Badrinath is a well known pilgrimage site in the Chota Char Dham Yatra in India. The main tourist attraction in this place is the Badrinath Temple. However, this ancient town situated in the Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India lies on the river bans of Alaknanda. It is nestled amidst famous mountain peaks especially between the Nar – Narayana Hills. There are many tourists who visit Badrinath for fun and adventure too. Make sure to visit the main tourist attractions in Badrinath for these Adventurous Things to do Badrinath.
The journey to the tourist hub of Auli, Uttarakhand is less than 2 hours from Badrinath which is at a towering altitude of 3300 meters or nearly 11,000 feet! It is a snowy place in winters. Hence, skiing is one of the most common tourist and adventure activity in this region. Skiing on the amazing slopes of Himalayas, this skiing resort is very near to Joshimath and is also reachable by cable car ride which is also an exciting way to view the snowy region. View the picturesque Garhwal Himalayan ranges and enjoy the skiing on the snowy landscape.
The waters fall from 400 feet high in these beautiful place in Mana Village. It is only within 4 km from the town of Badrinath so it is one of the best things to do in Badrinath. Mythologically, it is believed to be the final resting place before Swargarohini for the Pandavas. It is not only an adventure point for pilgrims but also a sacred spot. The drops of water turns aside if the visitors viewing are not pure in heart and mind!
This famous national park is an amazing vast land with a wider range of flora. It overflows with myriad of alpine flowers in the plush meadows and valleys. It is easily accessible from Badrinath and Joshimath and is a very peaceful place to the soul. There is also a Valley of Flowers Trek that goes all along the River Pushpawati. The route is filed with glacial lakes, mountains, bridges, and trail goes through dense forests. This has been declared by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is for the wild blooming flowers amidst while Himalayas. The three beautiful spots – Western Himalayan, Eastern Himalayan and Zanskar meet here.
This beautiful glacial lake is at a towering altitude of 15100 feet amidst the picturesque Garhwal mountainous region. It is seen in the shape of triangle and believed to be the Trimurthi. This means that the three Hindu deity – Brahma, Maheshwar, and Vishnu meditated on the three sides / corners of the triangular mountain. This trekking trail covers many of the top tourist attractions of Rishikesh – Vasundhara Waterfalls, Mana Village, River Alaknanda, Chakratirtha valley and Lakshmi Van Forests. There are all four major snow – capped mountains around the pristine waters of Satopanth lake – Mt. Swargarohini, Mt. Neelkanta, Mt Balakun and Mt. Chaukhamba. You can get an excellent view of Mount Neelkanta from here.
This major source for the River Alaknanda in Badrinath is located at the base of Mount Balakun in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It is at a height of 4600 meters above sea level and divides into two valleys leading to Gaumukh and Satopanth lakes. It goes via Devprayag, meets River Bhagirathi, to the south-east of this glacier and finally forms the River Ganga. On this trek, you can get excellent views of mt. Neelkanta and Mt. Chaukhamba on different sides. In mythology, Alka Puri glacier is believed to be abode of Kuber, Yakshas and Gandharvas. There is also mention of Alkapuri glacier in the Skand Puranas.
It is believed that this Queen of Garhwal white peak seems like Lord Shiv sitting and meditating. This is one of the highest in Uttarakhand standing at 3474 meters over the town of Badrinath. The famous glacier called Satopanth lies on the Northwestern side whereas Panpatia Glacier is on the Southwestern side of Neelkanta peak. It is less than 10 kilometers from religious town of Badrinath. This ‘Blue Troat’ mountain stands between the two religious temples – Kedarnath and Badrinath. It is steep and believed to be a challenging mountain climbing experience. However, there are still many successful trekkers with 3 major trek routes – North Face, West Ridge, And Northeast Ridge.
In the chilling climate of Badrinath as it is situated at a towering altitude, it is like heaven to take a hot water dip in the natural hot water of Tapta Kund. It is also believed to have curative healing powers for most ailments. This is located right before the Badrinath temple entrance between the River Alaknanda and Badrinath Shrine. Pilgrims comes to take a holy dip in the sacred hot springs that purifies the soul. Mythologically, it is the abode of the ‘Agni Dev’ meaning Fire God.
On the way of NH-58 this ‘last Indian village’ is situated at an elevation of 3200 meters above sea level. Towards the end of the village you can also find the ‘last tea shop of India’ on the end edge of the beautiful village. There are many attractions within this village to find here including the Vasundhara Falls and also the Bheem Pul which is believed to be constructed by the mighty Bheem. This is the village that marks the Tibet / China and India border. Hence this ‘tourism village’ as it is designated by Government of Uttarakhand, situated in Chamoli district is known as ‘Last Indian Village’. It is nestled in the midst of mighty Himalayas on the banks of sacred River Saraswati. The Village is easily accessible from pilgrimage site, Badrinath as it is just 3 – 4 km distance from here.
Also known as Vyas Gufa it is just 5.5 kilometers distance from Badrinath Bus Stand. The cave is situated in Mana Village on the banks of River Saraswati. According to ancient history, Maharishi Vyas was in this cave when he composed the epic Mahabharat. You can also find his statue here and many devotees also worship this statue. The upper pages seems like the pages from the collection of his scripts – Puranas, Vedas, Brahma Sutras, etc. There are other major tourist attractions in Uttarakhand near this cave. Ganesh Cave, Bhim Pul, Muchukand Gufa, where it is believed the footprints of Lord Krishna is still visible.
Within 100 km of Badrinath you can find this national park in the higher mountain ranges of Himalayas. The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve along with the valley of flowers national park was accredited by UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are 2 major parts – inner sanctuary and outer sanctuary and falls under EBA or Western Himalayas Endemic Bird Area. This Nanda Devi Basin spreads at an altitude of 3500 meters about sea level and has picturesque Nanda Devi mountains on 3 sides. There are various level treks and accommodation available at this national park.