Valley Of Flowers Trek Distance
Standing on a mountain trail, surrounded by endless fields of bright flowers touching the clouds, isn’t it an incredible feeling? Well if you want to experience this yourself, knowing the actual Valley of Flowers trek distance is the secret to making it happen. Yes! while this trail is famous for its beautiful views, the real ground reality is all about how many kilometers you will walk each day. To help you pace your steps and pack just right, this blog will guide you to the Valley of Flowers trek distance.
WHY YOU NEED TO VISIT THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS
- It is Nature’s Most Vibrant Reality Check.
The Valley Of Flowers isn’t a man-made botanical garden. It’s wild, chaotic, and breathtakingly beautiful. Depending on when you visit, the valley completely sheds its old skin and wraps itself in a new color palette
- The Soul-Soothing Absence of the ‘Digital Noise’
- It’s an Experience That Changes You
A lot of travel blogs classify the Valley of Flowers as an “easy, beginner-friendly” trek. Let’s burst that bubble right now: it is technically easy to moderate trek. You will be covering nearly 40 kilometers of terrain over the course of the trek at high altitudes where the air gets noticeably thinner. Your legs will ache, your lungs will beg for air on the steep inclines, and you will definitely sweat through your layers.But that’s exactly why you should do it. When you push through the fatigue, train your body for weeks leading up to the trip, and finally step foot into the valley, the sense of achievement is unparalleled.
A complete distance guide to The Valley of flowers.
Day 1: Dehradun / Rishikesh to Govindghat/ Joshimath.
Drive Distance: 255 km
Drive Duration: 11–12 hours
Your adventure begins early! There are overnight trains/buses available from Delhi to Rishikesh/Dehradun. The pick up time in Dehradun is 7AM and in Rishikesh is 8.15AM.
Note: In case if you are arriving by air then Dehradun Airport is close to Rishikesh and therefore, it is recommended to begin at Rishikesh.
The route along the way is a scenic one. Devprayag (where Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers confluence to form the Ganges) is the holy place that you will be introduced to after the trip. In the evening you arrive in Joshimath / Govindghat.
Day 2: Govindghat/Joshimath to Ghangaria Via Poolna
Trek Distance: 10 km
Trek Duration: 05-06 hours
This is a trek from Govindghat/Joshimath towards Poolna. The first proper ascent, around 3.5-4 hrs of steady uphill over the valley of Pushpawati river. Then you will arrive at Ghangaria which is at a height of 3049 m. The first 6 km is mix of gradual ascent and descent but the last 4 km after lunch are extreme
Day 3: Ghangaria to Valley of Flowers and return to Ghangaria
Trek Distance: 4km to 8 km one way
Trek Duration: 10 hours
It is the day you will come across the beautiful world heritage site The Valley of Flowers, filled with hundreds of wild flower species. From Ghangaria, the distance to the official starting entry point of the valley is 4 km. Once you enter, you can choose to walk up to another 4 km inside the valley to reach the final designated point known as the River Bed Point. Depending on how far you choose to explore, the one-way distance is 4 to 8 km, making the total round-trip trekking distance anywhere from 8 km to 16 km.
Important Timing Rule: According to Forest Department guidelines, all trekkers must exit the valley and return to Ghangaria by 4:30 PM. Because of this, you can only move forward until 1:30 PM. After 1:30 PM, regardless of where you are on the trail, you must turn around and begin your return journey.
Day 4: Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib
Trek Distance: 6 km One Way
Trek Duration: 10 hours
On day 4 you trek to a sacred Sikh shrine, Hemkund Sahib . Though it is the most challenging day of the entire of the trek, it is still a treasure hunt of waterfalls, snow capped peaks, glaciers and even more wildflowers! After arriving at Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara, be sure to enjoy the serene atmosphere. The trek from Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib is exactly 6 kilometers one way, which means you’ll be covering a total of 12 kilometers both ways. Because of the steep terrain and high altitude, this round-trip journey is going to take you about 10 hours in total.
After the Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara get closes at 2 pm no one is allowed to stay at the Hemkund Sahib.
Day 5:Ghangaria to Joshimath via Govindghat.
Trek Distance: 10 km
Trek Duration: 4 hours
Now it’s time to make your way back down. After breakfast head down the trail for 10 km till Poolna, from where you travel to Joshimath by car.
Day 6: Joshimath to Dehradun/ Rishikesh
Drive Distance: 255 km
Drive Duration: 9–10 hours
On Day 6, you begin your journey back to Dehradun (Rishikesh) from Joshimath. You will arrive at Rishikesh by 8 PM and Dehradun by 9.30 PM.
