Trip planning
Hemkund Sahib
Watch · Devkant on the trail, July 2025
हेमकुंड साहिब: सुबह जल्दी निकलें
Hemkund Sahib: leave early
“Once you reach Ghangaria village, you do the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib from there. For the valley you should leave around 6–7 in the morning, wearing rain gear and proper shoes and make it a full-day tour. But the…”
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Hemkund Sahib is the world's highest gurudwara, at about 14,000 feet above sea level in the Chamoli district of the Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand. Reaching it is tough: a long, tiring drive from Haridwar to Govindghat, and then a trek of about 21 km from Govindghat, done over two days. On the first day you go only as far as Ghangaria, the base for both the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib.
Nature lovers who come for the Valley of Flowers usually go to Hemkund Sahib as well — but most pilgrims who come for Hemkund Sahib do not visit the Valley of Flowers. Do both if you can.
Hemkund Sahib through the season
History of Hemkund Sahib
It is believed that the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, meditated here for years in a previous life. In chapter six of the Bachitra Natak, the Guru describes his previous birth at Hemkund — a lake of ice beside a mountain adorned with seven peaks.
Climate and weather
Hemkund Sahib is cold throughout the year. It is accessible for only about four months, from June to September; the rest of the time it is under snow. Even in June the lake is frozen, and by the end of September snow usually starts falling again. The weather here changes very quickly.
No one is allowed to stay overnight at Hemkund Sahib — only the sewadars of the gurudwara stay there. After the last prayer at 2 pm, everyone is sent down to Ghangaria.
The trek from Ghangaria
From Ghangaria the trek to Hemkund Sahib is about 7 km each way, 14 km up and down, steep, and at high altitude. Ponies are available — about ₹2,200 one way, or ₹2,800 for the round trip — and we recommend taking one at least for the way up. Read more on how difficult the trek is.
Hemkund Sahib yatra by helicopter
A helicopter flies from Govindghat to Ghangaria, so you can skip the trek between them — the flight takes only about 3 minutes. It must be booked through Pawan Hans, and rates vary (about ₹8,000 return last season). But the service depends heavily on the weather, and you cannot rely on it, especially in July and August when the monsoon is in full swing. There is no helicopter from Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib itself.
Combine it with the Valley of Flowers
Our Valley of Flowers itinerary includes a day for Hemkund Sahib, and the flowers near the lake — blue poppy, Brahma Kamal and others — are found mostly here. The blue poppy also grows at one particular spot in the valley. See the best time to visit.
What travellers say about trekking with us
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★★★★★
Blue Poppy Holidays – Where Passionate Ownership Meets Professionalism Blue Poppy Holidays is where passionate ownership truly meets professionalism. Our experience was simply unimaginable and far beyond our expectations. The hospitality extended by the entire team, led personally by Mrs. Seema Sangwan, the owner herself, sets an exceptionally high standard. The property at…
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Blue Poppy Holidays – Where Passionate Ownership Meets Professionalism
Blue Poppy Holidays is where passionate ownership truly meets professionalism.
Our experience was simply unimaginable and far beyond our expectations. The hospitality extended by the entire team, led personally by Mrs. Seema Sangwan, the owner herself, sets an exceptionally high standard.
The property at Joshimath is an absolute pristine beauty. The variety of plants and flowers nurtured there is so incredible that it almost feels like having a little Valley of Flowers within the property itself. Mr. Devkant Sangwan, the owner, takes genuine pride in his garden and personally showed us each and every plant during our visit. His passion and knowledge make the experience even more special.
And then comes the organic food — freshly prepared, delicious, and served with a smile every single time. The cooking is excellent, and the warmth with which everything is served makes you feel less like a guest and more like family. Special mention to Mr. Anuj - Manager & Ajay leading the team.
The staff behaviour is simply beyond excellent — courteous, caring, attentive and always ready to help.
Our experience at Ghangharia was equally wonderful. The tent accommodation was arguably the best one could expect at such an altitude, complemented by excellent service lead by Mr. Shankar and a wonderful team.
A special mention for our guide, Mr. Pramod, who was extremely caring and supportive throughout the trek. He took complete care of our 7-year-old throughout the journey, giving us immense confidence and peace of mind.
We had visited Blue Poppy Holidays almost 10 years ago, in 2016, and returning after such a long gap was an equally memorable experience. It is rare to find a place where the hospitality, people, property, food and attention to detail come together so beautifully.
We will definitely be visiting again — and if you are planning a trip to the Valley of Flowers with your family, we would blindly recommend Blue Poppy Holidays.
Your family deserves nothing less. ❤️
Thank you, Team Blue Poppy, for making our journey so beautiful, comfortable and memorable.
Vishal, Keshani & Arjun 🫶Vishal V. · August 2026
Google review of Blue Poppy Premier, Jyotirmath (Joshimath) -
★★★★★
I stayed in Blue Poppy Resort Auli Branch for about 8 days after trekking to Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib. I was travelling solo since a couple and a friend who were supposed to travel with me backed out at the last moment. I am 63 and a retired Wg Cdr from Indian Air Force. I had some apprehension of being a bit lonely during my trek and travel and was unaware of my…
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I stayed in Blue Poppy Resort Auli Branch for about 8 days after trekking to Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib. I was travelling solo since a couple and a friend who were supposed to travel with me backed out at the last moment.
I am 63 and a retired Wg Cdr from Indian Air Force. I had some apprehension of being a bit lonely during my trek and travel and was unaware of my fitness level etc. All these turned out to be absolutely unfounded. I immediately made really great friends and the smiles and politeness shown by the youngsters who looked after the guests made the experience very pleasant. Devkant and Seema look after the guests like family. Devkant is huge in his knowledge of the flora and fauna… he is enthusiastic and protective about all environment….. he is an ideal guide who connects with all the participants and educates them. I learnt a lot from him and Seema.. I think they provide excellent hands on service in a clean and natural environment.
The accommodation and food were top class while requiring participants to refrain from wastage and leaving the area cleaner then before they came.
I did a few treks around Auli to Gordon Bugyal and could not go for the 3 day camping trip. Maybe next time when I bring my children and their families.
I had an extremely spiritual experience far away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai.
There’s excellent mobile coverage and one can keep in touch with family at all times.
There’s excellent views of the majestic Himalayas all around and Nanda Devi is visible quite often.
Thanks Devkant and Seema. I learnt a lot and relaxed at the same time. Will see you again with family in the next few years when my granddaughter is a little older.
Keep up the good work!Uday K. · August 2021
Google review of Blue Poppy Resort, Auli -
★★★★★
We were picked up from Haridwar by Mr Mukesh and taken by Tempo traveller. Due to landslides we were delayed by two days initially at Kodiyala and then near Chamoli, hence we went direct from Chamoli to Pulna via Gobindhghat. Mr Mukesh is an expert driver and helped us to reach Gobindhghat safely. From here we were transferred to a local transport to climb up to Pulna. Inspire…
Read the full review
We were picked up from Haridwar by Mr Mukesh and taken by Tempo traveller. Due to landslides we were delayed by two days initially at Kodiyala and then near Chamoli, hence we went direct from Chamoli to Pulna via Gobindhghat. Mr Mukesh is an expert driver and helped us to reach Gobindhghat safely. From here we were transferred to a local transport to climb up to Pulna. Inspire of these delays we forged great friendships on the way and I was entertained by the spirit of my companions especially the group from Surat. We had to trek or travel by pony to Ghangria. abhishek our guide joined us at Joshimath and helped us through our trip to Ghangria. Especially the odd straggler.
Rooms at the Swiss cottage Gangaria were good and bathrooms were hygienic and food was excellent .we really had diff foods in each meal. The staff of 4 Ashok Anuj and others were ever smiling and helpful.
Our tour guide Mr Abhishek helped us a lot ,took care of every member in the group .He is really helpful . He really helped anyone feeling unwell or tired.
Last but not the least hot water facility and leg massages after the trek was awesome. Subsequently I extended my stay and spent some great days trekking around Auli branch of Blue Poppy resorts. I will cover this in more detail in a separate review. Mr Devkant and Seema were especially friendly and treated us like guests in his own home.Uday K. · August 2021
Google review of Blue Poppy Swiss Cottage Camps, Ghangaria