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The green Valley of Flowers between steep forested slopes, with snow peaks and white clouds at its head
Photo: Rohit Sharma · CC BY-SA 4.0
ArticleVerified 2026-10-13

Best time to visit Joshimath — Auli's snow, the valley's flowers

When to visit Joshimath: June to October for the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib, the winter months for Auli's snow, and why we give no monthly figures.

Joshimath has no season of its own so much as the seasons of the places around it. Wikipedia has no weather table for the town, so this guide gives no monthly temperatures or rainfall; it tells you when each thing is open.

June to October: the high valleys

The Valley of Flowers is open only from June to October. Heavy monsoon rain falls from late June to early September, and the mist and low cloud of those weeks keep the meadows green and thick with flowers. Hemkund Sahib's path opens in May, when Sikh pilgrims come up to repair the winter's damage as kar seva, and stays open until the October snow. Ghangaria, the base for both, is open only from June to October.

Late April to early November: Badrinath

The Badrinath Temple, 76 minutes up the valley, is open from late April to early November. In the monsoon months, July and August, landslides after cloudbursts can close the road for a while.

Winter: Auli

Auli is a ski slope in the snow months. Wikipedia says the ropeway from Joshimath runs only from November to March; we cannot confirm whether it is running today, so ask in town. The high walks and Badrinath are closed in winter, and by one Wikipedia account an idol of Badri is worshipped at the Narsingh Temple in those months.

Plans

The one-day plan works in any open month, and the two days with Badrinath only while the temple is open. Read how to reach Joshimath and things to do in Joshimath.

Places around Joshimath

The Joshimath guide →
Narsingh Temple, Joshimath — and Adi Shankara's Jyotirmath
Narsingh Temple, Joshimath — and Adi Shankara's Jyotirmath
temple · 6 min from Joshimath
Auli — the meadow and ski slope above Joshimath
Auli — the meadow and ski slope above Joshimath
town · 26 min from Joshimath
Valley of Flowers National Park — from Govindghat and Ghangaria
Valley of Flowers National Park — from Govindghat and Ghangaria
park · 34 min from Joshimath
Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib — the lake gurdwara above Ghangaria
Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib — the lake gurdwara above Ghangaria
temple · 34 min from Joshimath
Pandukeshwar — Yogadhyan Badri, below Badrinath
Pandukeshwar — Yogadhyan Badri, below Badrinath
town · 37 min from Joshimath
Badrinath Temple — the Char Dham shrine on the Alaknanda
Badrinath Temple — the Char Dham shrine on the Alaknanda
temple · 1 h 18 min from Joshimath
Mana — the village beyond Badrinath, with Bheem Pul and Vyas Gufa
Mana — the village beyond Badrinath, with Bheem Pul and Vyas Gufa
town · 1 h 23 min from Joshimath
Vasudhara Falls — the walk from Mana
Vasudhara Falls — the walk from Mana
waterfall · 1 h 31 min from Joshimath

Nearby destinations

All destinations →
The painted stone façade of the Badrinath Temple with its gilt cupola, under green slopes and a blue sky
Badrinath
22 km away · 4 itineraries · 4 places
A grassy mountain meadow among rocky outcrops and forest at Chopta, with snow peaks hazy in the distance
Chopta
36 km away · 3 itineraries · 4 places
The town of Almora spread across a terraced ridge under a blue sky with clouds
Almora
108 km away · 2 itineraries · 4 places
Rows of boats with red cushioned seats moored on Nainital Lake, with forested hills across the water
Nainital
130 km away · 2 itineraries · 5 places
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Questions people ask

What is the best month to visit Joshimath?

It depends on why you are going. The Valley of Flowers is open only from June to October, and Hemkund Sahib's path from about May until the October snow. Auli is a ski slope in the winter months. For Badrinath, the temple is open from late April to early November.

When do the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib open?

The Valley of Flowers is open only from June to October and lies under heavy snow the rest of the year. Hemkund Sahib's path is snowbound from October through April; Sikh pilgrims come up in May to repair it as kar seva, and the season runs until the snow returns.

Is Joshimath good in winter?

For Auli, yes: it is India's best-known ski slope in the snow months, and Wikipedia says the ropeway from Joshimath runs only from November to March, though we cannot confirm its current status. The high walks and Badrinath are closed in winter. Ask locally about the town's subsidence before you stay.