Valley of Flower India

Uttarakhand is one of the north India destinations which is famous for its natural beauty, wildlife, adventure and culture. The Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand draws many a tourist from all over the world. Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian national park, Nestled in the high Himalayas of Chamoli district of Garwhal region in Uttarakhand. The most striking feature of this park is its colorful flowers and scenic beauty. Valley of Flower is a picture perfect land of innumerable flowers that blossom throughout the year and creates a heavenly sight. Not only is this it also a home to a variety of wildlife, including the endangered ones. Some of the wildlife species found here are musk deer, snow leopard, brown bear, Asiatic black bear, blue sheep and snow leopard. The Valley of Flowers is an outstandingly beautiful high-altitude Himalayan valley that has been acknowledged as such by renowned mountaineers and botanists in literature for over a century and in Hindu mythology for much longer. Its ‘gentle’ landscape, breathtakingly beautiful meadows of alpine flowers and ease of access complement the rugged, mountain wilderness for which the inner basin of Nanda Devi National Park is renowned. The place had disappeared from the tourist map due to its inaccessible approach but in 1931 when Frank S. Smythe a British mountaineer lost his way while returning from a successful expedition to Mt. Kamet and he reached this valley which was full of flowers. He was so attracted towards the beauty of the place he named it as "Valley of Flowers". He authored a book called "The Valley of Flowers" which unveiled the beauty and floral splendors of the valley and thus threw open the doors of this verdant jewel to nature-enthusiasts all over the world.

In 1939, Miss Margarate Legge, a botanist deputed by the botanical gardens of Edinburgh arrived at the valley for further studies. While she was traversing some rocky slopes to collect flowers, she slipped off and was lost for ever in the garden of the gods. Her sister later visited the valley and erected a memorial on the spot where she was buried by the locals.
Sprawling over an area of 87.50 sq km, and height of 3,600 m above the sea level, hemmed by glistening snowy mountains, the Valley of Flower is a haven for nature lovers. Come June and this valley gets flooded with beautiful and colorful alpine flowers. The flowering season starts in June and ends in October, so tourists must visit this Park during this period to capture the magic of flowers. The best time to visit the valley is during July and August when innumerable varieties of flowers bloom and present a spectacular sight. The valley itself is 10 Km long and about 2 Km wide in conical shape, with the river Pushpavati flowing through it. After one gets down at Govindghat on the main Badrinath highway, it involves a trek of 15 Km to reach Ghangaria, from where a further short trek of 5 Km leads one to the edge of the valley. The valley ranges between 3352 and 3658 mts. in altitude. Valley of flower is splashed with colour as it bloomed with hundreds different beautiful flowers, taking on various shades of colours as time progressed. Valley was declared a national park in 1982, and now it is a World Heritage Site. It is a mesmerizing high-altitude Himalayan valley offering picturesque landscape, gorgeous greenery, majestic mountains, breathtaking meadows of flowers and wilderness. Flowers mostly orchids, poppies, primulas, calendulas, daisies and anemones carpet the ground. Alpine forests of birch and rhododendron cover a part of the area, and are home to tahr, snow leopard, musk deer, red fox, common langur, bharal, serow, Himalayan black bear and a huge variety of butterflies.

Literally hundreds of wild flowers bloom in this valley including the rare Himalayan Blue Poppy .Tread with caution because your visit should not endanger the things you have come to see. Also carry a little salt. The valley is infested with leeches in the wettest weather when the flowers are at their best. It is 36 Km from Joshimath. A naturalist’s delight, the valley is reputed to be the largest repository of the wild flowers in the natural surroundings in the world over 300 species has been identified. Only day visits are permitted. Night halt accommodation is available at Ghanghria.

The Track

While trekking towards valley of flowers, one can experience the beauty of shining peaks fully covered with snow. One can also see the beautiful view of surrounding greenery and various running streams with crystal clear water. There is no settlement in the national park and grazing in the area has been banned. The park is open only in summers between June and October, being covered by heavy snow during the rest of the year.

The Valley of Flowers is a national park which boasts of more than 500 varieties of flowers and a variety of wildlife species. It is a must-visit destination during your visit uttarakhand. If you are a nature lover and want to explore the beauty of nature in its complete way then non other in the world as Valley of Flower. Getting to the Valley of Flowers isn't exactly a cakewalk; getting here requires a trek of about 20 Km. The nearest major town is Joshimath in Garhwal, which has convenient road connections from railheads such as Hardwar and Dehradun, both about 270 Km from Joshimath. From Gobind ghat, a trek of 14 km brings hikers to the tiny settlement of Ghangaria, beyond which the toll gate to the National Park is about 3 km.
If you are planning to visit beautiful places in Uttarakhand and want to explore the beauty then Plan your tour to Valley of Flowers and get completely soaked in its overwhelming natural beauty. There are many travels and tour operators in India, provide you different packages to visit the beautiful land of flowers in Uttarakhand. You can also visit Valley of Flower during your Chardham Tour in Uttarakhand. The chirping of the birds, the flowers dipped in dew, colorful butterflies fluttering from flower to flower, refreshing air, and lush greenery is enough to make you experience heaven on earth. The Valley of Flowers is a famous attraction in your Visit Uttarakhand. This tour will surely make your holidays pleasurable and memorable.