An Overview of the Valley of Flowers Trek
One of India's oldest known trekking routes, the Valley of Flowers, is in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, which covers an extensive area of 87 sq. km. In 1982, the Government of India declared the Valley of Flowers to be a National Park. Some decades later, in 2002, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Besides the Nanda Devi National Park, the Valley of the Flowers forms the second core zone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. It is believed to have been discovered in 1931 by three British climbers who lost their way while returning from Mt. Kamet. From then on, the popularity of the valley snowballed because of the breathtaking visuals it offers.

The Valley of Flowers National Park stretches for 8 km in length and has a width of 2 km. Vast meadows of endemic alpine flowers carpet the landscape here. Several rare and endangered birds and animals have also found a home in this lush greenery.

Curious about what attractions the Valley of Flowers trekking entails? Read on to know all about them.

Enjoy the breathtaking views of the diversity of endemic alpine flora in this part of Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows ecoregion.
Encounter the local people at the last village on the trek to the valley, Ghangaria, and experience their rustic lifestyle. They are warm and welcoming to trekkers and provide food and lodging at very affordable rates.
The greenery is soothing to your eyes. In 1993, Prof. Chandra Prakash Kala recorded around 520 alpine plants that grow only in the valley and could be classified into 31 species of rare and endangered categories. It also includes several medicinal plants exclusive to the national park's vegetation. Among the most astonishing things about the Valley of Flowers is the floral diversity that shuffles almost every week.
Witness the cascading waterfalls and the gushing Pushpawati River running through the Valley of Flowers. You can experience the bounty of various natural habitats here, alternating between forests, meadows, valley bottoms, plateaus, bogs, caves, and stone deserts.
There aren't many wild animals in the national park. Rare and endangered animals, including the Himalayan langur, Asiatic black bear, musk deer, snow leopard, red fox, and blue sheep, are seen in this area. Birds like the Himalayan monal pheasant, snow pigeon, Himalayan vulture, and scaly-bellied and yellow-nape woodpeckers can be spotted here. This makes the valley popular among wildlife photographers and birdwatchers.
Experience the enriching religious significance of Hemkund Sahib, which is the highest Gurudwara for Sikh pilgrims at an altitude of 4329 meters. This gurudwara, located in the Chamoli district, can be reached from Govindghat via the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway. It attracts around 150,000 pilgrims every trekking season. It is situated next to the glacial lake Hemkund- the Lake of Snow, surrounded by seven mountain peaks and considered a sacred spot. Ghangaria (base camp of the Valley of Flowers Trek) is just about 9.7 kilometers from Govindghat. So, you can embark on the adventurous Valley of Flower trek after fulfilling your spiritual journey at Hemkund Sahib.
However, camping in tents, an indispensable part of a splendid trekking experience, is not allowed in the Valley of Flowers. It is a protected ecoregion and a national park. Lodging is available at Ghangaria and Govindghat.

How difficult is Valley of Flowers Trek?

Expert trekkers have classified the Valley of the Flowers trek as an easy to moderate level trek. The highest point here is at an altitude of 4390 meters. If you are geared up well and live an active life year-round, this is not much of a challenge.

Some of the reasons that give this trek a moderate rating are:

Since there are no provisions for camping in the national park, you will have to start trekking from your lodging at Ghangaria or Govindghat and return there by 5 p.m. The entire expanse is to be covered in 3 days according to the permit issued by the authorities here. This makes the trekking days longer.
It has smooth terrain up to Bhyudar Village. But the route from here to Ghangaria village is rugged and slippery, demanding proper physical fitness.
There are some steep climbs like the one on the route to Hemkund Sahib from Ghangaria. Altitude sickness is common on these tracks when you are climbing around 1220 meters every day.
The Valley of Flowers trail remains open to trekkers from June to October. During the monsoon season, the trek can be quite challenging and demanding with the constant gain in altitude. You may encounter melting snow from the mountains as you keep moving forward on the trail.