Best places to visit in Uttarakhand
40 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 40 destinations in Uttarakhand
-
Abbott Mount (Lohaghat)
Uttarakhand
Forgotten colonial hilltop of 1920s cottages, oaks and silence
Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
-
Almora
Uttarakhand
Understated Kumaoni market town with Himalayan views
Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov
-
Asan Conservation Reserve (Dakpathar)
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand's Ramsar wetland where the Asan meets the Yamuna
Peak: Dec to Feb
-
Auli
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand's top ski slopes with Nanda Devi views
Peak: Dec to Feb
-
Badrinath & Mana
Uttarakhand
Char Dham shrine at 3100 m with Mana village 3 km on
Peak: May to Jun and Sep to Oct
-
Bageshwar
Uttarakhand
Saryu-Gomti confluence town and gateway to Pindari glacier
Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
-
Binsar
Uttarakhand
Quiet oak sanctuary with 200km Himalayan views
Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov
-
Chakrata
Uttarakhand
Restricted cantonment near Delhi, untouched forest and falls
Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov
-
Chaukori
Uttarakhand
Tea-garden ridge staring straight at the Panchachuli wall
Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
-
Chopta
Uttarakhand
Basecamp for the Tungnath-Chandrashila alpine trek
Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov
-
Devprayag
Uttarakhand
Stone town stacked over the confluence where the Ganga begins
Peak: Feb to Mar and Oct to Nov
-
Dwarahat (Dunagiri)
Uttarakhand
Fifty odd Katyuri stone temples in a quiet Kumaon bazaar
Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
-
Ghuttu (Khatling Glacier)
Uttarakhand
Road end in the Bhilangana valley below Khatling glacier
Peak: May to Jun and Oct to Nov
-
Hanol (Mahasu Devta)
Uttarakhand
Ninth century Huna-style stone temple on the Tons river
Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov
-
Haridwar
Uttarakhand
Har Ki Pauri, the ghat where the Ganga leaves the hills
Peak: Feb to Mar and Oct to Nov
-
Harsil
Uttarakhand
Deodar and apple village on the Bhagirathi below Gangotri
Peak: May to Jun and Sep to Oct
-
Jageshwar
Uttarakhand
Over a hundred stone Shiva temples in a deodar gorge
Peak: Mar to May and Oct to Nov
-
Jim Corbett (Ramnagar)
Uttarakhand
India's oldest tiger reserve, entered from Ramnagar town
Peak: Dec to Mar
-
Kanatal
Uttarakhand
Deodar ridge of apple orchards and campfires above the Tehri valley
Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov
-
Kartik Swami (Kanakchauri)
Uttarakhand
Knife-edge ridge shrine with 360 degree Garhwal snow peaks
Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
-
Kausani
Uttarakhand
300km Himalayan skyline view, Gandhi's hill retreat
Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
-
Kedarnath
Uttarakhand
Himalayan Shiva shrine at 3583m, open just 6 months
Peak: May to Jun and Sep to Oct
-
Khati (Pindari Glacier)
Uttarakhand
Last village on the Pindari trail, 6 km past the road head
Peak: May to Jun and Oct to Nov
-
Khirsu
Uttarakhand
Hushed oak and deodar ridge facing a wall of Garhwal snow peaks
Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
-
Lansdowne
Uttarakhand
Sleepy Garhwal Rifles cantonment, refreshingly untouristy
Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov
-
Madhyamaheshwar (Ransi)
Uttarakhand
Panch Kedar shrine at 3450 m, 16 km on foot above Ransi
Peak: May to Jun and Sep to Oct
-
Malari (Niti Valley)
Uttarakhand
Last open Bhotia village on the road up to the Niti pass
Peak: May to Jun and Sep to Oct
-
Mukteshwar
Uttarakhand
Laid-back orchard town with cliff views and paragliding
Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov
-
Munsiyari
Uttarakhand
Remote gateway to Panchachuli peaks and glacier treks
Peak: Apr to May and Oct
-
Mussoorie
Uttarakhand
Colonial 'Queen of the Hills', Delhi's easiest escape
Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov
-
Nag Tibba
Uttarakhand
Weekend snow summit at 3020 m above Pantwari village
Peak: Oct to Mar
-
Nainital
Uttarakhand
Colonial lake town, Kumaon's biggest tourist magnet
Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov
-
Patal Bhuvaneshwar
Uttarakhand
Torchlit limestone cave shrine sunk 90 ft into a Kumaon ridge
Peak: Mar to Apr and Oct to Nov
-
Raithal (Dayara Bugyal)
Uttarakhand
Slate-roof village under the Dayara meadow and Bandarpunch
Peak: Apr to May and Oct to Nov
-
Ranikhet
Uttarakhand
Kumaon Regiment cantonment with pine golf links and Nanda Devi
Peak: Mar to May and Oct to Nov
-
Rishikesh
Uttarakhand
Yoga capital and rafting hub on the Ganges
Peak: Feb to Mar and Oct to Nov
-
Sankri (Har Ki Dun)
Uttarakhand
Govind park trailhead for Har Ki Dun and Kedarkantha
Peak: May to Jun and Oct to Feb
-
Sattal
Uttarakhand
Seven linked lakes hidden in an oak and pine bowl full of birds
Peak: Nov to Mar
-
Valley of Flowers
Uttarakhand
UNESCO alpine meadow of rare flora, open Jul-Sep only
Peak: Jul to Aug
-
Wan (Bedni Bugyal)
Uttarakhand
Road-end village below the Ali and Bedni meadows
Peak: May to Jun and Oct to Nov
By theme in Uttarakhand
Mountains (28)Offbeat (27)Trek (15)Heritage (12)Spiritual (12)
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Uttarakhand?
Across the 40 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 40 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 (28), offbeat (27), trek (15), heritage (12) and spiritual (12).
What kind of places are in Uttarakhand?
28 mountains, 27 offbeat, 15 trek, 12 heritage and 12 spiritual. Every entry carries its own peak, shoulder and avoid months, so nothing is recommended in a month it should not be.
Other states and union territories
Andaman & Nicobar IslandsAndhra PradeshArunachal PradeshAssamBiharChandigarhChhattisgarhDadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & DiuDelhiGoaGujaratHaryanaHimachal PradeshJammu and KashmirJharkhandKarnatakaKeralaLadakhLakshadweepMadhya PradeshMaharashtraManipurMeghalayaMizoramNagalandOdishaPuducherryPunjabRajasthanSikkimTamil NaduTelanganaTripuraUttar PradeshWest Bengal