Hemkund Sahib And Valley Of Flowers

Day 01: At the Gateway to Lords Vishnu and Shiva - Haridwar

• The “Tour to Hemkund Sahib and Valley of flowers” begins with your arrival in Delhi. Once you arrive at Delhi airport / Delhi railway station, you will be assisted for your further journey to Haridwar.
• Depending on your time of arrival at Haridwar, you can visi t Bharat Mata temple, Bhuma Niketan, Chandi Devi temple, Doodhadhari Temple temple, Mansa Devi temple. A visit to ‘Har-ki-Pauri’ in the evening for aarti and floating the 'diya' (lamp) in the river is a must do when you visit Haridwar. Haridwar will be your halt for the night.
• Haridwar- Haridwar is situated in the foothills of the Shivalik Mountains. The name Haridwar stands for “The gateway to Lord Vishnu”.  The place is also called “Hardwar” which means “Gateway to Lord Shiva”. Hence, Haridwar is a place of importance for devotees of both Vishnu and Shiva. Haridwar is also one of the four places where Kumbh mela takes place.
• Har ki Pauri: One of the famous landmarks in Haridwar, Har ki Pauri is a ghat on the banks of river Ganga. The place offers an enchanting view at night when golden diyas are seen floating in the river after the evening aarti.
• Chandi Devi Temple: Situated on top of the Neel Parvat, the temple is dedicated to Goddess Chandi Devi. The temple can be accessed either by foot or by cable car / ropeway services.
• Bharat Mata Temple: Also known as ‘Mother India’ temple, it was built in 1983.

Day 02: To the beautiful destination - Joshimath

• From Haridwar, the tour continues to Joshimath. Four out of the Panch Prayags- Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag and Nandaprayag can be visited en route to Joshimath. Once you arrive at Joshimath, you can relax and spend the rest of the evening sightseeing. Your halt for the night will be at Joshimath.
• Joshimath: Joshimath is a small hill station and a pilgrimage centre close to Badrinath. Situated at an altitude of 6000 ft, the town is mesmerizingly beautiful and has an air of spirituality that can be felt as you enter it. Though being a centre for Hindu pilgrims, Joshimath is also a hotspot for adventure lovers and trekkers. It has good road connectivity to other pilgrimage centers.
• Narsingh temple: A famous temple in Joshimath, it is regarded as one of the 108 Vishnu temples. The deity here is of Lord Vishnu in his narasimha avatar (half man, half lion)
• Shankaracharya math: This math is one out of the four maths established by Adi Shankaracharya

Day 03: To the midst of pine groves - Ghangaria

• An early start from Joshimath is required to reach Govind Ghat by road. Recently a road has been constructed which enables you to take a local cab to Pulna village which is 3Km from Govind Ghat. From this location your trek begins towards Ghangaria. The way to Ghangaria is a sight to behold with its lush greenery, magnificent mountains, gushing waterfalls and elegant rivers. Your halt for the night will be at Ghangaria.
• Ghangaria: Ghangaria is the base camp for those who wish to trek to Hemkund Sahib and the Valley of Flowers national park. Situated amongst pine forests, Ghangaria is the last place where you can find human settlements at that altitude. Trekkers and tourists can however, get comfortable accommodation in either of the tourist lodges, log huts or Gurudwara situated there.

Day 04: To the holiest Sikh pilgrim site – Hemkund sahib

• From Ghangaria, your trek begins to Hemkund sahib early in the morning. This Gurudwara is considered as the holiest pilgrimage site for the Sikhs but is visited by many tourists alike. The star shaped Gurudwara is a memorial to Guru Gobind Singh, who it is said, has meditated there for years. A temple dedicated to Lord Laxman which is situated nearby is also worth visiting. You can explore the place and relax in the beauty of nature. After sightseeing you have to trek back to Ghangaria. Your halt for the night will be at Ghangaria.
• Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib: situated at an altitude of 4239m this holy Sikh pilgrimage spot is surrounded by snow clad mountains, green pastures and frozen lake.
• Temple of Lord Lakshman: A small temple dedicated to Lord Lakshman. 

Day 05: Trek to the scenic valley – Valley of flowers

• After an early breakfast, your trek to Valley of flowers begins. The walk is a wonderful experience through green pastures and spectacular landscapes. The trek has all the elements to keep a nature lover and photo enthusiast excited and in full awe. The valley is full of wild and blooming flowers giving a stunning and majestic view of the valley. The valley stretches to 10 Km and you are free to explore the valley in the given schedule. After sightseeing, you shall trek back to Ghangaria. Your halt for the night will be at Ghangaria.
• Valley of Flowers: Discovered by Frank Smith while on an expedition to Mt. Kamet, this picturesque valley hosts rare species of flowers, wild variety of butterflies, musk deer and thar.

Day 06: To one of the Panch Prayag - Rudraprayag

• Winters- Pleasantly cool during the day but nights are cold with temperatures dropping from 20 degree Celsius to 05 degree Celsius.
• You will begin your trek back to Govind Ghat from Ghangaria. From there, you will be driven to Rudraprayag. You can relax for the rest of the day and go for local sightseeing if time permits. Your halt for the night will be at Rudraprayag.
• Rudraprayag: It is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini. Kedarnath, a Hindu holy town is located 86 km from Rudraprayag.

Day 07: To the place of sages - Rishikesh

• Your yatra proceeds to its last holy city of Rishikesh. Rishikesh is known as the “Land of sages”. It is a spiritual town situated on the banks of Ganga and is surrounded on three sides by the Shivalik mountain ranges.
• Once you have checked in, you can go on to visit the Rishikesh temple and enjoy exploring the beautiful town of Rishikesh which is blessed with nature’s bounty. Sites like – Bharat mandir, Triveni ghat, Laxman Jhula, Ram Jhula, are a must see for every tourist. Your halt for the night will be at Rishikesh.
• Bharat Mandir: Bharat Mandir is the most ancient templ e in Rishikesh. Doing pilgrimage and worship in this temple on Akshaya tritiya is considered to be equivalent to a pilgrimage to Badrinath.
• Triveni ghat: Triveni ghat next to Bharat mandir is a sacred ghat where aarti in the evening is a view to behold.
• Laxman Jhula: Built in 1929, the Laxman Jhula is an iron suspension bridge said to be constructed on the very site where Laxman, the brother of Ram, crossed Ganga using a jute rope. The view atop this bridge is spectacular and the cool breeze blowing is said to carry away every worries, giving you inner peace and happiness.
• Ram Jhula: Constructed in 1980, the Ram Jhula is a suspension bridge similar to Laxman Bridge, but larger in size. It connects the two banks of the river Ganga from Swarg Ashram on the western side to Sivananda Ashram on the eastern side. Pilgrims get to witness the flow of the Ganga below and the splendid surroundings atop the bridge.

Day 08: Conclusion of tour to Hemkund Sahib and Valley of flowers 

• On this day, your tour to Hemkund Sahib and Valley of Flowers ends, promising you an experience of a lifetime. For your return journey, you will be driven back to Delhi via Haridwar. You will be dropped at your respective departure points.