Uttaranchal is a state in Northern India, located roughly North-East of New Delhi. It includes part of the Greater Himalayas - with some of the world's tallest peaks, as well as the gentler Lower Himalayan hills including the Kumaon and Garhwal hills.

The region is blessed with magnificent glaciers, majestic snow-clad mountains, picturesque flowering valleys, skiing slopes and dense forests. There are many shrines and places of pilgrimage, mostly Hindu, as well as a number of national parks and sanctuaries. Jim Corbett National Park is most renowned of these, home to the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Uttaranchal also has immense adventure sports opportunities in the valley of Uttaranchal, including skiing, white water rafting of varying grades, mountaineering and trekking.

The state borders Himachal Pradesh in the north-west and Uttar Pradesh in the South and has international borders with Nepal and China. For a small state, Uttaranchal packs an incredible amount. From the Char-dhams, the four most sacred and revered Hindu temples: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri nestled in the Mighty Mountains to the Raj-Era hill stations Uttaranchal makes for a complete holiday.

The capital of the state is Dehradun and Hinduism is the main religion followed here. The Languages spoken here are Hindi, Garhwali, Kumaoni and English.

The best time to visit Uttaranchal is from April to July.

The state has two distinct climatic regions: the predominant hilly terrain and the small plain region.

The climatic condition of the plains is tropical, and very similar to its counterpart in the Gangetic plain of Northern India. Summer can be unbearable with temperature going over the 40°C mark and a lot of humidity at a few places. Winter can be chilly with temperatures going below 5°C at times.

The Himalayan region has Alpine conditions characterized by cold winter with snowfall, good rainfall in the monsoon, and a mild summer. This climate also provides the state with its major source of livelihood, i.e., tourism.

Uttaranchal is situated in hilly area and one must carry light woolen clothes in summer and heavy woolens in winter.

Adventure sports

Pilgrimages of India - Badrinath,  Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamnotri for the Hindu pilgrim, and Rishikesh  and Haridwar for the spiritually minded.

Wildlife spotting in Corbett National Park

Trekking and Mountatineering opportunities in the Himalayan region.  

All foreign visitors except citizens of Nepal and Bhutan need a visa for travel to India. See the relevant section in India for more details.

Permits are required to enter some regions close to the China (Tibet region) border in Uttaranchal.

The Millam glacier in northern Kumaon in Uttaranchal, which falls under Indo-Tibetan border Authority jurisdiction, is currently open to visitors at the discretion of the local police.

Other areas around Nandadevi are officially off- limits but groups may succeed in getting the relevant Inner line Permits from the District Magistrate in Pithoragarh. This should be obtained in advance. 

The state of Uttaranchal is accessible by all three modes of transport: air, rail and road route

By Air:
The only airport in Uttaranchal is Jolly Grant near Dehradun. Deccan has a daily scheduled service from Delhi. Flights into Dehradun cannot be relied upon in the winter, when snow can obstruct flight operations.

The other option is to connect from Delhi by road which is 6 hours journey from Dehradun. Delhi is well connected by air to all parts of India and the world.

By Rail:
The state is also well connected through rail. Dehradun, Haridwar and Kathgodam are main railway stations of Uttaranchal. These are connected to the rest of the country by regular trains. Dehradun and Haridwar are convenient railheads for the Garhwal region, and Kathgodam for the Kumaon region, including Nainital, Almora, Ranikhet and others.

By Road:
The state has excellent road connection with Delhi and the state highway links the destinations and important places by good metalled roads. Sometimes, though, due to landslides and snowfall, some of the areas become inaccessible.

Local transport:
The most common mode of local transport available at Uttaranchal and India in general are taxis and auto-rickshaws which are easily available everywhere. As a tourist it is usually better to hire a car and driver for the duration of your trip, including both local transport and longer distance journeys.

Uttaranchal is one of those places where tourists can find everything, right from Yoga to Trekking to Wildlife excursions to beautiful hill stations to almost everything which accounts for a perfect holiday. It is definitely one of the must see states in India.