Places to Visit in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand divides into Kumaon in the east and Garhwal in the west, and they suit different trips. Below is what each place is actually good for, including where we would tell you not to bother.

Kumaon

• Nainital. A lake town built around boating, the Mall and the cable car to Snow View. It is the easiest mountain air to reach from Delhi NCR and it knows it — May and June are genuinely crowded. Note that Mall Road became a no-horn zone on 1 August 2026, enforced by CCTV.
• Ranikhet. A cantonment town on a long ridge, quiet by design, with golf, deodar forest and Himalayan views on a clear morning.
• Almora. An old bazaar town with more character than most Uttarakhand hill stations and a strong literary and artistic history.
• Mukteshwar. Small, high and calm, with the finest uninterrupted Himalayan panorama in Kumaon. It is also the nearest India Meteorological Department station to Nainital, which is how we know what Kumaon weather actually does.
• Kausani. A ridge village famous for its Nanda Devi views, best in October and November when the air is clearest.

Garhwal

• Mussoorie. The Queen of the Hills, 35 km above Dehradun, and the classic short break from Delhi. Camel’s Back Road and Landour are the parts worth walking. Free online registration is required before you arrive.
• Rishikesh. The Ganga, the evening aarti, yoga schools and white water in season. Note that Laxman Jhula has been closed to the public since 2019; the crossings in use are elsewhere.
• Haridwar. The Ganga Aarti at Har Ki Pauri is the one thing to build an evening around.
• Auli. Meadows at 2,500 to 3,050 m, and skiing from January to March — the National Skiing Championship was held there in February 2026. Reached by road from Joshimath, 16 km. The ropeway has been closed since January 2023.
• Chopta and Tungnath. Meadow country and the highest Shiva temple on the Panch Kedar circuit, walked from Chopta.

Wildlife

Jim Corbett is India’s oldest national park and the reason many families come to Uttarakhand at all. Jhirna, Dhela and Garjia run year-round; Dhikala and the night stays open around mid-November and close around mid-June, with dates issued afresh each season.

Three things to know before you book. Mobile phones have been banned inside the reserve since 5 February 2026 under a Supreme Court order — they are handed in at the gate, and that applies to guides and drivers too. Cameras are allowed, so bring a real one. Permits are non-transferable and non-refundable, so a permit issued in someone else’s name is a total loss at the gate. And there is documented tout activity diverting visitors to Sitabani and Phato, which are not part of Corbett Tiger Reserve, while the customer believes they have booked Corbett. Book through the official state portal, or let us do it.

Our Jim Corbett safari guide covers the zones in detail.

Spiritual Uttarakhand

The Char Dham — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath — is a different journey from a hill holiday and deserves its own planning. In 2026 Gangotri and Yamunotri opened on 19 April, Kedarnath on 22 April, Badrinath on 23 April and Hemkund Sahib on 23 May. Registration is mandatory, free, and checked at barriers.

See our Char Dham Yatra packages, the Char Dham itinerary and, if mobility is a consideration, Char Dham for senior citizens.

If you want quiet

The Valley of Flowers opens 1 June and closes 31 October, reached on foot from Ghangaria after the drive to Govindghat. It is a walk, not a drive-up viewpoint — roughly 10 km on foot to Ghangaria and about 4 km each way into the valley itself.

Otherwise, the honest answer is the Kumaon ridge. Ranikhet, Almora, Mukteshwar and Kausani have far fewer visitors than Nainital and Mussoorie, better views and almost nothing scheduled. If your idea of a mountain holiday involves sitting still, go there.