Explore Uttarakhand

Kedarnath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and a highlight of the Char Dham Yatra, stands at the head of the Mandakini valley beneath the towering Kedarnath range. The final approach is a pilgrim trek from Gaurikund, and the sight of the temple against the snow wall at dawn is one of the Himalaya's most moving experiences.

Badrinath, the seat of Lord Vishnu on the banks of the Alaknanda, sits in a dramatic ampitheatre between the Nar and Narayan peaks. Pilgrims take a dip at Tapt Kund before darshan, and the town's painted facades glow at sunrise.

Gangotri, the winter home of the Goddess Ganga, sits beside the icy Bhagirathi where it emerges from the Gangotri glacier region. The white temple, deodar forests and boulder-strewn river make it one of the most scenic of the Char Dham stops.

Yamunotri, source shrine of the Yamuna, marks the traditional first dham of the Char Dham circuit. Pilgrims cook rice in the hot springs beside the temple and walk through steep Garhwali valleys to reach the shrine.

Hemkund Sahib is a high-altitude gurudwara beside a glacial lake ringed by seven snow peaks — one of the most revered Sikh pilgrimage sites. The valley below, pushed wildflowers every monsoon, is also the gateway to the Valley of Flowers.

Tungnath, the highest Shiva temple in the Himalaya, crowns a emerald meadow ridge above Chopta. The short but steep climb passes through rhododendron forest and ends with a 360° panorama of the Garhwal peaks.

Chandrashila, the 'moon rock' summit above Tungnath, offers arguably the finest 360° Himalayan panorama in Uttarakhand — Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and the Gangotri group all line up on a clear morning.

Triyuginarayan is believed to be where Shiva and Parvati were wed, with a sacred fire said to have burned since that day. Couples from across India come here for weddings beside the eternal flame and the Brahma Shovrat kund.

Dhari Devi, guardian goddess of the Garhwal hills, stands on a rock in the middle of the Alaknanda — the idol was famously repositioned during dam construction, an event many link to the 2013 Kedarnath floods. It's a powerful, living shrine on the Badrinath highway.

Neelkanth Mahadev, set in dense forest above Rishikesh, marks the spot where Shiva is said to have consumed the poison of the ocean churning. The temple's vibrant gopuram, jungle drive and river gorges make it a favourite half-day pilgrimage from Rishikesh.

Jageshwar Dham is a grove of over a hundred 9th–13th century stone temples beneath ancient deodars — one of the great Jyotirlinga sites of the Himalaya. Moss-covered shikhara towers, ringing bells and quiet lanes make it Kumaon's most atmospheric heritage shrine.

Baijnath's 12th-century Katyuri temples stand on the banks of the Gomti, guarded by stone idols and a pair of tame fish in the temple pond. It was once the capital of the Katyuri kings, and the riverside ruins are wonderfully photogenic.

Katarmal's 9th-century Sun Temple is India's second-most important sun temple after Konark — a hilltop complex of the main Burhadita shrine and dozens of small satellite temples overlooking terraced Kumaon valleys.

Surkanda Devi crowns a forested ridge near Dhanaulti, where Sati's head is said to have fallen. The short climb is rewarded with a close-up panorama of the Bandarpunch and the Doon valley far below.

Chitai is the temple of Golu Devta, the god of justice of Kumaon, where thousands of bells and handwritten petitions hang from every beam — devotees file 'court cases' to the deity and return with a bell when their wish is granted.

Purnagiri, one of the 108 Shakti Peethas, looks out over the Nepal frontier from a ridgeline above Tanakpur. Navratri turns the trail into a river of pilgrims climbing to the summit shrine.

Kainchi Dham is the riverside ashram of Neem Karoli Baba, the sage who inspired seekers from Steve Jobs to Mark Zuckerberg to visit the Kumaon hills. The quiet temple bridges two hillsides above the Kosi stream.

Mansa Devi crowns Bilwa hill above Haridwar, one of the city's three Shakti Peethas. The ropeway rides over the ghats and the Ganga gives a bird's-eye finish to any Haridwar visit.

Chandi Devi sits on Neel Parvat at the edge of Haridwar, said to have been established by Adi Shankaracharya. The ropeway climbs over the Chandi Ghat wilderness to a shrine with sweeping views of the Ganga plains.

Maya Devi, from which Haridwar takes its old name Mayapur, is one of the city's ancient Siddha Peethas. The goddess's navel and heart are said to have fallen here, and the temple anchors the old lanes above the ghats.

The 'Queen of the Hills' rides a great ridge above the Doon valley, wrapped in oak and deodar with the snow range visible on clear winter days. Mall Road, Landour lanes and hill viewpoints make it the most loved weekend hill station near Dehradun.

Landour is Mussoorie's quieter upper cantonment — colonial cottages, deodar lanes and the famous bakeries of Char Dukan above a sea of hills. Ruskin Bond's home patch and the loveliest walk in the district.

Dhanaulti's quiet eco-parks and cedar forests sit on the Mussoorie–Chamba ridge, far quieter than its famous neighbour. Mist, pine walks and mountain camps define this easygoing hill escape.

Kanatal is a high meadow camp country between Dhanaulti and Chamba — apple orchards, starlit tent stays and forest trails. Its quiet roads are among the most scenic drives out of Dehradun.

Chakrata is a cantonment hill town on a ridge above the Yamuna valley — deodar forests, limestone caves at Budher and the roaring Tiger Falls nearby. Far quieter than Mussoorie, it's Dehradun's favourite offbeat escape.

Dehradun, the valley capital of Uttarakhand, blends colonial institutes, forest research campuses and monastery lanes beneath the Mussoorie ridge. It is the great starting point of every Garhwal journey — and a destination in itself.

Rishikesh, the yoga capital on the Ganga, strings ashrams, suspension bridges and white-water rapids beneath forested hills. Evenings at Triveni Ghat and mornings on the river make it Uttarakhand's most versatile stop.

Nainital curves around the emerald Naini Lake beneath the eyeshaped peaks of Kumaon. Boating, Mallital bazaars and viewpoint hikes make it the classic lake-and-ridge holiday of the Kumaon hills.

Almora is Kumaon's cultural capital — a horseshoe ridge town of stone lanes, Lala bazaars and temples that have watched the Himalaya for centuries. Swami Vivekananda and D. H. Lawrence both fell for its light.

Ranikhet, the 'Queen's Meadow', keeps its cantonment greens, golf course and orchards beneath a huge view of the Nanda Devi range. Pine forests and army neatness give it a calm few hill stations match.

Mukteshwar perches on a high orchard ridge famous for its 360° Himalayan view and the climber's playground of Chauli ki Jali. Orchards, a century-old temple and forest trails keep it wonderfully slow.

Kausani's tea gardens and pine ridges front a 300-km sweep of Himalaya that Gandhi called the 'Switzerland of India'. Sunrise here turns Trishul and Nanda Devi rose-gold above the Someshwar valley.

Chaukori is a quiet tea-and-pine ridge in Pithoragarh with one of the grandest sunrise views of the Panchachuli range. Tea gardens, orchards and deep silence define this offbeat Kumaon gem.

Pithoragarh, 'Little Kashmir', sits in a wide wooded valley on the old trade road to Tibet. Fort ruins, valley viewpoints and the road-head feel of the Himalayan frontier give it a distinct character.

Munsiyari is the end-of-the-road Johari valley town that stares straight up at the five fins of Panchachuli. Homestays, Johari crafts and the trailhead of the Milam and Nanda Devi routes make it Kumaon's grand frontier.

Lohaghat is a calm valley town on the Lohawati river in Champawat, ringed by oak forests and old devi shrines. It's the quiet base for Purnagiri, Mayawati ashram and Abbott Mount's colonial ghost-story charm.

Champawat, the ancient capital of the Chand dynasty, keeps carved temples like Baleshwar and Nagnath in stone that has seen a thousand years. Terraced hills and the Lohawati valley frame the old town.

Binsar is a dark-forested wildlife sanctuary crowned by Zero Point, where oak and rhododendron woods part for a panorama from Kedarnath to Nanda Devi. Colonial-era estate houses and forest lodges keep it hushed.

Auli, India's finest ski meadow, rolls beneath the twin summits of Nanda Devi and Trishul. The Joshimath ropeway, winter skiing and summer grasslands make it a year-round mountain playground.

Joshimath, the winter seat of Badrinath, is the great staging town of the Alaknanda — gateway to Auli, the Valley of Flowers and the Niti routes. Ancient Kalpavriksha and Shankaracharya math traditions run deep here.

Harsil is a deodar-lined army cantonment valley on the Bhagirathi — apple orchards, wooden houses and one of the prettiest river roads in Garhwal, just before Gangotri.

Chopta, the 'Mini Switzerland' of Garhwal, is a high meadow camp under the Tungnath ridge — bugyal grass, rhododendron thickets and some of the easiest grand-view treks in the Himalaya.

Ukhimath is the winter home of the Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar idols and the ancestral town of the old Garhwal royalty. Wooden temples and valley terraces make it a gentle cultural stop near Chopta.

Lansdowne is a neat Garhwali cantonment town of the Garhwal Rifles — oak and pine woods, a quiet lake, and the splendid Tarkeshwar Mahadev shrine in the forest nearby.

Pauri, headquarters of the Garhwal hills, spreads across a ridge with a 300 km view of the snow range from Chaukhamba to Nanda Devi. Terraced valleys and the Kandoliya woods make it a slow, grand detour.

Tehri is home to one of the world's tallest embankment dams and the vast turquoise Tehri Lake that backs up the Bhagirathi. Jet-ski pontoons, the ropeway over the gorge and hilltop views make it an unexpected adventure stop.

New Tehri, the planned town built when the old capital drowned under the dam's waters, stacks bright hillside housing above the great reservoir. It's the best base to understand the lake's story.

Gwaldam is a whisper-quiet ridge junction between Garhwal and Kumaon, with pine forests, terraced farms and the trailhead for theRoopkund and Tungnath sides of the mountains.

Ramgarh, the fruit bowl of Kumaon, rolls with apple, peach and apricot orchards beneath a wall of snow peaks. Writers' retreats and estate bungalows make it a slow-season favourite above Nainital.

Bhimtal wraps its lake around an island aquarium, calmer and greener than Nainital nearby. Boathouses, forest walks and butterfly-rich slopes make it a gentle lake holiday.

Naini Lake, the eye-shaped heart of Nainital, glows green beneath the hillside houses and lights of Mall Road. Evening boating with the temple bells across the water is the Kumaon experience.

Bhimtal Lake spreads wider and quieter than Naini, with an island aquarium at its centre and forested arms running up the slopes. Duck boats, lakeside cafés and morning mist make it a gentle day out.

Sattal, the 'seven lakes', pools beneath a forested bowl that is one of India's richest birdwatching corners. Kayaks, hides and forest trails keep it wild and quiet.

Naukuchiatal, the 'nine-cornered lake', is the deepest of the Kumaon lakes, wrapped in oak forest and paraglider thermals. It's the calmest of the lake circuit and a favourite of paddlers.

Deoria Tal mirrors the entire Chaukhamba range in a single still frame — the most rewarding short trek in Garhwal. Campsites on the meadow rim make sunrise unforgettable.

Dodital, the 'Ganesh lake', is a hidden forest pool of the Assi Ganga beneath the Bandarpunch massif. Golden mahseer legend, deep oak forest and a night at the lakeshore make it a trekker's quiet classic.

Roopkund, the mysterious 'skeleton lake' at the Shila Samudra glacier below Trishul, holds centuries-old remains preserved in ice. One of the Himalaya's great trekking legends — and one of its most regulated.

The Hemkund glacial lake sits in a bowl of seven peaks, its water mirror-flat and freezing even in July. Pilgrims and trekkers share the shoreline with Brahma Kamal blooms.

Tehri Lake, the emerald reservoir behind one of the world's tallest dams, has become Uttarakhand's water-sports playground — jet-ski circuits, banana boats and a lakeside festival each winter.

Vasudhara drops a silver ribbon down a wall of moraine above Mana village — legend says the water turns away from the wicked. The trail up the Alaknanda is as beautiful as the falls.

Kempty Falls has been Mussoorie's great picnic cascade since colonial days — a 40-foot-ish drop into a natural bathing pool, ringed by ridge-top stalls and viewpoints.

Sahastradhara, the 'thousand-fold springs', tumbles limestone terraces east of Dehradun — sulphur water, ropeway rides and waterfalls in a green gorge. A classic Doon-valley half-day.

Robber's Cave is a strange, wonderful gorge where a river vanishes into a limestone cave and re-emerges a kilometre downstream — legend says the outlaw Sagar hid here from the British.

Tiger Falls drops in a single white thread through deodar forest near Chakrata — one of Uttarakhand's loveliest wild cascades, with a cold pool and picnic rocks below.

Bhatta Falls tucks into a jungle gorge below the Mussoorie road — a favourite local splash spot with a small ropeway, pools and cliff-side cafés.

Neer Garh (Neer Gaddu) is Rishikesh's jungle waterfall — a series of cold pools and small cascades hidden above the Ganga, reached on a shady footpath popular with yoga-school crowds.

Birthi Falls drops 125 m-ish through a wall of green on the road to Munsiyari — a dramatic roadside cascade and the first taste of the Johar valley's wildness.

Patal Bhuvaneshwar is a living limestone temple-cave below Chaukori — a marvel of stalactite formations said to hold the gods' own geography inside, described in the Manas Khand of the Skanda Purana.

Jim Corbett, India's oldest national park, folds sal forest, grassland and the Ramganga reservoir into the best tiger habitat on earth. Dawn jeep safaris from Dhikala and Bijrani are the stuff of lifelong memories.

Rajaji's shivalik forest between Haridwar and Dehradun holds one of India's densest elephant populations, along with tigers, leopards and great hornbills — and it's the easiest safari from either city.

The Valley of Flowers, a UNESCO World Heritage site, blooms with hundreds of high-altitude wildflower species beneath the Ratban Parbat walls — a meadow so bright it changed botanical history. entry is strictly regulated to protect it.

Around Nanda Devi, India's second-highest peak, lies one of the world's most strictly protected mountain sanctuaries — a ring of peaks and glaciers that few outsiders have entered. Nearby viewpoints and meadows offer the practical experience.

Gangotri National Park guards the Bhagirathi's glacial headwaters — snow leopard country, blue sheep cliffs and the great Gangotri glacier. Even the drive in, through deodar gorges, is spectacular.

Govind Pashu Vihar, the great forest of the Tons valley, shelters snow leopards, Himalayan black bears and the westernmost populations of many alpine species — and holds the trails of Kedarkantha and Har Ki Dun.

The Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Garhwal's largest protected forest, wraps the Tungnath–Chopta–Mandakini highlands in musk deer and monal country. Rhododendron forests here turn the trails crimson each spring.

Binsar Sanctuary is 45-odd square kilometres of deep oak and rhododendron forest around a single grand ridge — leopards, barking deer, 200+ bird species and the Zero Point snowline panorama.

Askot, in the shadow of the Panchachuli walls, protects musk deer and alpine forest along the old Tibet trade routes — one of Kumaon's least-visited wild corners.

Asan Barrage, the wetland where the Asan meets the Yamuna, is a migration magnet for waterfowl — red-crested pochards, coots and waders by the thousand in winter, right on the Dehradun–Paonta road.

The classic trek through a UNESCO wildflower amphitheatre below Hemkund's peaks — green gorge, silver river and a floor of blooms that peaks in the monsoon.

A steep, soulful climb from Ghangaria to a glacial bowl at ~4,600 m (approx.) where the gurudwara mirrors in a lake of seven peaks.

India's favourite winter summit — a snow-forest climb from Sankri to a 360° peak-view summit, with camp nights under some of the darkest skies in Garhwal.

The best short snow trek near Dehradun — a weekend climb of the Nag Tibba 'Serpent's Peak' through oak forest to a ridge facing the whole Garhwal range.

Lord Curzon's classic trail — meadows and oak forest to a pass that looks straight up the Nanda Devi sanctuary wall, with Dronagiri and Kamet filling the sky.

The 'Valley of Gods' — a cradle-shaped valley of old wooden villages, walnut groves and hanging meadows beneath the Swargarohini peaks, on trails walked for a thousand years.

One of the loveliest high meadows on earth — an ocean of grass at 3,400 m-ish with the Bandarpunch and Sri Kanta walls ahead, and a frozen lake at its heart in winter.

Twin meadow continents above the Roopkund trail — vast, rolling grasslands with Trishul rising over the ridgeline like a dream. Spring carpets the slopes in gorson flowers.

A winter-perfect trek to a frozen lake framed by oak forest, with the giant ridgeline of Roopkund's peaks standing guard beyond the camp.

The 'Queen of Kumaon treks' — a week's walk up the Sarayu valley to the snout of the Pindari glacier between Nanda Devi and Nanda Kot, through Khati, the largest village on the old trade road.

Kumaon's grandest old trade route — a week up the Gori Ganga from Munsiyari to the vast Milam ice-field beneath Hardeol and Trishuli, through villages that winter at the glacier's edge.

The legendary climb to the skeleton lake — bugyal meadows, glacier moraine and a finale at ~4,800 m (approx.) beneath Trishul. Access has been restricted in recent years; confirm the current status before planning.

The best short Himalayan trek in Uttarakhand — from the meadows of Chopta to the highest Shiva temple, doable in a morning and unforgettable at sunrise.

The summit beyond Tungnath — an extra ridge-mile to a 360° platform over the whole Garhwal Himalaya, famed for the first light of dawn hitting Nanda Devi.

The trek to Gaumukh, the 'cow's mouth' snout of the Gangotri glacier where the Ganga is born — a walk up the source valley through bhojpatra forest to the ice wall itself.

One of the Himalaya's great expeditions — the technical col between the Jogin and Bhirgupanth peaks linking the Rudugaira and Khatling sides. Expert-only, weather-window dependent and never a casual trek.

The five Shiva temples of Garhwal — Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheshwar and Kalpeshwar — linked by high trails and legend: one of the Himalaya's great pilgrimage circuits.

Har Ki Pauri is the beating heart of Haridwar — the ghat where the Ganga leaves the mountains and the evening aarti pours light across the water. Thousands of diyas float downstream every night.

Ram Jhula spans the Ganga between the great ashram banks of Rishikesh — a suspension bridge of bazaars, sadhus and river views that links Shivananda Jhira to Swargashram.

Lakshman Jhula, the iron suspension bridge of legend, hangs above the Ganga where Lakshman is said to have crossed on a jute rope. Tera Manzil temple, bazaars and beach cafés crowd both banks.

Triveni Ghat is Rishikesh's great bathing and aarti ghat, where the evening lamp ceremony turns the river to gold. Faith, music and river mist mix in one of India's most beautiful rituals.

Devprayag is where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet and the Ganga is truly born — a green-and-brown confluence beneath the great Raghunath temple, visible from the ridge road above.

Rudraprayag, where the Mandakini meets the Alaknanda, is a tight gorge town of prayer flags and river roar — named for Shiva's Rudra form and the gateway to Kedarnath.

Karnaprayag, the confluence of the Alaknanda and Pindar, is named for Karna of the Mahabharata — a valley town on the road to Badrinath and the Pindari side.

Nandaprayag, where the Nandakini joins the Alaknanda, is named for Nanda the foster father of Krishna — a calm confluence town under terraced slopes.

Vishnuprayag, the Dhauliganga–Alaknanda confluence below Joshimath, roars in a deep gorge beside Vishnu's stepped temple — the last prayag before Badrinath.

Vashishta Gufa, a quiet riverside cave an hour up the Ganga from Rishikesh, is where sage Vashishta is said to have meditated — today a deep-silence spot for long sits by the river.

The Beatles Ashram, where the Fab Four studied Transcendental Meditation in 1968, is now a forest-covered gallery of domed meditation huts and giant murals above the Ganga.

The Forest Research Institute is a colossal colonial edifice of arches and museums set in a green campus — one of India's grandest institutional buildings and a Doon-valley landmark.

The Indian Military Academy trains the Indian Army's officers against the backdrop of the Doon valley. Public access is limited — the Chetwode Hall zone and Passing Out Parades are the occasions when civilians may visit, per current rules.

Kumaon's villages keep a living architecture — carved wooden doors, akhdi windows and slate roofs stacked on stone, with Aipan art on thresholds. Village walks around Almora, Kausani and Munsiyari are journeys into a slow, beautiful mountain culture.

The classic first trip to the hills — Doon valley sights, Mall Road evenings and the quiet colonial lanes of Landour, all within a short drive of Dehradun.

Two holy towns on one river — the great aarti of Har Ki Pauri, the bridges and ashrams of Rishikesh, and a beach hour on the Ganga in between.

The lake triangle of Kumaon — boating on Naini, the island lake of Bhimtal and the seven-forest pool bowl of Sattal in one green loop.

The Kumaon culture line — cantonment meadows of Ranikhet, the bazaars and temples of Almora, and Kausani's 300 km sunrise over Trishul.

Dehradun's quiet side — cantonment ridge walks in Chakrata and the forest cascade of Tiger Falls, with deodar air all weekend.

Camps, cedars and a giant lake — misty Dhanaulti parks, a night of stargazing in Kanatal and water-sports afternoon at Tehri.

A slow Garhwali weekend — the neat cantonment woods of Lansdowne and Pauri's great snow-range viewpoint over the Kandoliya ridge.

Tiger country and lake lights — an official dawn safari in Corbett's grasslands followed by two days around the Naini Lake.

Ski meadows and mountain towns — the ropeway over Joshimath to Auli's slopes, Gorson meadow walks and the Nanda Devi wall overhead.

The best short Himalayan combo — a mirror-calm lake at Deoria Tal, the meadows of Chopta and the highest Shiva temple at Tungnath.