Uttarakhand is where most Indian trekkers cut their teeth, and for good reason. The Garhwal Himalaya alone holds glacial lakes, UNESCO-listed alpine meadows, high mountain temples, and some of the most accessible snow treks in the country — many reachable within a day’s drive of Dehradun or Haridwar.
The state splits broadly into Garhwal in the west, home to Kedarkantha, Har Ki Dun, Roopkund, and the Valley of Flowers, and Kumaon in the east, known for quieter trails and views of the Nanda Devi massif. Trekking seasons run nearly year-round: winter (December–February) brings snow treks like Kedarkantha and Brahmatal, while the post-monsoon window (September–November) is prime time for high-altitude classics like Har Ki Dun and Roopkund. The monsoon months (July–August) are reserved almost exclusively for the Valley of Flowers, when its meadows are in full bloom.
Most Uttarakhand treks begin from small road-head villages served by shared taxis from Dehradun, Rishikesh, or Haridwar, making this one of the easiest regions in India to reach and trek without extensive advance planning.
