Uttarakhand Trip Report

Hi everyone, I’d like to share some photos from my trip to Uttarakhand in June 2025. It’s a destination that isn’t too crowded, which I chose at the last minute last year due to the skirmishes between India and Pakistan. I had planned to go to Ladakh and Zanskar, but as a precaution, I changed my plans... Here’s a quick rundown of my itinerary: Delhi - Rishikesh - Uttarkashi - Gangotri - Haridwar - Devprayag - Ranikhet - Delhi. Throughout my trip, I only came across a few Western tourists, and only in Rishikesh... I was really surprised in Rishikesh, where I saw unbelievable traffic jams just to get in and out of the city! It was my first real glimpse of domestic tourism in India—when all the city-dwellers escape the summer heat for the cooler mountains... The crowds of pilgrims in Haridwar, coming to purify themselves in the Ganges on the ghats, were just as intense as what you see in Varanasi. Fascinating and... colorful! The small town of Devprayag is interesting because it’s located at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers, which form the Ganges. The spot is popular with pilgrims who come to purify themselves there. I made sure to visit the remote village of Gangotri, located on the Bhagirathi River. Just a few kilometers away, the river’s source flows from the glacier at Gaumukh (only accessible on foot after an 18 km trek). It’s an important pilgrimage site in India, as one of the sources of the Ganges. All in all, Uttarakhand was a wonderful discovery and gave me a chance to see new sides of India.

Gorgeous photos of this region I didn’t know about! I’m sure you’ve got more to post directly on the forum in full size—just for the eye candy as far as I’m concerned, but it might inspire other travelers to explore these parts.

Yes, thanks for the feedback, Eric! Another region to add to my "must-see in India" list 😊. Have a good evening

Hi there, and thanks for sharing your experience in Uttarakhand!

We’re in a similar situation—we’re pretty undecided about this state since we barely know it (except for Rishikesh and Haridwar). We’d planned a trip to Ladakh/Zanskar this June, but due to time constraints and to cut down on the travel time and energy needed to reach Leh, we thought about visiting Uttarakhand instead... What was the weather like during your stay? June must be really hot in Delhi and at lower altitudes...

In Ladakh, what we loved most were the vast, untouched high-altitude landscapes and the peacefulness of the Buddhist villages and monasteries...

If you have more photos to share, don’t hesitate! 😊

Regarding the weather around mid-June, it was stifling in Delhi, and you really understand why Indians living in these overheated big cities rush to the mountains during the holidays to cool off! Uttarakhand is precisely a state favored by city dwellers looking to escape the heat. There are plenty of "hill stations"—high-altitude resort towns with all kinds of lodging and activities for tourists. I’ll admit, I skipped these hill stations (like Nainital, Almora, Mussoorie, etc.) because, generally, we Western tourists aren’t usually looking for that when we go to India... We just went to Ranikhet at 1,900 meters. The weather in the mountain areas between mid-June and the end of June was mixed, with rainy spells and sunny periods. It’s the transition between summer and the monsoon, so the weather is changeable. A few days after we left Gangotri, torrential rains devastated everything, and there were many casualties... This year, still in June, we’re heading to Ladakh and Zanskar to take the trip we’d planned for 2025. The Indo-Pakistani war that broke out just before forced us to revise our plans. Since you’ve been there, if you have any practical tips, I’d love to hear them... We’ll be there from June 10th to 30th. Here are some more photos of Uttarakhand. Eric.

A few more photos...

Thanks for sharing this—those photos are really great! Now it’s coming back to me: we passed through Almora in a flash at some point, and I really loved the authentic vibe and the pretty quirky/original architecture there. Nothing like Nainital and Mussoorie, in my opinion.

Back to Ladakh and Zanskar (where I’ve never been), unfortunately our trip was cut short at the time (2017) because I got really sick when we arrived in Leh (severe food poisoning), and the altitude didn’t help...

We’d taken the road from Delhi, going via Shimla and Manali—a real epic journey, super tiring but packed with adventures and unexpected moments (breakdowns, closed roads, detours, landslides...).

We spent 2-3 weeks in Kinnaur/Spiti, doing a loop via Kaza, Tabo, Reckong Peo, and Sarahan. It was stunning, very authentic, and probably has some similarities with the Buddhist regions of Ladakh.

I’d say Leh is a great base for exploring quite a few spots. We really enjoyed the little Sham Valley trek (3-5 days) from Tingmosgang to Likir—moderate difficulty.

Our goal was the Nubra Valley, then heading to Zanskar before making our way west via Srinagar.

What’s your plan?

The photo of the lake is incredible! It makes you want to go there. You're talking about Kinnaur and Spiti—we went there in 2019. The Spiti Valley is amazing, and the Pin Valley is just as stunning. I imagine there are strong similarities with Ladakh. I organized an itinerary with an agency in Leh. We planned 3 nights upon arrival (Delhi flight) for acclimatization, then Lamayuru (2 nights due to the monastery festival), then the road to Padum with one night in Lingshet. After that, 4 nights in Padum because there’s so much to see in the area. Return to Leh via the brand-new road through the Zanskar River valley. Two nights in Leh, then the Nubra Valley, Turtuk, Sumoor, Pangong Tso, and back to Leh. 20 days total. We really wanted to visit Zanskar because of its still-preserved character (I don’t think it’ll last with the new road…). No treks planned. Thanks again for your awesome photos and info.

Beautiful photos! The one of the lake could have been a contender in the VF monthly photo contest, whose theme was "reflections." But this month, the theme is "Lakes and Ponds"... so check out the "Games, Contests" section on VF—I don’t think I’ve seen Jérôme68 there yet 😉.

Hi there, Great trip! Did you use local transport? If so, how did you manage between Rishikesh - Uttarkashi - Gangotri?

Hi, In India, we always travel with a driver. The road between Rishikesh and Gangotri is long (about 7 to 8 hours), which is why we made an overnight stop in Uttarkashi. The higher you go toward Gangotri, the more rugged the terrain becomes, and there are stunning viewpoints over the valley and the gorges where the Bhagirathi River flows.

Thanks for your reply! Have a great weekend!