#2 of 4: Celebrating the Valleys of India

In continuation of the Celebrating India series, I’m back today with another feature that we dearly love: mountain valleys. 

In case you missed yesterday’s email, this Independence Day week, we are celebrating the best landscapes of India. 

As trekkers and not travellers, we have the rare privilege to see and experience the rawest, most gorgeous version of India. 

From the high-altitude Himalayan belt to the forests of Central India, and the rich ghats and beaches of our country, the changes in scenery are unimaginable. 

But still, we rarely get an opportunity to experience all of it. 

That is why, over the next few days, I want to share with you some of the most incredible landscapes in India. I will do it by taking you through some of the best treks in our country, which celebrate these beautiful sceneries. 

I’m intentionally focusing on treks organised by Indiahikes so that you have the avenue to explore these trails. 

Yesterday, we already covered some of the best meadows in India. (Find it here in case you missed it.)

Today, we are talking about the best valleys in India.

Valleys of India

"Valleys always have two main features. First, there are the forests. Whether it's the Har Ki Dun Valley or the Rupin Valley, you'll remember the beautiful forests that line the valley. These types of forests thrive in valleys and make them luxuriant. The second feature is the presence of rivers. Almost every valley is home to a river, and as you walk along them, you can't help but form a deep connection with these rivers," said Arjun Majumdar, CEO and Founder of Indiahikes.

Given the expansive mountain ranges in our country, we are fortunate to have some of the most beautiful mountain valleys: from the gentle valleys of J&K to the lush valleys of Himachal and the rugged valleys of Uttarakhand.

I’m jotting down the best valleys we have seen through the lens of Indiahikes treks. Each one of them is in tight competition with the other. 

View the 9 best valley treks of India

1. Har Ki Dun 

Har Ki Dun is a classic valley trek in India, often the first to be mentioned in conversations about valleys. 

While most valleys are desolate and void of humans, this trek differs. The hanging villages, the people there, and their traditions are from a time gone by. Their attire, the architecture, and the rituals make time stand still. The villages of Gangaad and Osla leave a lasting impression on you. 

Yet, this is just the start. As you venture deeper, the Har Ki Dun Valley boasts incredible scenic beauty. From the turquoise waters of the river to the pine forests of Boslo, the clearings of Devsu Thatch, and the final walk towards the heavenly Swargarohini Massif, this is among the richest valleys you’ll trek in.

2. Miyar Valley

In this remote region of Lahaul, a valley filled with flowers hangs quietly, escaping the attention of trekkers. The route to this valley alternates between remote mountain valleys, quaint villages, and flower beds dominated by the overwhelming presence of Himalayan orchids. This is the Miyar Valley.

The S-shaped Miyar Valley sits in between Zanskar and Chamba. It is nearly 75 km long. The Miyar glacier is nearly 36 km long to Kang La (17,600 ft pass to Zanskar). 

At the snout of the glacier are seven crystal-clear blue ponds, considered sacred by Buddhists. Trekking here is a rare opportunity for most trekkers. Doing so in isolation, with very few others on the trail, is a godsend. If you get a chance to trek to Miyar Valley, consider yourself lucky.

3. Brammah Valley 

Brammah Valley is a trek that got a mention in our previous post on meadows, but it is hard not to bring it up here as well. Set in the heart of Kishtwar National Park, this valley blends the beauty of Kashmir with a mountainscape similar to that of Himachal. 

This valley has three things going on, which are hard to resist. First is the stunning view of the four prominent peaks of Kishtwar, all above 6,000 m. Getting so close to such big summits in a valley is rare.

Second are the forests. These are primarily coniferous, with a heady scent wafting through the woods as you trek along. In between are maples, except for a small patch of beautiful silver birch trees just before Kiddar Maidan. The variety of coniferous trees you find on this trek is unmatched. There are Chir pines, Deodars, Abies pin-drows, and spruces. The trees are sometimes so tall that they almost touch the sky. 

Then comes the Nath River, which accompanies you throughout the trek. Even while trekking in the deep forests, you constantly hear the river. The river starts to calm down as you trek deeper into the valley and becomes completely silent when you reach Kiddar Maidan. 

Given that not many people trek here, it is a discovery waiting to be made. It’s our top valley trek of 2024. 

4. Rupin Pass 

There’s something about the Rupin Valley. It is not your conventionally beautiful valley. Jagged rocks stick out of the valley walls. The terrain is half-bouldery, half-laden with snow bridges, and half with soft grass. The route is not straightforward; the trail makes sudden turns, with big bursts of climbs and descents. Try and take a picture of the valley, and you will find it hard to make the valley look beautiful. 

But ask any trekker, and they will tell you they left their hearts behind in the Rupin Valley. The sense of connection you form with the Rupin River, the wonderment of walking through the Chir forests, the adventure of crossing the snow bridges, and the thrill of climbing a 1,500-foot waterfall are all unique to the Rupin Valley. 

As you make your way through the final gully and reach the pass, it is with a heavy heart that you leave the Rupin Valley behind. It’s hard to match up to the Rupin Valley in terms of character and personality. Which is what makes it among the personal favorites at Indiahikes.

5. Valley of Flowers 

This list of the best valleys in India would be incomplete without the Valley of Flowers. It’s a favourite among trekkers. 

The valley is incredibly beautiful, with or without flowers. Most trekkers come here for the flowers but end up falling in love with the valley itself. During the middle of the monsoon, the valley is lush green, with mist hanging in the air. It's hard not to fall in love with it.

It's well known that there are over 500 species of flowers in the valley. They don't all bloom at the same time; rather, they bloom in waves over three months. Each wave brings a different ambience to the valley. If you visit in July, August, and September, you'll see three distinct valleys."

6. Hampta Pass

When we talk about valleys in Himachal Pradesh, Hampta Pass has to be at the top of the list. It is among those treks that boast two valleys, one in either half of the trek. 

“In the first half, you go through a single valley. It’s like a tunnel walled by mountains. Even then, as you trek from Jobra to Jwara and Balu Ka Gera, you see lovely scenery change around you. Charming coniferous forests make way for lush grasslands. In August, these grasslands are a riot of flowers. They could even put the Valley of Flowers to shame,” claims Sandhya.

“Entering the valley beyond Balu Ka Gera is like entering a canyon. It is very thrilling. The interesting part about these scenery changes is that everything happens quickly. Since you’re starting the trek at an already high altitude (9,400 ft), you’re out of the tree line within an hour. You walk in the grasslands for a day, and the very next day you get into the alpine terrain. The scenery changes are rapid,” she adds.

On the other side of the pass is another isolated valley in Lahaul, with the Chandrabhaga River meandering through. Both of these valleys are so in contrast with each other that it’s hard to believe they are only a few hundred metres apart. The dramatic change in landscape is stunning.

7. Pin Bhaba Pass

Unknown to most, on the Pin Bhaba Pass trek, you not only walk through two valleys but five! 

“You trek through four completely different valleys before you get to the pass!” says Sandhya. “There’s the Kafnu valley, Muling valley, Khara valley, and Phutsirang valley. In each of these valleys, the scenery is different,” she adds. 

“There’s a big elevation change from one valley to another. So the landscape is constantly changing around you as you trek,” he says.

Unlike Hampta Pass, you start the Pin Bhaba Pass at a lower altitude of 7,800 feet at Kafnu. This allows you a whole day of trekking through some stunning forests towards Muling. Even after that, as you turn into different valleys, the landscape takes on different colours and different forms.

The river keeps changing, too. Different shapes of mountains surround you. So within the first half of the trek, there’s a lot of variety, so much so that it feels like you have done four different treks even before getting on the pass!

On the other hand, when you cross the Pin Bhaba Pass and trek towards Mudh, it’s all about the colours. “The colours of Spiti astound you,” says Sandhya.

“There were several moments when I had to pause while trekking to simply take in the flabbergasting colours around,” she adds. “There’s no vegetation at all. It is barren and stark. Yet you’re looking at innumerable hues of pink, purple, brown, orange and red.”

“The fascinating part is that these colours don’t merge. They come in belts. There’s a purple belt, a pink belt and there’s an orange belt. They’re very distinct from one another,” says Sandhya.

The grandeur of the valleys of the Pin Bhaba Pass is on another scale altogether.

8. Warwan Valley 

Here’s another valley that is in a league of its own. The Warwan Valley is exceptionally stunning. Even if you have travelled to Kashmir before and seen Sonamarg, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and other places Kashmir offers, you are still going to be bowled over by the setting of Warwan Valley. 

The valley’s remoteness and isolation compound this beauty. 

What makes getting into Warwan Valley even more remarkable is the crossover trail from the Ladakhi terrain. It begins in trans-Himalayan settings, among barren, purplish mountains around Panikhar. The trail goes through an oasis, river deltas, wildflower meadows, and glaciers—all among these stark mountains. It makes for hauntingly beautiful settings. As the trail slowly moves into the luxuriant greenery of Kashmir after days of being surrounded by desert mountains, the effect is striking.

There is no trek you would have done before this one that can match the experience of Warwan Valley. And there will be no trek you do after this that comes close. This might sound like a strong statement to make. However, our founders, who documented this trek in 2015, still stand by it.

9. Gurez Valley 

Gurez Valley, which we run in a DIY style, must get a mention here. The significance is that the Gurez is the last latitude of India, which is why it is very unlike any other part of Kashmir. The topography changes even though it is only 6 hours north of Srinagar. You will notice it in the trees, the valleys, the grasslands, the lakes and the campsites too.  

The Razdan pass you cross to get to Gurez pushes you into a very different landscape. In fact, our trek in Gurez reminds us more of our treks in Kyrgyzstan and Georgia than they do of our treks in Kashmir -- so different is the landscape. We feel we are in a different locale, even though we are in Kashmir. The scenery is spectacularly unusual. 

If you have adventure in your heart, then this is a valley you must go to, especially trekking DIY style. 

Final thoughts: 

I've noticed that while most novice trekkers are drawn to summits, experienced hikers have a fondness for valleys. It takes patience and wisdom to appreciate a valley. 

There are many other beautiful valleys in India that we haven't had a chance to mention, such as Nafran Valley in Kashmir and Beas Kund in Himachal Pradesh. However, this list barely does justice to the magnificent valleys of India.

I would love to hear from you about some valleys that you have trekked in and loved. Drop in a comment below.