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Where the
rivers begin.
North India · Rivers and hills
Uttarakhand
Sacred rivers, Himalayan shrines, lake towns and forest villages in Garhwal and Kumaon.
Rishikesh, Haridwar, Mussoorie, the Char Dham, Nainital, Almora and Corbett.
Places Char Dham Food & culture Plan Itineraries Before you go
Uttarakhand has two regions. Garhwal, in the west, holds the sources of the Ganga and Yamuna, the Char Dham shrines, Rishikesh and the Valley of Flowers. Kumaon, in the east, has lake towns, old hill stations, forest villages and views of Nanda Devi and the Panchachuli peaks. Corbett, India’s oldest national park, lies in the foothills.
Choose one region for a focused trip, and plan pilgrimages and treks around the season.
First edition · Practical details last checked 29 October 2026
At a glance
Ideal length · 4–6 days per region; the Char Dham usually 10–12 days
Gateways · Dehradun (Jolly Grant) and Pantnagar airports; Haridwar, Dehradun and Kathgodam stations
Best time · March–June and September–November
Know before · Monsoon landslides (July–September); mandatory registration for the Char Dham
On this page: Places · Char Dham · Culture & food · Plan your trip · Itineraries · Safety & access · Stories · Sources
Where to go
Places in Uttarakhand
Rishikesh and Haridwar
- Rishikesh for yoga, the riverfront and rafting in season.
- Haridwar for the evening Ganga Aarti at Har Ki Pauri.
- See our Rishikesh beyond the obvious.
Mussoorie and the western hills
- Mussoorie and Landour.
- Chakrata and Lansdowne for quieter stays.
High Garhwal
- The Char Dham: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. See Char Dham below.
- Chopta and the walk to Tungnath; Auli for winter snow.
- The Valley of Flowers, a UNESCO site with Nanda Devi, open in summer; and Hemkund Sahib.
- The five river confluences of the Panch Prayag.
Nainital and the lakes
- Nainital, Bhimtal and Sattal.
- Mukteshwar for orchards and Himalayan views.
Almora and upper Kumaon
- Almora, Binsar and the Jageshwar temples.
- Kausani and Munsiyari, facing the Panchachuli peaks.
- Village homestays.
Corbett
- Jim Corbett National Park, India’s oldest national park; some zones close in the monsoon.
- Book safaris on the official portal.
Char Dham
The Char Dham pilgrimage links four Himalayan shrines: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. They open in late April or May and close for winter around Diwali and Bhai Dooj.
- The 2026 season opened between 19 and 23 April; Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri close around 10–13 November (The Statesman).
- Pilgrims and vehicles must register on the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board portal (UTDB).
- Kedarnath and Yamunotri involve treks; ponies, palanquins and helicopters operate for parts of the route.
- Plan around weather: monsoon landslides frequently block the roads.
Culture & food
Food
- Kumaoni aloo ke gutke, bhatt ki churkani and Almora’s bal mithai.
- Garhwali phaanu and kafuli; kafal berries in early summer.
Living traditions
- River aartis at Haridwar and Rishikesh.
- Temple towns and village deities; see Living traditions in Uttarakhand.
Respect temple customs, dress modestly at shrines and ghats, and follow local guidance on the river.
Plan your trip
How many days?
- 2–3 days: Rishikesh or Mussoorie.
- 5–7 days: a Garhwal or a Kumaon route, not both.
- 10–12 days: the Char Dham or a trek.
When to go
- March–June and September–November.
- The Valley of Flowers opened on 1 June for the 2026 season (News On AIR); flowers peak in July–August.
- Winter brings snow to the high areas. See our climate and seasons guide.
Getting there
- Air: Dehradun (Jolly Grant) for Garhwal; Pantnagar for Kumaon.
- Rail: Haridwar and Dehradun; Kathgodam for Nainital.
Getting around
- Taxis and shared jeeps; buses link most towns.
- Mountain roads are slow; drive in daylight.
Where to stay
- Riverside and town stays in Rishikesh and Haridwar.
- Hill-town hotels and village homestays in Kumaon.
- Book early for Char Dham towns in peak season.
Sample itineraries
Starting points, not fixed packages. Adjust for weather, crowds and current advisories.
Kumaon hills · 5 days
Starting point: Kathgodam · Style: slow hills
- Day 1 · Nainital and its lakes.
- Day 2 · Mukteshwar.
- Day 3 · Almora and Jageshwar.
- Day 4 · Binsar.
- Day 5 · Kausani, then back to Kathgodam.
Limitations · Long drives on winding roads; travel in daylight.
Rishikesh and the confluences · 4 days
Starting point: Dehradun or Haridwar · Style: rivers and temples
- Day 1 · Haridwar’s evening aarti.
- Day 2 · Rishikesh.
- Day 3 · Devprayag and the Panch Prayag road.
- Day 4 · Back to Rishikesh.
Limitations · Rafting is seasonal and suspended in the monsoon.
Before you go
Last checked 29 October 2026. This is a summary, not a safety assurance.
- Monsoon landslides frequently close roads from July to September.
- Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib registration is mandatory.
- Use qualified local operators for treks and check official advisories.
From the journal & traveller stories
- Five meetings, one river: the Panch Prayag
- Rishikesh beyond the obvious
- Living traditions in Uttarakhand
- Lesser-known places in North India, including Munsiyari
We haven’t yet found a firsthand travel account of Uttarakhand that we can summarise and recommend. If you have travelled here, we would like to hear from you.
Travelled here? Lifelately publishes reader stories with the writer’s approval and full credit. Share your travel story →
Official resources
Sources & last checked
Time-sensitive details were checked on 29 October 2026:
- Char Dham 2026 dates · The Statesman
- Char Dham registration · UTDB
- Valley of Flowers 2026 opening · News On AIR, 2 Jun 2026
Background on history, culture and food is drawn from general reference sources. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
Photography via Pexels, used under the Pexels License (stock images, not the author’s own): Bishal Pixels (Rishikesh), miheer tewari (Binsar), Tanmoy Pal (Devprayag).
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