itinerary
Day 1: Arrive at Haridwar and drive to Rishikesh after which you will check in to a hotel here. Stay overnight at Rishikesh. In the evening, you may witness the Ganga Arati at Ram Jhula.
Day 2: Start early today to drive to Govindghat (a drive of 290km). Stay overnight at Govindghat. The altitude here is 5500ft above sea level.
Day 3: Trek 14km to Ghangaria. It’s an easy trek with a few steep stretches on the way. As the altitude of Ghangaria is 10,200ft, the altitude gain is significant today. So although the trail is easy, there are some steep stretches on the way. If the weather is clear, you may catch a glimpse of the Hathi Parvat on the way. Stay overnight at Ghangaria.
Day 2: Start early today to drive to Govindghat (a drive of 290km). Stay overnight at Govindghat. The altitude here is 5500ft above sea level.
Day 3: Trek 14km to Ghangaria. It’s an easy trek with a few steep stretches on the way. As the altitude of Ghangaria is 10,200ft, the altitude gain is significant today. So although the trail is easy, there are some steep stretches on the way. If the weather is clear, you may catch a glimpse of the Hathi Parvat on the way. Stay overnight at Ghangaria.
Day 4: Today we trek to the Valley of Flowers, at an altitude of 3858m above sea level. The trek is now a 4km trek as the route has changed since the 2013 floods of Uttarakhand. The trail is easy but steep. A slow and steady pace will help you reach the valley well in time and leave you with ample time to explore the valley. You will be served a packed lunch today. Camping in the valley is not allowed and so we will trace back our steps to Ghangaria and stay overnight here.
Day 5: Today we start early in the morning for Hemkund Sahib. Hemkund Sahib is perched at an altitude of 4633m above sea level. It’s a 6km trek and although the trail itself is very easy, it gets quite steep after about 3km. Just before reaching the Gurudwara, there is a climb of 800 steps. But the view that you get on top is totally worth it. There is a beautiful lake here called Hemkund from where the Gurudwara gets its name. After paying your respects at the Gurudwara and partaking of the khichdi (a rice and lentils concoction) Prasad, we return to Ghangria.
Day 6: After breakfast, we return back to Govindghat from Ghangaria. After a quick lunch here, we drive to Badrinath, 25km away from Govindghat. After checking into a hotel here and freshening up, we will visit the Badrinath shrine and witness the evening arati.
Day 7: Today we visit the village Mana. Besides the last Indian village before China, Mana also holds great mythological significance. There is a cave dedicated to the sage Vyas who is said to have narrated the great Indian Epic Mahabharata and the Upanishads. There is also a cave dedicated to Lord Ganesha who is said to have written down Vyas’s narration. After exploring this small village, we will drive to Rudraprayag. Stay overnight at Rudraprayag.
Day 8: Today you drive back to Rishikesh / Haridwar.
Day 7: Today we visit the village Mana. Besides the last Indian village before China, Mana also holds great mythological significance. There is a cave dedicated to the sage Vyas who is said to have narrated the great Indian Epic Mahabharata and the Upanishads. There is also a cave dedicated to Lord Ganesha who is said to have written down Vyas’s narration. After exploring this small village, we will drive to Rudraprayag. Stay overnight at Rudraprayag.
Day 8: Today you drive back to Rishikesh / Haridwar.