“Valley of Flowers” is the name of the Himalayan area in Uttarakhand state in India. In 1931 the English mountaineer Frank Smythe stumbled across the Bhyundar Valley, an 8 km long glacier corridor in Chamoli -one of the districts of Uttarakhand state. This area, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and carpeted with over 500 species of flowers, soon became a protected site.

Nature had designed this valley (3,658 m. to 3962 m) for the dedicated outdoors person. It is a 13 km trek from Govindghat to Ghangharia. where there is a tourist bungalow. No one is allowed to camp in the Valley of Flowers. From Ghanghria it’s another 4 km trek to the valley. Nealy 10 km long and almost 2 km wide, the valley is ringed with snow-capped mountains and watered by streams rising in the mountains. it’s accessible from late April, but grandest from late July to the end of August. Literally, hundreds of wildflowers 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 wildflowers in the natural surroundings in the world over 300 species have been identified. Only day visits are permitted. Night halt accommodation is available at Ghanghria.

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.

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 Government of India has now declared the valley a National Park. It is a unique park, perhaps the best in the whole world. May and June is the time to see rhododendrons. Ju ne and July is the time for lilies and orchids. July and August is for primulas, also called primrose. It is a common name for a medium-size family of flowering plants most abundant in the North Temperate Zone.

Valuable informations about valley of flowers

Area : 87.5 sq km
Languages : Hindi, Garhwali
Altitude : 3,250 to 6,750 m above sea level
Rainfall : 1800.2 mm
Maximum Temperature : 17°C
Minimum Temperature : 7°C
Best time to visit : July-August

How to Access
To reach the valley, trek begins at Govind Ghat. From here onwards, your eyes will be treated to scenic beauty of the nature at its undisturbed best – wild flowers, waterfalls, springs, rocky boulders and in between glimpses of snow clad peaks. Discovery Journeys and overnight stay is not allowed in the valley so Ghanghria serves as the base camp during the trek.