'''Hemkund''' is a holy lake at a height of 4339m in Uttarakhand.
Ghangaria can be made as the base camp from where one can go to Hemkund and Valley of Flowers
Get in
Hemkund, also known as "Hem Kund Saheb", can be reached by a trek along the mountain from Ghangaria.
If one finds trekking difficult, horses can be hired also. A horse ride from Govind Gath to Ghangaria will cost nearing 250 INR. A horse ride from Ghangaria to Hem Kund will cost nearing 100 to 150 INR.
Get around
See
There are two temples near the lake. A Sikh temple and a Hindu Lakshman temple.
Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
Being a place of religious significance to Sikh, any forms of liquor are strictly prohibited. Water from natural spring may not be safe for drinking. But they can be surely relished for any form of ablution. Packed drinking water are available at local shops. But the prices are mostly 3 times more that m.r.p (maximum retail price).
Sleep
One cannot stay the night at Hemkund. They have to reach back to Ghangaria, where there are many hotels. The hotel operated my government GMVNL (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd) are reliable and safe. One can get different kind of rooms ranging from dormitory to quadra bed rooms. Many of the hotels are made using natural resource like wood, stones, etc. One needs to be vigilant of mountain insects.
Night can be very cold even in summer (May to June) at Ghanaria. A sleeping bag will be always welcomed.
Get out
'''Badrinath''' is a sacred place for hindus, which can be reached from Joshimath by road.
'''Auli''' a skiing resort that can be reached by ropeway/road from Joshimath