Destinations
Guides to towns, lakes, hill stations, shrines, parks and villages across Garhwal and Kumaon
Yamunotri
Source shrine of the River Yamuna, first stop of the traditional Char Dham yatra
Gangotri
Temple of Goddess Ganga and gateway to the Gaumukh glacier
Kedarnath
Shiva shrine in the Mandakini valley, reached by a long uphill walk or by helicopter
Badrinath
Vishnu shrine on the Alaknanda, reachable by road
Dehradun
State capital and the main gateway to Mussoorie and the Garhwal hills
Mussoorie
Queen of the Hills, a colonial-era hill station above the Doon valley
Rishikesh
Yoga capital on the Ganga and gateway to the Char Dham routes
Haridwar
One of Hinduism's seven holiest cities, where the Ganga enters the plains
New Tehri and Tehri Lake
A planned town above the Tehri reservoir, one of India's tallest dams
Kanatal
Quiet village with orchards, camps and views on the Mussoorie-Chamba road
Dhanaulti
Deodar and pine forests above Mussoorie, quieter and cooler
Chakrata
Cantonment hill town with forest, waterfalls and relatively few visitors
Uttarkashi
Bhagirathi valley town, gateway to Gangotri and several treks
Harsil and Dharali
High Bhagirathi valley villages with apple orchards and Himalayan views
Joshimath
Winter seat of Badrinath and the base for Auli and the Valley of Flowers
Auli
Himalayan ski slope with views of Nanda Devi and neighbouring peaks
Chopta and Tungnath
Forest meadows and the highest Shiva temple, with an easy short trek
Devprayag
The confluence where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi form the Ganga
Khirsu and Pauri
Quiet village above Pauri with orchards, forest and Himalayan views
Lansdowne
Quiet cantonment hill station with a colonial feel
Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib
UNESCO World Heritage alpine valley, and the Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib
Mana Village
The last motorable village before the Tibet border area, a short drive from Badrinath
Rajaji National Park
Forest reserve near Haridwar and Rishikesh, known for elephants
Nainital
Lake town around the pear-shaped Naini Lake
Bhimtal and Naukuchiatal
Larger, calmer lakes near Nainital
Sattal
A cluster of connected lakes in an oak forest, popular with birdwatchers
Mukteshwar
High ridge village with orchards and wide Himalayan views
Almora
Cultural town of Kumaon, known for sweets, temples and Himalayan views
Ranikhet
Calm cantonment hill station with pine forests and Himalayan views
Kausani
Ridge village with wide views of the Himalayan peaks
Binsar
Wildlife sanctuary and ridge with oak and rhododendron forest
Jageshwar
A forest valley with a group of old stone temples
Pithoragarh
Eastern Kumaon town in a wide valley, gateway to Munsiyari and the Kailash Mansarovar route
Munsiyari
Remote hill town facing the Panchachuli peaks, base for Johar valley treks
Chaukori
Quiet village with Himalayan views on the way to Munsiyari
Pangot and Kilbury
Birdwatching village a short drive from Nainital
Jim Corbett National Park
India's oldest national park, famous for tigers and elephants
See also: Garhwal, Kumaon, map, peaceful places, wildlife and parks. Not listed yet: Rudraprayag, Srinagar (Garhwal), Naukuchiatal as a separate page, Abbott Mount, Champawat, Lohaghat, Dharchula, Peora, Sitla and Sari.