Best places to visit in Uttarakhand

29 curated destinations in Uttarakhand, each with its honest season window: when to go, when it is merely fine, and when to stay away.

When to visit Uttarakhand

Curated places in Uttarakhand that are in peak season, by month. Tap a month for the whole country.

April, May, October and November put the most of Uttarakhand in peak season. July the fewest, with 1.

All 29 destinations in Uttarakhand

Abbott Mount (Lohaghat) Uttarakhand
Forgotten colonial hilltop of 1920s cottages, oaks and silence

Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov

Offbeat Heritage Mountains
Almora Uttarakhand
Understated Kumaoni market town with Himalayan views

Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov

Mountains Heritage Offbeat
Auli Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand's top ski slopes with Nanda Devi views

Peak: Dec to Feb

Snow Mountains Trek
Badrinath & Mana Uttarakhand
Char Dham shrine at 3100 m with Mana village 3 km on

Peak: May to Jun and Sep to Oct

Spiritual Mountains Heritage
Bageshwar Uttarakhand
Saryu-Gomti confluence town and gateway to Pindari glacier

Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov

Spiritual Culture Offbeat
Binsar Uttarakhand
Quiet oak sanctuary with 200km Himalayan views

Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov

Wildlife Mountains Offbeat
Chakrata Uttarakhand
Restricted cantonment near Delhi, untouched forest and falls

Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov

Mountains Offbeat Trek
Chaukori Uttarakhand
Tea-garden ridge staring straight at the Panchachuli wall

Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov

Mountains Offbeat
Chopta Uttarakhand
Basecamp for the Tungnath-Chandrashila alpine trek

Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov

Trek Mountains Snow
Haridwar Uttarakhand
Har Ki Pauri, the ghat where the Ganga leaves the hills

Peak: Feb to Mar and Oct to Nov

Spiritual Heritage City
Harsil Uttarakhand
Deodar and apple village on the Bhagirathi below Gangotri

Peak: May to Jun and Sep to Oct

Mountains Offbeat Snow
Jageshwar Uttarakhand
Over a hundred stone Shiva temples in a deodar gorge

Peak: Mar to May and Oct to Nov

Heritage Spiritual Offbeat
Jim Corbett (Ramnagar) Uttarakhand
India's oldest tiger reserve, entered from Ramnagar town

Peak: Dec to Mar

Wildlife
Kanatal Uttarakhand
Deodar ridge of apple orchards and campfires above the Tehri valley

Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov

Mountains Offbeat
Kausani Uttarakhand
300km Himalayan skyline view, Gandhi's hill retreat

Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov

Mountains Offbeat
Kedarnath Uttarakhand
Himalayan Shiva shrine at 3583m, open just 6 months

Peak: May to Jun and Sep to Oct

Spiritual Trek Mountains
Khirsu Uttarakhand
Hushed oak and deodar ridge facing a wall of Garhwal snow peaks

Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov

Offbeat Mountains
Lansdowne Uttarakhand
Sleepy Garhwal Rifles cantonment, refreshingly untouristy

Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov

Mountains Offbeat Heritage
Mukteshwar Uttarakhand
Laid-back orchard town with cliff views and paragliding

Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov

Mountains Offbeat Trek
Munsiyari Uttarakhand
Remote gateway to Panchachuli peaks and glacier treks

Peak: Apr to May and Oct

Mountains Trek Offbeat
Mussoorie Uttarakhand
Colonial 'Queen of the Hills', Delhi's easiest escape

Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov

Mountains Heritage City
Nag Tibba Uttarakhand
Weekend snow summit at 3020 m above Pantwari village

Peak: Oct to Mar

Trek Snow Mountains
Nainital Uttarakhand
Colonial lake town, Kumaon's biggest tourist magnet

Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov

Lakes Mountains City
Patal Bhuvaneshwar Uttarakhand
Torchlit limestone cave shrine sunk 90 ft into a Kumaon ridge

Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov

Spiritual Offbeat Heritage
Ranikhet Uttarakhand
Kumaon Regiment cantonment with pine golf links and Nanda Devi

Peak: Mar to May and Oct to Nov

Mountains Heritage Offbeat
Rishikesh Uttarakhand
Yoga capital and rafting hub on the Ganges

Peak: Feb to Mar and Oct to Nov

Spiritual Backpacker Culture
Sankri (Har Ki Dun) Uttarakhand
Govind park trailhead for Har Ki Dun and Kedarkantha

Peak: May to Jun and Oct to Feb

Trek Mountains Offbeat
Sattal Uttarakhand
Seven linked lakes hidden in an oak and pine bowl full of birds

Peak: Nov to Mar

Lakes Offbeat Wildlife
Valley of Flowers Uttarakhand
UNESCO alpine meadow of rare flora, open Jul-Sep only

Peak: Jul to Aug

Trek Wildlife Offbeat

By theme in Uttarakhand

Mountains (21)Offbeat (19)Heritage (9)Trek (9)Spiritual (7)

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Uttarakhand?

Across the 29 curated destinations in Uttarakhand, April, May, October and November are the months with the most places in peak season. July has the fewest, at 1.

How many places are worth visiting in Uttarakhand?

This catalogue lists 29 in Uttarakhand, chosen for the landscape or the heritage rather than for size. Plain cities are deliberately left out unless the trip is the heritage itself. The strongest themes here are mountains (21), offbeat (19), heritage (9), trek (9) and spiritual (7).

What kind of places are in Uttarakhand?

21 mountains, 19 offbeat, 9 heritage, 9 trek and 7 spiritual. Every entry carries its own peak, shoulder and avoid months, so nothing is recommended in a month it should not be.

When to visit Uttarakhand

All 29 destinations in Uttarakhand

By theme in Uttarakhand

Common questions

Other states and union territories