Uttarakhand
Abode of the gods — glacial treks and alpine meadows.
Legend
- Treks
- Hikes
- Passes
- Mountains
- Lakes
- Waterfalls
Quick Stats
- Spots
- 55
- Landforms
- 6
- Terrain
- Himalayan
Trails & landmarks
Nanda Devi
India's second-highest peak and the presiding goddess of the Garhwal — the inner sanctuary is a closed biosphere reserve.
Kamet
The giant behind Mana — second-highest in Garhwal, with Abi Gamin on its shoulder and a classic Meade's Col route.
Trishul
The trident above the Nanda Devi sanctuary — first 7000er ever climbed, still a coveted summit out of Sutol.
Chaukhamba
Four-pillared massif at the head of the Gangotri glacier — the dominant skyline of Kedarnath and Badrinath.
Shivling
The Matterhorn of the Himalaya — a granite tusk rising straight out of Tapovan meadows.
Meru Peak
The Shark's Fin ridge — one of the hardest big-wall climbs in the Himalaya, above the Gangotri glacier.
Bhagirathi Peaks
Three granite sentinels above Vasuki Tal — Bhagirathi I, II and III face Shivling across the Gangotri ice.
Panch Chuli
Five chimneys of the Pandavas — Kumaon's most dramatic wall, seen glowing at sunset from Munsiyari.
Kedarnath Peak
Garhwal's holy pyramid above the Kedarnath temple — snow face visible from Chandrashila at dawn.
Chandrashila
The moon-rock summit above Tungnath — a 360° sweep from Nanda Devi to Chaukhamba on a clear dawn.
Tungnath
The world's highest Shiva temple — a paved 3 km climb through rhododendron meadows from Chopta.
Chopta
Mini-Switzerland of Uttarakhand — meadow clearings in oak and bugyal country, base for Tungnath and Deoria Tal.
Deoria Tal
A still mountain pool mirroring the Chaukhamba massif — 3 km forest climb from Sari village.
Valley of Flowers
UNESCO-listed glacial valley carpeted in 500+ wildflowers — blue poppies, brahma kamal and Himalayan balsam.
Hemkund Sahib
A glacial tarn rimmed by seven peaks — the world's highest Sikh gurudwara sits on its shore.
Roopkund
The skeleton lake — 9th-century human bones fringe a frozen pool on the Trishul ridge.
Kedar Tal
Emerald pool at the foot of Thalay Sagar — a steep moraine grind out of Gangotri.
Satopanth Tal
A triangular lake where Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are said to bathe — above Mana, last Indian village.
Vasuki Tal
Moraine-cupped lake above Kedarnath — Chaukhamba fills the northern horizon.
Dodital
Forested deodar lake said to be Lord Ganesh's birthplace — trout, oak groves and Darwa Top overhead.
Kedarkantha
India's favourite winter snow trek — pine forests, Juda-ka-Talab and a cone summit above Sankri.
Har Ki Dun
The valley of gods — Swargarohini looms above Osla's wooden temples and terraced potato fields.
Kuari Pass
Curzon's Trail — grandstand views of Nanda Devi, Dronagiri and the Hathi–Ghoda twin peaks.
Bali Pass
A high crossover linking Har Ki Dun to Yamunotri — knife-edge ridge above Ruinsara Tal.
Borasu Pass
The old trading pass linking Har Ki Dun to Sangla — ropes, crevasses and big Kinnaur views.
Kalindi Khal
The legendary Gangotri-to-Badrinath crossover — glacier travel past Shivling and Chaukhamba.
Mana Pass
One of the highest motorable passes on earth — the old salt route into Tibet above Mana village.
Pindari Glacier
The easiest Kumaon glacier trek — Zero Point faces Nanda Khat and the Traill's Pass skyline.
Milam Glacier
The classic Johar Valley trek through abandoned Bhotia villages — Trishuli and Hardeol on the horizon.
Kafni Glacier
Pindari's quiet cousin — a side valley under Nanda Kot with far fewer boots on the trail.
Khatling Glacier
Source of the Bhilangana — an amphitheatre ringed by Jogin, Sphetic and the Thalay Sagar wall.
Gaumukh
The cow's mouth — the ice cave where the Ganga is born, under the Bhagirathi peaks.
Tapovan
A sadhu-dotted meadow under the Shivling spire — arguably the most photogenic alpine pasture in India.
Yamunotri
The source shrine of the Yamuna — Surya Kund hot springs at the foot of Bandarpunch.
Dayara Bugyal
Rolling grassy meadow above Raithal — the Bandarpunch massif fills the southern skyline.
Bedni Bugyal
Sacred high pasture en route to Roopkund — Trishul and Nanda Ghunti reflected in the kund.
Ali Bugyal
The softest turf in the Himalaya — a green football field tilted towards Trishul's south face.
Gorson Bugyal
A gentle ridge walk from Auli into oak-rhododendron bugyal country — Nanda Devi on full display.
Nag Tibba
The serpent's peak — Uttarakhand's classic weekend summit, with Swargarohini and Bandarpunch views.
Auli
India's premier ski slope — groomed pistes under Nanda Devi with a cable car ride from Joshimath.
Naini Lake
Kumaon's emerald eye — pear-shaped glacial lake ringed by seven hills with Naina Peak above.
Bhimtal
Bigger and quieter sister of Naini — named for Bhima of the Mahabharata, with a wooded islet in the middle.
Naukuchiatal
The nine-cornered lake — see all nine corners in one glance and a wish is said to come true.
Sattal
Seven interconnected lakes in an oak forest — one of India's finest Himalayan birding spots.
Jim Corbett National Park
India's oldest national park — sal forests of the Terai under Nainital, the classic tiger safari.
Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary
Oak and rhododendron forest above Almora — Zero Point gives a 300 km Himalayan horizon.
Munsiyari
Little Kashmir of Kumaon — a ridge hamlet staring straight at the Panch Chuli wall.
Mussoorie & Landour
Queen of the Hills — Camel's Back, Gun Hill and the old Landour cantonment above Dehradun.
Lansdowne
A quiet cantonment in oak and pine — Tip-n-Top lookout and the Garhwal Rifles museum.
Chakrata
Cedar-forested cantonment above the Yamuna — Deoban, Budher caves and Tiger Falls nearby.
Kausani
Gandhi's 'Switzerland of India' — a 300 km Himalayan line from Trishul to Nanda Ghunti.
Kempty Falls
The busy five-tier cascade on the Mussoorie–Yamunotri road — bathe in the lowest pool.
Tiger Falls
A 50 m single-drop plume near Chakrata — a short forest walk through deodar and moss.
Vasundhara Falls
A sheer 120 m drop above Mana village — the water is said to vanish if the impure approach.
Birthi Falls
A 125 m curtain fall on the Thal–Munsiyari road — a cool halt in pine and oak.