Uttarakhand
Travel Guide 2026

Rishikesh — The World Yoga Capital

Altitude: 372m | Best Time: Year-round

Where the Himalayas meet the plains and the sacred Ganga emerges from the mountains, Rishikesh has welcomed seekers for thousands of years. The Beatles came here in 1968 to meditate at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram, and in many ways the town has been on the global spiritual map ever since. Today, it draws monks and adrenaline junkies in equal measure.

Adventure in Rishikesh

The Ganga offers white-water rafting from Shivpuri (16km) and Marine Drive (26km) with rapids ranging from Grade I to IV. Bungee jumping at Jumpin Heights (83m off a cantilever platform) is one of the highest legal bungee jumps in India. The Ganga Aarti at Triveni Ghat at sunset — a symphony of fire, chanting, and river mist — is among the most moving cultural spectacles in the subcontinent.

Kedarnath — A Pilgrimage Beyond Religion

Altitude: 3,583m | Best Time: May – June, Sept – Oct

You don’t need to be religious to feel something profound at Kedarnath. The 16km trek from Gaurikund through alpine meadows, pine forests, and glacial moraines takes you to a granite temple that has witnessed centuries — earthquakes, floods, and an unbroken river of pilgrims. When the clouds part and reveal the Kedarnath Peak behind the temple, you understand why humans have always needed mountains.

Our Kedarnath packages include acclimatization day in Guptkashi, comfortable lodge stay at Gaurikund, and a guided dawn trek to arrive at temple before crowds for a private sunrise experience.

Chopta — India’s Mini Switzerland

Altitude: 2,680m | Best Time: April – June, Sept – Nov

The road to Chopta winds through rhododendron forests so dense and so red in spring that it feels like driving through a fire lit by nature. The meadows open suddenly — vast, grassy, and dotted with wildflowers, with the Himalayan peaks of Kedarnath, Chaukhamba, and Tungnath forming a wall of white against the blue sky. The Tungnath trek (3.5km, 4,090m) makes Chopta an unmissable destination — Tungnath is the highest Shiva temple in the world.

Valley of Flowers — A Living Impressionist Painting

Altitude: 3,352m–3,658m | Best Time: July – September

The Valley of Flowers National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an 87.5km² high-altitude Himalayan valley blanketed in primula, brahmakamal, himalayan blue poppy, and hundreds of other alpine flower species found nowhere else on Earth. The 17km trek from Govindghat to Ghangaria, followed by a 4km walk into the valley itself, leads to one of the most genuinely beautiful places in the country.

Nainital — The Jewel of Kumaon

Altitude: 2,084m | Best Time: Mar – June, Sept – Nov

Nainital’s Naini Lake — an emerald kidney-shaped lake ringed by seven forested hills — has been attracting travelers since the 1840s when it was “discovered” by British P. Barron. Today, the boating on the lake at dawn, the cable car ride to Snow View Point (2,270m), and the Mall Road’s colonial architecture make Nainital a timeless destination for families, couples, and solo travelers alike.

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