Complete Uttarakhand Travel Guide

Uttarakhand, also known as the Land of Gods (Devbhoomi) is a perfect destination for adventure enthusiasts, nature lovers, and religious seekers.

For adventure enthusiasts, It has plenty of adventure activities and sites, like camping, rafting, trekking, bungee jumping, birdwatching, etc.

For religious seekers, it has an abundance of religious temples, like Kedarnath, Tungnath, Mansa Devi, Haridwar etc.

Finally, for nature lovers, visit any part of Uttarakhand, you will be amazed by its lush greenery, small waterfalls, sky-soaring mountains, breathtaking views, diverse wildlife, and so on.

Uttarakhand Travel Guide

Theme Destination

🤠 Adventure Places

If you crave for adventure and adrenaline, then Uttarakhand won’t let you down. Due to sky-soaring mountains, the majestic River Ganga, and astonishing landscapes, Uttarakhand is filled with a wide range of adventure places to visit and activities to try. Some of them are –

  • Rishikesh (Camping, Rafting, Bungee jumping)
  • Chopta (Camping, trekking, hiking)
  • Dehradun (Water park, Zoo)
  • Auli (Trekking, Snow activities)
  • Tehri Dam (Boating)
  • Asan Barrage (Birdwatching)

❣️ Romantic Places

Because of astonishing landscapes, iconic views, charming lakes, and a passionate environment, Uttarakhand has some of the most romantic places in India. So, make sure to visit them with your partner. Some of them are –

📜 Historical Places

Did you know that Uttarakhand was formerly a significant part of the state of Uttar Pradesh. However, on November 9, 2000, it got disassociated from UP and became a standalone state. The main reason for this separation was the 1994 Rampur Tiraha firing case. Besides this, it also has a mythological and religious history

  • Kalsi
  • FRI
  • Chandpur Fort
  • Narendra Nagar
  • Dehradun Clock Tower

🏔️ Hill station

Surrounded by towering hills and snow-capped mountains, Uttarakhand is the prime choice for every hill station seeker. That’s why it has some of the most amazing and captivating hill stations. You can easily visit them, with your family, partner, friend or by yourself.

🛕 Religious Places

If you are a religious person and believe in spirituality, then Uttarakhand should be your prime destination. Popularly known as the God of lands, this place is a spiritual land. It attracts thousands of spiritual seekers from all over India. Some of the most famous religious places and temples are

  • Kumaon Region
  • Mukteshwar Dham Temple (350 years old Shiva temple)
  • Chitai Golu Temple (God of Justice)
  • Garhwal Region
  • Char Dham (consists of four spiritual lands)
  • Tungnath Temple (Highest Shiva temple)
  • Madmaheshwar Temple (Thrilling trek trails)

🫎 National Park and Wildlife

Due to the diverse ecosystem and rich wildlife, Uttarakhand boasts some of the world-famous national parks. Moreover, 2 of them are declared as UNESCO World Heritage sites. And some of the national parks are designed specifically for endangered animals.

🌃 Nightlife

Uttarakhand, known for its serene landscapes, also offers a modest yet vibrant nightlife. In popular hill stations like Nainital and Mussoorie, one can find cozy cafes, lively bars, and occasional cultural events. Truly, the night view in Uttrakahnd is breathtaking, the glittering light dots look hypnotizing. To experience the nightlife of Uttarakhand, you can visit any of these cities.

  • Almora
  • Mussorie
  • Dehradun
  • Nainital

🏙️ City Life

Uttarakhand has some of the most vibrant and lively cities in all of India. From religious belief, mesmerizing locations, adventure activities, lively markets, numerous shops, cafes, restaurants, and huge crowds, you will find everything to make your enhance your experience.

  • Garhwal
    • Rishikesh City
    • Dehradun
    • Mussoorie
    • Haridwar
  • Kumaon
    • Nainital
    • Ranikhet
    • Almora
    • Haldwani

Uttarakhand Travel Guide

⏲️ Best time to visit

Summer is arguably the best time to visit Uttarakhand. The serene weather, Lush greenery, moderate temperature, and amazing landscapes create a charming environment. This is the time when most of adventure lovers visit Uttarakhand for camping, rafting, etc. However, if you want to enjoy the snow and like cool temperatures, then you can choose the winter season. But, I will suggest that you avoid the monsoon completely. The weather, river level, and temperature, are concerning.

✅ Safety

Uttarakhand is completely safe for every tourist and its citizens, whether you are exploring a village, a tourist attraction or a city. Plus, according to NCRB, Uttarakhand is the second safest state in India just behind Nagaland, and has a safety index of whooping 83%. So, transport, restaurants, attractions, hotels, and roads everything is completely safe to travel and explore.

In case of any mishaps, you can dial a helpline number –

  • General Helpline – 112
  • Women Helpline – 1800180411, 1090
  • Child Helpline – 1098, 1090

💡Tips and things to know

Drinking age – The legal drinking age in Uttarakhand is 21. So, make sure you are above the limit before you visit a Liquor store or consume any alcohol.

Rain – Unexpected rains are common in Uttarakhand, which gives rise to many disasters. So, make sure you are well prepared for this situation.

Law – Make sure you’re well acquainted with the basic law of Uttarakhand for safe and secure traveling.

Driving – If you are from the plains area, then driving in the Hilly area is a little hard. So, be cautious.

Network – In some remote areas, you will find network and internet problems. So, try to avoid these types of areas.

Night Temperature – The night temperature of Uttarakhand gets extremely low. So, don’t sleep in summer clothing.

Booking – It’s my personal advice to book your ticket in advance, especially when you are visiting at peak time.

☀️ Weather

There are mainly five types of weather in Uttarakhand: Summer, Winter, Spring, Autumn and Monsoon.

Summer (March to June) is the ideal time to explore Uttarakhand, do some amazing adventure activities, and experience the best nature and surrounding 

Winter is for those who want to enjoy snow and ice. The temperature can be extremely cold, so make sure to bring proper clothing.

Monsoon is the worst time to explore Uttarakhand. The uneven rains, harsh climate, dangerous water level etc will make your trip a disaster.

Spring is the time when Char Dham yatra begins. So, that means this season is best for literally everything. Even, the vegetation and flowers get in their top-notch condition.

Autumn is also a fine weather to explore Uttarakhand. The charm of Uttarakhand gets amplified and landscapes get painted with vivid hues of oranges, yellows, and red color of fallen leaves.

👜 What to pack

  • Travel documents – Make sure you have your Insurance, Travel Pass, and any other documents.
  • Sunscreen – Afternoon and summertime can be sunny and hot, so apply sunscreen.
  • Rain cover – You will encounter unexpected rains. So, make sure to bring a rain cover for everything.
  • Clothing – Only Pack comfortable clothes depending on the weather and month.
  • Mini-First aid kit – Always keep a basic medical kit with basic fever, cough, cold medicines, and bandages.
  • Water bottle

(i) Facts and Info

Area – 53,483 km²

Religion – Hindu 82.97%, Muslim 13.95%, Christianity 0.37%, Jainism 0.09%, Sikhism 2.34%, and Buddhism 2.34%.

Capital – Dehradun (Winter Capital) and Gairsan (Summer Capital) 

State animal – Kasturi Mrig

State Bird – Himalayan Monal

State flower – Brahma Kamal

State tree – Rhododendron (Buransh)

Nearest Airport: Dehradun Airport

Currency: Indian Rupee

Languages: Hindi, English, Garhwali

Population – 1.2 Crore

🚌 Transport

How to reach

To reach Uttarakhand, you can use any mode of transport, like Roadways, Railways, and Airways.

Uttarakhand is well connected to every other state, major cities, and other parts of India, thanks to its rich network of roads.

If you are a frequent flyer, then there are 5 airports- Dehradun, Pantnagar, Chiniyali Saur, Gauchar, and Pithoragarh.

Lastly, It has 43 different railway stations, some of the major ones are Rishikesh, Dehradun, Haridwar, and Roorkee.

How to travel/explore

Now, to travel inside the state, Generally, people use Roadways or their own vehicles. Because there is a good network of well-made roads in the state. You will find an abundance of Taxis, Buses, etc.

🛌🏾Accommodation

Rishikesh has one of the biggest hotel chains in India. So at every step, you will find a budget hotel, restaurant, or guest house.

Budget Hotel

If you have a very tight budget, then find a budget hotel, guest house, or resort. The facilities will be less, but it will assist your budget.

Mid Hotel

You will find many mid hotels in Uttarakhand, Their price are reasonable according to their services and facilities. They have everything except some luxury facilities, like swimming pools, etc. 

Luxury Hotel

If budget is not an issue, then book a luxury hotel. They will provide some extra luxurious services, like a swimming pool, parking area, incredible menu, etc. Therefore, tier prices are also high.

💵 Budget and Money

Uttarakhand is comparably more affordable than any other state whether we are talking about travel, hotels, food or souvenirs.

Transport – The transportation cost of Uttrakhand is reasonable. Taxis, Buses, and Autos everyone has a different perimeter. 

Hotels – You can choose any hotel, resort, or guest house. Their rate depends on the facilities, location, time, etc. 

Food – Food can be quite expensive in Uttarakhand, Especially in hill stations, like Chopta, or any other hiking destination.

Bank/ATM – Uttarakhand has plenty of ATMs and reputed Banks. But, that does not apply to every location. Some remote areas and villages don’t have this facility. So, make sure to bring enough cash.

🥗 Food

Uttarakhand has an amazing and mouth-watering cuisine, ranging from delicious food to refreshing drinks.

Food – Chausa Bhaat, Kafuli, Mandua ki Roti, Bhang ki chutney, Thhatwani and Aalu ke gutke.

Beverage – Burans ka juice and Malte ka Juice.

Sweet – Bal Mithai, Arse, Rotne, Singori and Chocolate Mithai.