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Nelong Valley

3.8 /5

Uttarakhand India

55 out of 55 Places to visit in Uttarakhand

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Weather:

Best Time: May-June or September-October Read More

Ideal duration: 1 Day

Nearest Airport: Dehradun International Airport Check Flights

"Spiti of Uttarakhand"

Nelong Valley Tourism

Nelong Valley lies 45km away from the Indo-Tibetan border, around 256km from Dehradun, Uttarakhand. It is considered to be one of the most thrilling mountaineering treks in India.

At a height of 11,000ft, the view from here is breathtaking. The valley offers a clear and surreal view of the Tibetan Plateau. Gartang Gali, a wooden walkway, is a main attraction of the valley said to have been built in the 17th Century. It was known as one of the main routes for trade between India & China in 1962.

History

The valley was closed to all visitors all the way upto 2015. It has only been recently reopened. It has been controlled by the Indian Government very stringently as used to be a route for trade between India and China till the '60s. This route, popularly known as Gartang Gali, was originally discovered by the Pesawar's of Pakistan in the 17th Century.

Tips

You can not visit the valley without taking a permit from a Court and producing a fitness certificate in Uttarkarshi, the closest neighbouring town. It is only open to Indian tourists. Rishikesh is a good option for a stop-over.

Best Time to Visit Nelong Valley

Commuting within Nelong Valley

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Holidify's Opinion

What's Great?

Historic to India, China and Tibet. Exposure to Government controlled environment. Scenic and thrilling trek.

What's Not So Great?

Permissions are required to visit.

For Whom?

People who can trek at extremely high altitudes in the mountains.

How To Reach Nelong Valley

Nelong Valley is a sensitive zone in Uttarakhand and does not have any direct road, train or flight access. The closest airport is the Dehradun International Airport. The nearby train stations are Harrawala, Dehradun and Rishikesh. Harrawala has limited connectivity by train. Once you reach any of these locations, you would have to go to Uttarkashi by road. You can reach Uttarkashi by bus or drive or hire a taxi.

Permit: Upon reaching Uttarkashi, there are various permissions that will have to be taken. You have to make a detailed application to the District Magistrate in Uttarkarshi asking for permission to enter the restricted area of Nelong Valley. If the application is accepted, you can take this order to the forest department and the local intelligence unit to get your final approval. These documents have to be taken to the Sub-divisional magistrate again for a final Permit. This whole process can take upto 3 days so it would be wise to organise it in advance.

You can drive to Nelong Valley after receiving your permit.

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