Top Trekking Destinations in Uttarakhand

Normal people have ‘normal plans’ for the summers. You know, like staying in the AC, binge watching series, hanging out with friends or maybe shopping. There is a thing about this normal – it is boring! You get one summer in a year and you want to waste it sitting within four walls?

People with the jigar for adventure have plans that help them explore what lies within themselves and the most magnanimous offerings of mother nature. They don’t need the ACs because they are surrounded by snowy peaks, they don’t binge watch series because they are watching the tides of rivers flow and instead of hanging out with friends, they are hanging from cliffs while trekking! Trekking certainly is the amalgamation of all the fun and adventure one can have while doing only one activity; and when it comes to trekking, Uttarakhand is definitely the most beautiful place to visit.

Uttarakhand has so many treks available that one can easily get lost wondering – where to go! That is where we step in. Here is a guide of best summer trek you can plan, if you want to have a summer trek in Uttrarakhand:

Sources of Ganges Trek: This is a trek which holds significance in two key areas: the beauty of the fauna you get to see and the religious side of the trek. Most organized trekking tours start from Rishikesh. After a day or evening in Rishikesh, you can take a ride to Gangotri via Uttarkashi, from where the trek begins. Rishikesh, Gangotri and Uttarkashi – all the three are important as base places to start the trek and for visiting the numerous Hindu temples in the region. From Gangotri it is a 13-15 km trek to Chirbasa or Bhojwasa which is on an easy to moderate level for even first time trekking participants. From Bhojwasa, you get to Gaumukh from where Ganga origins and move on to Nandanvan via Tapovan. In Nandanvan you visit the Vasuki Tal lake which is one of the most prominent places of the trek. Most of the treks return from Vasuki Tal, back to Nandanvan and heading finally towards Rishikesh following the same route. 

Valley of Flowers Trek: The trek, as its name suggests, is the best for someone who wants to enjoy walks down the river streams in mountainous regions and wants to see exquisite wild flowers on the way. The trek is extremely famous for its flower attractions like Sediams, Saxifrages and Calendula; adding to that, you may also get to see wonders of the wild like the brown bear, snow leopard or the blue sheep! The entire trek does not take more than 12-14 days and is easy to moderate on the difficult levels.

Chopta Chandrashila Trek: Chandrashila via Chopta and Tungnath is one trek that you have to go to, at least once in a lifetime! The trek’s final destination is the Chandrashila peak which stands at 13,000 ft. and literally translates to Moon Rock. The peak is great significance for any traveller as one can easily see the Western and Eastern peaks of Uttarakhand like the Himalayas, Nandadevi, Kedar Park, Trisul and Chaukhamba peaks. Chaukhamba’s reflection in the lake at Deorital is an imagery you cannot miss!  

Har Ki Doon Trek: This is probably one the best treks for beginners. Like all the treks, this one too holds great significance religiously. According to mythology, the Pandavas walked through this very while on their way to heaven and that is how the name Swargrohini, a famous spot in the trek, comes from. The trek sits right in the laps of the Garhwal region in the Himalayas. The trek is ideal for summers and would usually have five to six hours of trekking on a daily basis; that may sound a bit too much for the beginners but with the local facilities and refreshments available at most of the places within the trek, it is actually a great trek for beginners. Another benefit of the trek, for the beginners, is that it mostly runs through dense forests, giving great moments to nature lovers and bird watchers and at the same time does not demand for adaption to high altitudes. If you want to visit only the Himalayas, the Kuari Pass Trek has almost identical features to Har Ki Doon – great for beginners, dense forest region and spectacular access to flora and fauna in the region.

For more information email us: tours@shikhar.com