Joshimath Excursions

Mana: Mana is very close to Tibet border and it is one of the last villages of India. Most of the tourists who visit Badrinath also come to see the end of the road at Mana. Mana is inhabited by Indo-Mongolian tribes often called as bhotias. Mana is situated 3kms from Badrinath and 50kms from Joshimath. Bheem Pul, Vyas Gufa and Ganesh Gufa are interesting places to look for at Mana.

Valley of Flowers: Valley of Flowers National Park is nestled in the west Himalayas covering an area of 87.50sqkms. The trek of 16km to Valley of Flowers commences from Govindghat. The valley is entirely covered with blooming flowers from June to October and with the sheets of snow during winters. The valley of flowers was declared as the national park in the year 1982 and was also listed as a world heritage site in 1988. The virgin beauty of this valley lures the botanists, nature lovers and adventure lovers as well. 

Badrinath: Badrinath is the most sacred Dham of India. It is located at an elevation of 3,133mts above sea level in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state. This Dham was established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 9th century. The deity of Badrinath temple is Lord Vishnu. The temple is situated on the right bank of the holy Alaknanda River. Every year millions of tourists and devotees visit this sacred place from May to October month. The temple remains closed during winter months as the region is prone to heavy snowfall. It is situated 46kms ahead of Joshimath on NH58.

Hemkund Sahib: The tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Govind Singhji mediated at Hemkund Sahib for years. The word Hemkund literally suggests 'Lake of snow' and the immaculate water of this lake is as cold as snow. Hemkund Saheb is located at an elevation of 4,329mts above sea level amidst several snow capped peaks, which are collectively called Hemkund Parvat. A star shaped gurudwara near the lake is visited by thousands of devotees every month. A temple dedicated to Lakshman, brother of Lord Rama is also located here. One must complete a trek of 19km starting from from Govindghat to reach Hemkund Sahib. The best time to visit this place is from July to November.

Chopta: Chopta is popularly known as Mini Switzerland or the Switzerland of Uttaranchal. The number of tourists visiting Chopta has increased in recent years and the region has become popular vacation spot for adventure lovers and explorers. Tungnath is the highest temple of Lord Shiva situated only 3.5kms away from Chopta which should be covered on foot or by pony. Chopta is situated 92km from Joshimath. The region showers tourists with natural beauteousness during winters.

Gopeshwar: The view of Chamoli from Gopeshwar is very picturesque. The town of Gopehswar is the administrative headquarters of the Chamoli district. There are sevaral ancient temples in Gopeshwar with great religious importance. The main attractions are the ancient temple of Lord Shiva, Vaitarni Kund and the splendid views of the Himalayas. Trek to Rudranath commences from Saggar which is situated 5kms ahead from Gopeshwar on Guptkashi – Gopeshwar road. Gopeshwar is situated 58kms from Joshimath.