1. Rishikesh
Rishikesh, perched in the foothills of the Himalayas and at the edge of the sacred Ganges River, is widely acclaimed as the ‘Yoga Capital of the World’, and is an ideal destination for those seeking spirituality, thrill and natural beauty all at once. For those people who practice yoga and meditation, the Parmarth Niketan Ashram and the Sivananda Ashram are both open to the public and practice daily yoga and meditation classes right in the embrace of mother nature. Adrenaline junkies will definitely have a great time visiting the area; there is white water rafting along the Ganga, rapids, cliff jumping, trekking, and camping, bungee jumping from India’s highest spot, etc. Other places of interest include the Beatles Ashram a place that has retained the feel of the ashram where the Beatles stayed when they visited India for meditation and yoga. There’s the Rajaji National Park with the elephants and tigers for the wildlife enthusiasts; or the natural trail leading to the Patna Waterfall for the nature and tranquility lovers. From the pilgrims, seeking spiritual solace in the sacred temples of Rishikesh to the yogis, practicing austere yoga in the ashrams to the adventure enthusiasts, Rishikesh offers a thrilling value add proposition for each of these distinct traveler segments.
Popular Attractions: Triveni ghat, Lakshman Jhula, Ram Jhula, Gita bhawan, Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Parmarth Niketan Ashram, River Rafting and Adventure sport, Rajaji National Park, Waterfalls
Best Time to Visit: February – May; October – November
2. Nainital
Nainital is one of the most beautiful and frequently visited hill stations in the Uttarakhand, India. It has numerous attractive places for tourist to visit as it is located near dense forest and Naini Lake, which is beautifully illuminated during night. Among them the most famous tourist spot is Naini Peak which is the highest peak in this region and give the name of the city Nainital. Sitting astride at 2,615 meters above sea level, it has scenic view of the Himalayan chains and the town. For boating and picnic, one place that can be suggested is the Naini Lake. One can either paddle through the waters or one could simply sit on the edges of the boat and marvel at the beauty. Eco Cave Garden is also popular with several attractive caves with hanging gardens where one can admire the beautiful sights. Other popular areas comprise Tiffin Top that offers breathtaking vistas of the regions and the Governor House or Raj Bhavan an envy inducing British architecture and Hanuman Garhi, an old shrine to the God Hanuman perched on a hill top with commanding views of the valley below. Famous for its natural lime stone rocks and scenic beauty, Nainital has a cool clime and many places to visit which makes the holiday a natural experience.
Popular Attractions: Nainital Lake, Snow View Point, Tiffin Top, Mall road, Himalayan Botanical Garden, Bhimtal Lake, Hanuman Garhi, Naina devi temple, Waterfalls
Best Time to Visit: Throughout the year
3. Mussoorie
Mussoorie Located at the Uttarakhand, the queen of the mountains is one of the most famous tourist destinations of the india. Being famous for the scenic splendours of mountains and the old world charm of the colonial architecture, some of the attractions of Mussoorie are Gun Hill, Kempty Falls, the Camel’s Back Road and Lal Tibba. One can visit the Gun Hill situated at more than 2000-meters height to have the bird’s eye view of the great Himalayas or can have fun in the ropeway ride. Other tourist attractions that one can explore include Mussoorie Lake where one can also take a boat ride or take a bath under the cascading Kempty waterfall that is about 40 meters high. The Camel’s Back Road is a beautiful greenery spot that provides beautiful walks while the highest point of Mussoorie, namely Lal Tibba is ideal for breathtaking sunrise and sunset views. Besides its exquisite landscapes and gorgeous scenery, Mussoorie has proper British period churches and structures such as Municipal Garden, Company Garden, and Christ Church that give the hill station a vintage colonial touch. The Mussoorie is a perfect destination for the holiday lovers as it lets them enjoy various thrilling adventurous activities to the leisurely strolls in the lush greenery of the nature.
Popular Attractions: Kempty falls, Gun Hill, Mussoorie Lake, Lal Tibba, Mall Road, Jharipani Falls, Company Garden, Cloud’s End
Best Time to Visit: September – June
4. Auli
Auli is Located in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, Auli is a famous hill station known for its snow- clad slopes and charming visuals. The optimum season to travel to Auli is winter season which is from December to March because the slopes of Auli are snowy hence regarded as the best skiing region of India. The Auli tour is incomplete without going for the thrilling joy ride of Asia’s longest cable car stretch of 4 K.M from Joshimath to Auli. Marvel at breathtaking sceneries of the majestic Nanda Devi and other riveting mountains, white snowfalls, dense forests of pine trees, and small villages on the ground as you soar above the terrain. Other exciting areas to visit are the artificial lake, meadow that is a carpeted with flowers, and the temple of Hanuman which is at a height of 3050 meters and provides a view of the snow capped mountains. Chenab lake trek and Gorson bugyal trek are quite interesting and adventurous treks which can give a chance to behold natural beauty. To witness the view of the Himalayas drowns in the sun at dawn or dusk or at the time when the sun is setting and the skies are painted orange pink- visit the viewing point located near the hydro electric project Vishnuprayag power station. Such disclosed natural beauty and thrilling adventurous activities make the Auli to offer an enthralling alpine holiday amidst the Himalayas for all types of tourists.
Popular Attraction: Nanda devi national park, Trishul peak, Ropeway from Joshimath to Auli, Gorson Bugyal, Chenab lake, Trekking, Skiing
Best Time to Visit: December to March
5. Jim Corbett National Park
Jim Corbett National Park is another well-renowned wildlife park in India, lying in the beautiful region in the foothills of the Himalayas. The park is characterized by Sal forests and grasslands where you will find a quota of Royal Bengal tigers, Asiatic elephants, sloth bears, leopards, crocodiles, and over 600 species of resident and migratory birds. If you want to get an extreme level of jungle safari, then the Dhikala zone will be the best option for you as it is located in the core of the park. It is the natural beauty here with Ramganga river flowing where there is one of the largest number of wildlife. Some of the other great areas recommended for game drives are Bijrani, Jhirna, Dhela, and Durgadevi that are breathtaking in the backdrop of Garhwal Himalayan range while hunting for the tigers or enjoying the bird watching. The interested people in angling can also go for Sonanadi and Kumeria river. At the outside periphery of the park, there is the Jim Corbett Falls, where the Kosi river flows and the surroundings provide a serene view of nature. One can easily dedicate a couple of days visiting this park because it has so much to offer to the lovers of wildlife and nature.
Popular Attraction: Jungle Safari, Corbett Waterfall, River Rafting, Dhikala, Birjani, Jhirna, Durga devi zone, Rock climbing, Elephant Safari, Garjia Temple, Kosi river, Corbett Museum
Best Time to Visit: December to March
6. Haridwar
Uttarakhand has Haridwar where the holy River Ganga is flowing which makes it as one of the religious destinations in India. This sacred city is home to several important riverside steps or ghats and temples and Hindu pilgrims visit this place in millions to take a dip in the holy waters of the river and offer their prayers. These are some of the attractions in the city: the Har ki Pauri where thousands flock at the evening aarti on the banks of the river Ganga. The other attraction which takes most of the tourists is the Kumbh Mela festival which is celebrated once in every 12 years and is recognized as the biggest religious fair in the world. In addition to religious sites, there are well-developed gardens and jungle areas, and the hills on the periphery of the town for the nature and adventurous lovers. Rajaji National Park, which is in proximity of merely 15-20 km from Haridwar, provides a raw view of the wildlife and avifauna. Tourism attractions for people with historical interest are Maya Devi Temple offering historical background and Sapt Rishi Ashram – seven sages’ meditation place. Well and indeed, with such an array of attractions and experiences, Haridwar has something to offer every type of traveler, who may be in search of spirituality or an adventurous holiday in the lap of nature.
Popular Attraction: Har ki Pauri, Ganga Aarti, Mansa devi temple, Sapt Rishi Ashram, Chandi devi temple, Daksh Mahadev temple, Rajaji National Park
Best Time to Visit: October to February
7. Dehradun
Located in the north of India, Dehradun is at the foothills of Himalayas and is ideally located for reaching out to many popular hill stations and religious destinations in Uttarakhand. The capital city of this state is famous for its green fields, pleasant climate and it is situated at the bank of the holy river Ganges. Other attractions in Dehradun not to be missed include Robber’s Cave- a river cave formation, cold water, and limestone formation; Sahastradhara- sulfur spring and waterfalls; Tapkeshwar Temple – ancient temple of Lord Shiva built in natural cave; Mindrolling Monastery- Buddhist monastery, quiet and picturesque; Forest Research Institute – colonial building has museum of Indian forests. The Dakpathar Barrage and Shivpuri are good places where one could take the necessary food and drinks for a family picnic There are interesting treks from Dehra Dun to Mussoorie, Rishikesh and Haridwar where one gets splendid view of the Himalayas. For the historical point of view, Malsi Deer Park and Tapovan are excellent examples of statues and rocks carving, depicting the history and mythology. Dehradun boasts a splendid climate, a bountiful of nature, heritage and tourism sites, making it a perfect holiday destination amidst the Garhwal Himalayas.
Popular Attraction: Robber’s Cave, Forest Research Institute, Sahastradhara, Tapkeshwar Temple, Shiv Mandir, Tibetan Buddhist Temple
Best Time to Visit: March to June
8. Kedarnath
Kedarnath is a scenic and picturesque shrine of Hindu faith, located in the pristine and snow-clad Garhwal Himalayan region on the banks of the Mandakini River. This small town is also one of the most important pilgrimages of Hindu’s because it has Kedarnath temple, which is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga’s in India and dedicated to Lord Shiva. Like other Garhwal Himalayan shrines, Kedarnath is situated at a comparatively low altitude but within the range of tremendous snow-capped peaks and glaciers. For trekkers, there are excellent side trips from Kedarnath including the Vasuki Tal a shimmering high altitude lake where the Chaukhamba peak is reflected and Gaurikund, the first halt on the challenging trek to Kedarnath. For those who want to take a leisurely stroll while sight seeing, Gandhi Sarovar is a small beautiful lake situated at one kilometers distance from the Kedarnath Temple. Other attractions are also present; Chorabari Tal, the glacial lake that consist of floating icebergs and Guptkashi another beautiful point of interest town in Mandakini having temples. Being one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in the country and situated in the beautiful and serene mountains, Kedarnath and its environs offer one of the most typical images of a sacred journey in India.
Popular Attraction: Kedarnath Mandir, Gauri Kund, Shankaracharya Samadhi, Bhairav Nath Temple, Vasuki Tal Mountain lake, Bheem Shila
Best Time to Visit: April to June
9. Badrinath
Badrinath is a very famous Hindu shrine situated in Chamoli district of the Uttarakhand state of the India. Located at an altitude of over 10,000 feet in the Garhwal Himalayas, Badrinath consists of a temple connected with Lord Vishnu. It is one of the four yatra sites in Uttarakhand’s Chardham yatra that is very famous. Every year from May up to October, countless devotees undergo long and tiring treks through difficult terrains, solely for the purpose of visiting the Badrinath temple and offering prayers to the deity. Apart from being a pilgrimage center, it also houses several trekking starts to many other beautiful places in the region. Here are some of the most famous places to visiting near badrinath which must see are : – Mana village , which is believed to be the last village of India before the Indo-Tibet border, Vasudhara falls a fabulous 122 meters high waterfall and Satopanth lake a high altitude lake. For the adventurous souls, there are trekking opportunities such as the Valley of Flowers National Park and Hemkund Sahib to capture the imagination with stunning views of snow-capped mountains and vast stretches of alpine pastures. Being a place of both spiritual significance and natural beauty, Badrinath translates into an excellent travel destination.
Popular Attraction: Badrinath Temple, Vasudhara Falls, Saraswati River, Bheem Pul, Tapt Kund, Alka Puri, Valley of Flowers National Flowers, Hemkund Sahib, Satopanth lake, Mata Murti Temple
Best Time to Visit: April to June
10. Chopta
Chopta, located in the state of Uttarakhand, is one such destination situated in the lap of Himalayas and is an ideal place for those seeking to escape the clamor of the urban civilization. Tungnath is the highest temple of Lord Shiva which is at a distance of 3.5 Km from Chopta and offers treks through forest and meadows of snowy peaks. The other important tourist destinations which are located nearby Chopta are Tungnath Temple, Chandrashila Peak, Deoriatal Lake and Ukhimath. Tungnath Temple is one of the Panch Kedar temples located at an altitude of 3,680 meter above sea level and offers breathtaking mountain scenery. The rocks climb up from Chopta to Tungnath about 3 km steep trek through the rhododendron forest. Chandrashila is another peak that stands at the height of 4,000 meters from where one can get very close quiescent experience of Nanda Devi, Trishul and Chaukhamba. Deoriatal Lake is at an altitude of 2,438 meters, the water of this emerald green colored lake with tremendous aquatic beauty is surrounded with thick forests, which is famous for the reflection of great Himalayan peaks. Ukhimath is a small town, and the place is well-known for the Omkareshwar Temple that has great religious importance. This place has been christened as ‘Chopta’ amidst nature’s unique beauty and spirituality where nature lovers, trekkers and photographers would find it a brand new and rejuvenating experience.
Popular Attraction: Tungnath Temple, Chandrashila, Deoriatal Lake, Ukhimath, Trekking, Rock Climbing, Snow Capped Mountains, Kanchula Korak Musk Deer Sanctuary, Omkareshwar Temple
Best Time to Visit: March to May
