Itinerary Part-15: Uttarakhand

Dear Readers,

Having covered 26 states of India in a time span of around 200 days (links to other itineraries at the end of the post), the remaining three states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir will take around 6 months to cover, with each state consuming around two months. This is because of the multiple trekking options available in this regions. Starting off in this final few legs of the trip, I'll first visit the state of Uttarakhand, which was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in November 2000. The "Land of Gods" is surrounded by the mighty Himalayas and is a perfect place to unwind yourself.

There are numerous options of Trekking available in this state. But, I've chosen treks which are easy to moderately difficult for the trip. Maybe in future, I'll pursue the more treacherous treks in this circuit. A huge shout out to the India Hikes team for helping me decide on which treks to go.

As with all the other Itineraries,  I've had help from friends, fellow bloggers, tourism department of Uttarakhand, travel companies and readers, providing me various inputs on availability of local transports, places to visit, places to stay, etcetera, to develop  this itinerary. And, as mentioned in previous posts, this itinerary is loosely based on various ideal situations. Thus, following it may not be possible due to reasons out of our hand during the trip.

So here's the itinerary for the fifteenth leg of my All India Solo Trip in the state of Uttarakhand:

Day 1-2: Pithoragarh. The first stop in the state of Uttarakhand will be Pithoragarh. The easternmost district of the state is also known as 'Little Kashmir' for the exquisite natural beauty surrounding the valley.

Day 3: Jhulaghat. Next stop is the Indo-Nepal bordering town of Jhulaghat. The amazing view of the valley with river Kali flowing through the town provides one of the most beautiful views that one can experience.

Day 4: Almora. Next stop, is the Kumaon region's Hill Station, Almora. This hill station was developed by the Kumaoni people, and is famous for its wildlife, culture and cuisines.

Day 5-12: RoopkundTrek. Next up, is a 8 days long trekking expedition to the Roopkund lake. The glacier lake is locally known as the Mystery Lake due to the human skeletons on the bottom of the lake, visible, as the snow melts. (Complete Itinerary of this trek can be found here).

Day 13: Almora. Back to Almora for a day to rest after the long trek.

Day 14: Nainital. Next stop, is the popular Hill station, located alongside foothills of the Kumaon region at an elevation of about 2000 meters above sea level, Nainital. The favorable climate all year round makes this place so popular, with numerous natural attractions.

Day 15: Haridwar. Next stop, is one of the seven most holiest places in India, Haridwar. "The Gateway to The Gods", the city was under reign of various ancient dynasties such as the Mauryas and Kushana, all of which is vividly visible across the city.

Day 16: Rudraprayag. Next stop, is the picturesque stopover for the pilgrims of the Char Dham, Rudraprayag. The union of the Alakhnanda and Mandakini rivers is in this place. The grand Himalayas, the holy rivers and the lush greenery around the place provides an exquisite atmosphere.

Day 17-22: Deori Taland Chandrashila Trek: Next up, is the 6 days long combined trek to Deori Tal and Chandrashila base. The breathtaking views of snow clad peaks and the lush green jungle trails makes you feel the closest to nature in this trek. (Complete Itinerary of this trek can be found here).

Day 23: Josimath. Next stop, is the charming city of Josimath, which is surrounded by beautiful oaks and breathtaking views of Himalayan mountain peaks. This comparatively less crowded town provides an atmosphere to enjoy some solace moments of your own.

Day 24-29: Valley of Flowers Trek. Next up, is another 6 days trek of the Valley of Flowers National Park. The scenic beauty of this place is unmatched as the mighty emerald mountains merge with the white clouds up high and forming spectacular alpine flower laden meadows down below while water gushes down in the steep sparkling waterfalls. (Complete Itinerary of this trek can be found here).

Day 30: Josimath. Back at Josimath for a day to rest after the trek.

Day 31: Uttarkashi. Next stop, is the Devbhoomi (the land of Gods), Uttarkashi, enrich with religious heritage and mesmerizing landscapes. The snow peaks, lush greenery and temples with divine beauty makes this place a heavenly scenery to make one spellbound.

Day 32-44: DayaraDodital and Dayara Bugyal Trek. Next up, is a dual 6-days-each treks of Dayara Dodital and Dayara Bugyal with a rest day at Uttarkashi, sandwiched between each trek. These treks takes you along the canopy of oak, deodar and pine trees leaving trails of an alpine expedition experience. (Complete Itinerary of these treks can be found here).

Day 45: Gangotri. Next stop, is the place which holds a very important place among the Hindu lore, Gangotri, a place to seek solace in religion and to reconnect to ancient roots.

Day 46: Dehradun. Next stop, is the capital city of the state of Uttarakhand, Dehradun. Located at the Doon Valley at the foothills of Himalayas and bordered by river Ganga and Yamuna, this is a quaint place to just relax in the ever pleasant climate.

Day 47: Lansdowne. Next stop, is one of the quietest Hill stations of India with major historical values, Lansdowne. This cantonment town developed under the British rule was an important center of freedom fighters. The town is surrounded by beautiful thick oak and blue pine forests.

Day 48: Mussorie. Next stop, is another picturesque Hill station, Mussorie located at the foothills of the Garhawl Himalayan ranges and is thus nicknamed, "Queen of Hills".

Day 49: Sankri Village. Next stop, is the base of the next two treks in this leg of the trip, Sankri Village.

Day 50-54: KedarkanthaTrek. So the first trek from Sankri, is a 5 days long trek of Kedarkantha. This trek offers gleamingly beautiful views of glacial lakes, rare and indigenous animals and breathtaking peaks. (Complete Itinerary of this trek can be found here).

Day 55: Sankri Village. Back at Sankri Village to rest in between the two treks.

Day 56-61: Har Ki DoonTrek. The final trek in this leg of the trip will be the 6 days trek of Har Ki Doon. Har Ki Doon is a place of much religious significance to the Hindus and is believed to be the mountain through which the Pandavas left to heaven.  This place is comparatively at a lower elevation and the trail of the trek is through the meadows which are populated with rare varieties of herbs and shrubs. (Complete Itinerary of this trek can be found here).

Day 62: Dehradun. And the last day of this leg of the trip will be spent on the capital city, Dehradun, just to rest after the trek and proceed further on the trip.

From here I'll be travelling to Solang, Himachal Pradesh, to start the penultimate leg of the trip.

So readers, if you feel that I should change the itinerary in some way or other for me to move much better between places, please specify them on the comment section. And ,as I've mentioned in earlier post, if any of you reader wants to join me in any juncture of this journey, I would love to share the journey with you.

You can also write to me at muditacharya28@gmail.com with your valuable suggestions and questions about this trip.

And keep following the blog as I release further details and further itineraries of the trip.

Cheers!

Links to other Itineraries:

ANDHARA PRDESH AND TELANGANA
TAMIL NADU
KERALA
KARNATAKA
MAHARASHTRA
GUJARAT
RAJASTHAN
PUNJAB, HARYANA, CENTRAL INDIA
ODISHA & WEST BENGAL
SIKKIM
MEGHALAYA AND TRIPURA
MIZORAM, MANIPUR AND NAGALAND
ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND ASSAM
BIHAR AND JHARKHAND
HIMACHAL PRADESH
JAMMU & KASHMIR