The mountains of Garhwal come with dramatic formations and diverse geographic regions. Streams of crystal-clear rivers formed by the melting of glaciers, lush green meadows, hamlets, pine forests, and rugged terrain form the varied topography of this region. But it is perhaps the mythological aspect of the Har Ki Dun trek that makes this onerous journey more special. It would be a heavenly experience to trek along the Valley of Gods and follow the track once beaten by Pandavas on their way to the heavens. So how close you come to the heavens is quite impossible to say, but the panorama of the gorgeous settings amid the snow-clad peaks would be no less than a divine experience.

Har ki Dun exists as one of the most spiritual and ancient treks of all time. Being the most beautiful valley in the Garhwal region, this trek attracts a large number of adventure enthusiasts every year. It is agreed to be one of the top-listed favorable summer treks for trekkers that takes you through some of the most beautiful scenic views. You would find meadows covered in green patches with orchids, rhododendrons, and dense jungle all around you during the trek. Har ki Dun is nested at a height of 11,675ft and still is granted as an Easy trek for trekkers with little or no experience at all.

Har ki Dun is known as the Hanging Valley and along with that, this trek will take you through some of the most beautiful scenes. This trek is also known as a beginner's trek and during your trek, you would come across some lush greenery and the vibrant beauty of the mountains. You can soak in the positive energy dripping from the beauty of the region with the dense alpine forests and the panoramic view of the mountains.

Trek Details

• Pickup Point on Day 1- Dehradun Railway Station
• Departure time from Dehradun Railway Station on Day 1- 7 am
• 2nd Pickup Point on Day 1- Kitab Ghar bus stand, Mussoorie
• Pick up time from Mussoorie- 7:45 a.m.
• Drop Point on Day 7- Dehradun Railway Station
• Arrival time on Day 7 at Dehradun Railway Station- 6 pm
• Cloakroom: There is no separate cloakroom available. You can hand over your luggage to our team and collect it while returning. We will be keeping it safely at Sankri in the same Homestay.
• The shared vehicle will be a Tata Sumo, Bolero, or similar and may be shared with a few other local passengers. The cab will be arranged from Dehradun to Sankri and Sankri to Dehradun.
• We charge Rs.1200/- per person on each side per person.
• Trekkers may choose to travel by bus or local cab to reach Sankri.
• The forest permits for international clients will be as actual and are to be paid by the trekker at the base camp only.

This trek is one of a kind because it will take you through one of the most unexplored regions of Garhwal Himalayas where civilization has not affected the lifestyles of the simple hill folk here. The forests have decorated the area in such a way that every scene would be picturesque. This place is rich in wildlife and is a heaven for nature lovers as well as those people who are deep bird watchers. Har Ki Dun trek can be done both in summers and winters and is accessible through Govind National Park. The Har Ki dun trek takes you through thickets, terraced fields, glaciers, fragrant orchids, and sprawling meadows giving you an overall experience of every kind of terrain. You would get once in a lifetime chance to witness the various species of birds and mammals that thrive in this region.

Har ki Dun: The Hanging Valley

Har ki Dun is located at the base of Fateh Parvat, at an altitude of 3,556 meters which makes approximately more than 11,600ft. Apart from being surrounded by dense pine trees, this place offers a special habitat to animals like black bears, langurs, and wild boars.

This place is a cradle-shaped valley that is filled with ancient villages that are around 3000 years old. You would not just witness the beauty of the region but also get an opportunity to meet the local people and learn about their day-to-day lives. While on the route of your trek, you would come across many horses and cows grazing in the meadows and river banks. You can capture some of your best shots while you head out for this trek.

Har ki Dun is one a kind valley as it is the only place from where one can witness the Swargrohini 1, 2, 3, Bandar Poonch, black peak, and Ruinsara Peak. You would eventually realize that at this place Nature never skips the chance to amaze humanity.

Har Ki Dun Valley is covered with some of the most ancient villages that are over 3,000 years old. The locals of Har ki dun valley mainly worship Duryodhana as it is believed that the valley was the home of the worrier Bhog Dat who was a supporter of Kaurava and that is the reason it is among the few places where people worship Duryodhana. What makes this trek stand out from others is that this is a valley trek where you trek along the Supin River to Har Ki Dun trek in the Himalayas since the trekking trail isn’t treaded upon too often, birds and animals thrive in this region.

The trek would take approximately 7- 9 days to complete. The base camp would be the Sankri village. First, you need to reach Dehradun which you can reach by road, air, or even train. After that, you would drive to Sankri and then to Pauni Garaat. From here the trek to Har ki Dun begins.

The Legend

As the age-old mythological story goes, the Pandavas from the Mahabharata once took this route on their way to heaven through Swargarohini, a mastiff of four peaks, three of which are visible from several points along your route. It is from here that it derives its title, "The Valley of Gods".

Highlights of this Trek

Being the most popular trek among the trekkers this place holds a lot of secret places to itself and that is the reason it stands out. Apart from being rich in flora and fauna, this place will give you an attractive glimpse of Swargarohini and Jaundhar Glacier which are in the south-east of this cradle-shaped valley. Once you reach Har Ki Dun Valley, you can explore Morinda Lake, Jaundhar Glacier, and Borasu Pass.

Also, this trek would offer you some of the most mesmerizing views of the majestic peaks like Kalanag, Bandarpunch, and Swargarohini. The main highlights of this mesmerizing trip would be the traditional villages of Sankri, Saud, Taluka, Osla, and Seema which have been culturally preserved for ages. You also would have the chance to witness the local and village culture. You will be entitled to some breathtaking views of Jaundhar Glacier and Morinda Lake.

Also, for people who love to see flowers, you can take a detour on the trek and explore Hata Valley. The meadows here are fully carpeted with alpine flowers that commonly bloom during the spring season and make a very pleasing sight. However, contrary to the popular belief that the Har Ki Dun trek is not very easy and has a long trail on almost all days and so it is said to be suitable for seasoned trekkers as well as beginners.

This trail is situated in the Govind Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park in the Garhwal Himalayas. This trek of Har Ki Dun Valley would give you a panoramic view of Mother Nature and its wonders. The cradle-shaped valley of Har Ki Dun signifies peace and serene beauty and describes Nature in an ultimate way to attain peace and calmness. Each step that you take while trekking in this magnificent valley will allow you to get the feeling of paradise in the lap of the Himalayas.

The beautiful state bird of Uttarakhand, the colorful Himalayan Monal, thrives in the forests here. The Har ki Dun trail takes you back to medieval times. This cradle-shaped valley is populated with ancient villages that are over 3,000 years old. This is also one of the few treks where you would be able to come across the local lifestyle nearby and get a lifetime of experience living their lives and tasting their cuisine.

This trek is not challenging and can be said to be a moderate to difficult trek with just 44km to trek. So it can be done by fit beginners or families with children over 9 years.

However, reaching Har ki Dun would involve about 5-6 hours of walking each day and hence you should be prepared for that. You will spend days walking through the gorgeous landscape, and evenings around campfires under starry skies with the snow-capped mountains around you. But if you choose this to be your first trek, then there might be some problems for you on the trek, so you need to be mentally and physically prepared for it. You can start a regular fitness routine 3 to 5 months before your trek and start preparing your body for the trek. This is a widely traversed trek and with a little hard work and dedication, you will be able to complete this trek.

How to Reach Har ki Dun

You have to start your journey from Dehradun and you can reach Dehradun by air, train or road.

• Dehradun to Sankri- The first destination is Sankri which is 220 km away from Dehradun and would take you approximately 10 hours to reach. You can even come from Delhi to Sankri by bus. At Sankri you would find the last ATM throughout the trek at Purola.
• The next destination is Chilurgad via Taluka which is a 12km drive and would take you approximately 1 hour. After reaching Taluka you would trek to Chilurgad which is 10kms away and would take 6 hours.
• The next morning the trek to Simantra begins which is 9kms away and would take 6 hours.
• Then from Simantra, the trek to ultimate Har ki Dun begins which is 5 km away and would take you 4 hours at least. From the Har ki Dun hilltop, you would be able to see snow peaks like Swargarohini, Hata Peak, Black Peak, and many more.

Best Time To Visit Har ki Dun

This place is a hotspot for trekkers all year round but the best time to visit this place is during summers and monsoons which is from April till November.

The best time to do this trek would be summer (from April to June) and post-monsoon (from September to December). However, if you have a different set of plans and are interested in snow trekking then the best time to visit is winter. Since climatic conditions in the high altitudes vary from the plains you need to take adequate time to get acclimatized to high altitudes.

In Summer

You can expect subtle and pleasing weather during the summer season. Though usually, you won’t find any fog and the sky remains clear most of the time but you really can’t make any predictions about the weather here. If you are planning a trek in the summer season then you must carry light woolen clothes as the temperature mostly remains low during the night.

• Sankri: 5°C
• Seema: 1 to 2°C
• Har Ki Dun: (-1° C) to -2°C

In Monsoon

During the monsoon season, the trekking trails remain most prone to landslides. The roads usually remain blocked, but the scenic beauty is worth all the risk. The bit when you are traveling in monsoons you must make sure to check with local authorities, tour guides, or tour operators about the weather and road conditions before you start your trip or trek.

In Winter

The serenity and solitude are at their best during winters at Har Ki Dun Valley. The valley is showered with snowfall during winter and the accommodation options are also few. If you plan on traveling during the winter season then don't forget to carry warm clothes, jackets, raincoats, fleece jackets, and thermals

• Sankri: (-1) °C
• Seema: (-3) °C
• Har Ki Dun: (-15) °C to (-10) °C

The temperature at Har Ki Dun

If you want to trek in spring and be able to experience the rhododendrons and other flowers of the region you can opt for October and November. If you are looking for a snow trek, which will be a bigger challenge worth taking if you want a more adventurous and thrilling journey to Har-Ki Dun choose to trek this between March to April. Har Ki Dun Trek Temperature goes from about 15 degrees Celsius in the morning to 2 degrees Celsius at night. The temperatures in Har Ki Dun Trek range in winter from 2 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees Celsius in December and mid-January, and -5 degrees Celsius to -10 degrees Celsius in February. In summer between May and June, the day temperature is 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, and at night the temperature is 10 to 5 degrees Celsius.

Difficulty Level of Trek

This trek can be graded as easy to moderate; therefore, you can think of doing this even if you are a beginner. But if this is the first trek of your life, then there might be some problems for you on the trek, so you need to be mentally and physically prepared for it. For this, you can start with a regular fitness routine 3 to 5 months before your trek and start preparing your body for the trek. This is a widely traversed trek and with a little hard work and dedication, you will be able to complete this trek.