Places to Visit in Auli Uttarakhand in December
Planning a short trip to Auli from Delhi? Winter could be the perfect time to do so as you will be welcomed with snow and lots and lots of snow where you can ski, make snow butterflies, snow fairies, and my favorite 'snowball fight'; come on who can forget the snowball fight.
Auli could be the perfect winter destination for you to travel in December. From visiting man-made lakes, picturesque mountain peaks to holy temples, Auli will never disappoint you. For me the best thing to do in Auli would be the Auli rope way which is the second highest and longest rope way in India after the one in Gulmarg in J&K.
In this post you will get to know each and every place you can visit in Auli with a detailed expense plan for you to make the best out of your Auli tour.
- Auli Artificial Lake
- Joshimath
- Auli Ropeway
- Chattrakund
- Auli Ski Resort
- Vishnuprayag
- Saildhar Tapowan
- Rudraprayag
- Nandaprayag
- Vanshinarayan Kalpeshwar
- Narsingh Temple
- Vridh Badri Temple
- Gurso bugyal
Living Man-Made Marvel- The Auli Lake
No you can't dive into the lake unless and until you wish to die from Hypothermia, then you can go all commando. In fact the lake gets all frozen up in Mid or late January and it all depends on the amount of snowfall the region receives. But nonetheless, the lake is one of the highest man-made water bodies at an elevation of 2505 meters(approx 10,000ft) for tourists to get utterly mesmerized by the lake itself with snow-capped mountains in the background. If you wish to visit Auli in the month of December, the magnificent lake is something you can't skip from your Auli itinerary.
The Inevitable Joshimath
You can choose to camp in Joshimath or can go directly to the white snow paradise through a shared or personal taxi or ropeway(preferred).
For Extreme Enthusiasts- The Gurso Bugyal Trek
Situated at 3000ms above sea level, the Gurso Bugyal trek is not for faint-hearted travellers. The trek is meant to be done in spring-summer season but for extreme breathless adrenaline rush some travellers prefer to do it in winters. You should have some prior trekking experience and its only safe to come with a trained trekker if you wish to visit the snow-covered peaks in the month of december.
To immerse yourself in the beautiful landscape of snowy mountains, the trek is something to lean on. It's just 1.5kms from Auli but the snowy uphill paths makes it very hard to cover this very short distance.
Don't forget to take quality pair of sunglasses and a camera shutter to make your social friends jealous and of course to capture the serenity and natural beauty.
Not To Be Missed-Auli Ropeway
Gliding through the air and hovering over snowy white meadows is the kind of fun you can seek to experience while doing ropeway from Joshimath to Auli. The Auli ropeway connects the Joshimath city to the white paradise of Auli and further places for tourists to explore the complete landscape of the Uttarakhand city Auli.
Being at 3010ms of height above sea level, the ropeway should be on top of your list when you plan your trip to Auli Uttarakhand.
While most indians are not a great in skii, but it doesn't hurt to try something new. You can also take ropeway to Auli Ski Resort and try the activity to add more fun to your vacation. You can have to shell out approx INR 400 to endure the thrilling and breathtaking ropeway experience.
Chattrakund-The Adventure Paradise
The place is called 'frozen gem of Auli' due to its appearance in winters. You have to trek 3 kms knee deep in snow from Gurso Bugyal to reach and experience the calm serenity of this place.
Located at 3300m above sea level, Chattrakund is a sweet water lake famous for having crystal clear water in the summer season. The landscape around is snow-covered trees in winters which can serve pretty good as a backdrop for you next winter adventure in Auli.
If you are up for some adventure you might need some courage to trek here in winters. Don't forget all the necessary snow trekking equipment with a pair of sunglasses and you are good to go.
The ropeway from Joshimath will drop you till Auli and from there you have to hike up in order to visit Chattrakund.
Dive in The Extreme Serenity at Vishnuprayag
Snow-covered Mountains, ecstatic merger of rivers and a cup of 'Nukkad Chai' will be the perfect moment for you to capture in your visit to Auli in December. Vishnuprayag is the place where two tributaries of river merge into one big river we know as the sacred 'Ganga'.
If you believe in peace and want to attain nirvana while digging deep into your own conscious to find important answers of life, then Vishnuprayag could be your bet.
You can also visit the famous Vishnu temple with your family.
If you seek for some fun activities in Vishnuprayag then you must go for 'Chenab Lake trek' from Vishnuprayag but it can only be visited in summer as the place is closed due to heavy snowfall in winter season.
Strap on Ski Equipment at Auli Ski Resort
Developed and Maintained by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), the place is a 3km long slope for ski enthusiasts. If you wish to try out skiing with your buddies, then GMVN will be happy to serve you by providing all the ski equipment you need.
It is advisable to take proper wollen belongings due to winter climatic temperatures. The best months to Ski in Auli is from December to late March. You can take a ropeway/cable chair car from Joshimath to reach the Ski resort in Auli.
Behold the Confluence of Rivers at Nandaprayag
A picturesque town which lies in the heart of Chamoli district will definitely give you some most insta worthy photos.
The town is situated at the confluence of two rivers merging into one river known as the 'Dhauliganga'.
With temples all over the place, you can also find your lost soul or maybe a new cause to live when you take a deep breath of majestic and most importantly fresh air of Nandaprayag(unlike Delhi).
The place is a summer charm but winter gives it a spectacular white glow making it worthwhile to visit after or before your visit to Auli.
Get To See Natural Hotspring at Saildhar Tapovan
A small village situated 15kms from Auli is known for its hot springs and tranquility. If you are thinking to go as far away from your 9-5 regular office, dipping in the Salidhar's hot springs could be the perfect getaway for you to plan.
I would suggest you to visit this place while coming back from Auli. Warming nature of villagers will give you memorable moments for lifetime clubbed with enchanting nature views you will die to capture inside your camera.
Spot The Convergence at Rudraprayag
Situated just 114kms away from Joshimath city, Rudraprayag is a famous place to get bewitched by the confluence of two river tributaries i.e. Mandakini and Alaknanda.
The place holds a deep sacred value to hindu pilgrims due to the presence of many temples based on lord shiva and parvati.
If you seek the thrill to hike to badrinath and kedarnath, you can decide to crash at Rudraprayag and look upon the stars when the moon lights up the black sky and if you are in luck maybe could catch a shooting star and count the constellations.
The Sacred-Vanshinarayan Kalpeshwar
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Folks at trip advisor recommended to skip this place if you are travelling with your friends. Anyways temples inherit a sacred value and if you have strong beliefs and most importantly if not an atheist, then Kalpeshwar temple is just a 12 km round and round mountain drive from Joshimath.
The Shrinking Idol in Narsingh Temple
There is a story behind this place and I live for places with stories. Not haunting but its a religious kind of a story.
It is believed that when kalyug will end, a disastrous landslide will block the way to Badrinath temple resulting in the shift of Badrinath Idol to Bhavishya Badri which is 20kms from Joshimath.
This all events will happen after the right hand of Narsingh temple idol will fall to the ground giving a clear sign that kalyug is going to end. It is believed that the idol is shrinking day by day.
True/not true, you have to find that out by yourself. The temple is located in Lower bazar Joshimath which is just 10mins walking distance from Joshimath bus stand.
Temple with a Story-Vridh Badri Temple
Temple are always connected to a story and yes this comes with its own story. It is believed that the famous 'Narad Muni' (you guessed correctly- The one who's pickup line was 'Narayan Narayan') did 'Paschyatap'(Penance) which attracted Lord Shiva's attention and he ended up visiting this place as a disguised old man.
Due to the fact that Lord Shiva toured this place as an old man, the temple got its name the 'Vridh Badri' where Vridh is a hindi word meaning old. My suggestion only visit this place if you have ample of time.
