakes, Kumaon ridges and Kumaon high country. Each page says who the place suits and who it does not.
What is the best time to visit Uttarakhand?
March to June and September to November are the best time for most places in Uttarakhand. Seasons differ by altitude, so check each place.
Which places in Uttarakhand are easy for families and first-timers?
Almora, Auli, Bhimtal & Naukuchiatal, Binsar, Chakrata and Haridwar are rated easy and good with children.
Where can you see snow in Uttarakhand?
Snow is likely for part of the year at Auli, Brahmatal, Chopta, Tungnath & Chandrashila, Dayara Bugyal, Gaumukh & Tapovan and Har Ki Dun. Each page lists the snow months.
Which are the main treks in Uttarakhand?
Brahmatal, Chopta, Tungnath & Chandrashila, Dayara Bugyal, Deoria Tal, Gaumukh & Tapovan, Har Ki Dun, Kedarkantha and Kedartal.
What is the highest place in Uttarakhand in this guide?
Roopkund (Skeleton Lake), at 5,029 m.
Do you need a permit to visit Uttarakhand?
Pilgrims to the Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib must register before travelling. Gangotri National Park (Gaumukh, Tapovan, Kedartal) limits the number of people each day and needs a permit. The Johar valley beyond Munsiyari, including Milam, needs an Inner Line Permit from the local administration. Valley of Flowers charges an entry fee at the gate.
How do you get to Uttarakhand?
For Garhwal, come through Dehradun, Haridwar or Rishikesh. For Kumaon, take the train to Kathgodam or fly to Pantnagar.
What food should you try in Uttarakhand?
Aloo ke gutke: spiced hill potatoes, often with a sharp hemp-seed chutney; Kafuli: a thick gravy of spinach and fenugreek leaves; Bhatt ki churkani: black soybean dal, eaten with rice; Mandua roti: flatbread of finger millet, with ghee; Bal mithai: almora's fudge-like sweet rolled in sugar balls.
What are the main festivals in Uttarakhand?
Char Dham season (late april or may to october or november), International Yoga Festival (march), Kanwar Yatra (july and august), Nanda Devi fair (september), Uttarayani fair (mid-january).