Auli – A Complete Travel Guide

Auli is one of the most picturesque places I have been to. With seeing the mighty ranges to skiing in the fresh snow, Auli had it all. It does not just end here, Auli lies in the upper ranges of Himalayas and even though it is a famous tourist spot, the place does not look crowded.

Below, you will find a complete guide of Auli that you can follow to reach this place, as well as where to stay, things to do and itinerary.

Best Time to Visit Auli

Auli can be visited anytime during the year. However, since Auli is the skiing destination and is famous for its peaked snow mountains, it is better to visit this beauty during the winter season. Reaching here during the winters might get difficult though due to road blockages, so before leaving for this place do ask for the road conditions.

Below I am listing down the months in which you can expect what kind of weather.

Summers: The summertime in Auli is from March to June. However, you won’t be able to find snow during this time. Since the mountains here are barren, the mountains will have a brown shade, with a little snow on the top of the peaks. The temperature stays about 15 degrees, which is ideal for beating the heat of the city. You can go on many treks and enjoy the sight-seeing activities due to the pleasant weather.

Monsoon: Monsoon stays between July to October in Auli. During this time, the temperature falls a little further and might go down to 10 degrees. While visiting the place during this time, do check if landslides are happening since mountains are prone to this. I would suggest you to avoid visiting Auli during this time since due to rain you might get stuck in the hotel rooms itself and exploring the place might get difficult.

Winters: From November to February, one can expect snowfall and the temperature goes down in negative 8 degrees. This window is the best time when one can experience skiing activities. Many tourists come here during this time due to experience skiing. But again, do check the weather before coming since there are chances of snowstorms in Auli at times which might again be a hindrance to your tour.

Location

Lying at the height of 2,800 meters, Auli offers the most captivating views of mighty Himalayas. It lies in Uttarakhand, which in itself offers an abundance of natural beauty. It lies in the Garhwali district and lies in the upper ranges of the Himalayas.

Sightseeing in Auli

Auli offers amazing views with high peaks of the Himalayas. One can see Nanda Devi from here. The mighty Nanda Devi is at the height of 7800 meters. From far you can see the snow-clad mountains, and it is so relaxing to have a cup of tea while watching these mountains. The colors become even more enchanting during the sunset time when the entire sky lit up in a shade of pink color. This time is when you will get the “peace of mind.”

The high peaks can be seen in all the four corners and this panoramic view will always be stuck in your eyes.

Hanuman Temple

One can visit the Hanuman temple here. It is said that Hanuman Ji took rest here while he was taking Sanjivini to Laxman. The mythology says that when Lord Rama was fighting a war in Sri Lanka, his younger brother, Laxman, got injured in it. The only herb that could have cured him was ‘Sanjivini,’ which is only found in the Himalayas. Hanuman Ji flew from Lanka to take the herb and took rest in Auli, the temple that has been built.

This offers spiritual feeling to all those who would like to share the religious vibe along with peace amidst the mountains.

But even for religious beliefs, one can experience it amidst the mountains only. The mighty Himalayas are named after Gods or have some mythological connection. You can also see Mount Neelkant from here, and the Badrinath route can be commenced from Auli.

Cable Car and Ropeway

Further, enjoy the cable car here. There are two cable cars and one can see the bird’s eye view of the man-made lake from the cable car.

The ropeway in Auli is said to be the longest in Asia. It is about 4 KMs long and runs directly from Joshimath and covers the entire ride in just 25 minutes.

Auli, in fact, also has a cable car that links the lower slopes of Auli to the upper slopes, and through this, tourists can reach the skiing spot directly, in a matter of ten minutes. Otherwise, tourists would have to hike to this place if the cable chair was not there.

Artificial Lake

Auli is just not famous for its highest cable car, but as well as for its highest human-made lake. This lake was specially built to create artificial snow, such that skiing can be enjoyed throughout the season.

Hence, when there is a low snowfall in a particular season, the water from this lake is used to make a good skiing surface.

Experience Skiing in Auli

Skiing is a famous sport to experience in Auli. Many tourists come here to experience skiing only. The artificial lake helps in making snow all round the year. One does not have to be necessarily fit or a trained professional to opt for skiing. You can opt for an hour skiing guide and he will give you all the skiing gear and will help you to have the first skiing experience at its best.

Although do consider the weather because during winters there are chances of a snowstorm which can be really frustrating.

You can also make a side trip to Mana village from Auli. 

Trekking Routes that Start from Auli

There are several treks that start from Auli itself; Auli being the base camp. Some of them are the Auli Gorson trail, Gorson – Tali, Tali – Kuari Pass, Kuari Pass – Khulara and Khulara – Tapovan.

Auli is the starting point for most of the treks such as – valley of flowers, Roopkund, Kuari Pass, etc. Apart from this, there are snow treks as well. I am covering the two major treks below –

Gurson Meadows trek

This trek is amidst the apple orchards and you will cross several quaint villages and settlements. You will also come across hot springs at Tapovan.

Trekkers usually camp on this trail beside the river streams. Several peaks are visible from here such as Mt. Kamet and Neelkantha.

Trekkers also witness several other peaks like Lampak Massif, Dronagiri, and Nanda Devi.

Kuari Pass trek

Kuari trek is located near the Tibet border and at the edge of Nanda Devi. Kuari means ‘doorway’ and is surrounded by high mountain ranges.

This trek opens during the winter season and is a challenging little one. During this trek, you will cross meadows and alpine streams. You will also get to witness the Chaukhamba Range at one side and Mana, Kamet, and Abl Gamin on the other.

4 Day Itinerary for Auli from Delhi

Day 0 – Start from Delhi

You can easily get an overnight bus from Delhi to Rishikesh. The private buses leave from Anand Vihar ISBT, while the government ones leave from Kashmiri Gate. You can book your buses online on the government or private websites. However, getting on the spot private buses to Rishikesh won’t be a problem

It is easy to find buses till Rishikesh. You can either book the bus on the spot or either online on the bus booking websites. The bus journey takes about 6 hours.

Day 1 – Rishikesh to Auli

You will reach Rishikesh early in the morning, and from here, you would be able to find many options to reach Auli. The buses leave early in the morning. You can also ask for shared cabs here since many tourists go to Auli.

If by chance you are not able to find a bus that reached Auli directly, you can either take a bus for Joshimath and from there you can take another bus or a cab for Auli. Those ways it would be cheaper too as Joshimath is near to Auli

You will reach Auli sometime in the evening. Today, take a rest and soak in the surroundings. You will fall in love immediately.

Day 2 and 3 – Spend in Auli

The next two days, explore Auli. You can split the days into two. One day you can explore the places near Auli. The next day you can experience skiing as well as take the cable car back and forth to the Joshimath town.

It depends on you what activity you want to opt for and for how long you want to indulge in it. If you are not interested in skiing, you can also go for treks nearby.

Day 4 – Head Back to Delhi

Take an early morning bus that leaves from Auli to Rishikesh. It takes about 10-12 hours to reach Rishikesh from Auli. From Rishikesh, you can again take a bus to Delhi.

How to Reach Auli

There are several ways through which you can reach Auli. Either you can reach Delhi first by taking a flight or reach Dehradun directly.

The nearest airport to Auli is Jolly Grant Airport. From the airport, the distance is about 280 KMs.

On the other hand, you can also use the railway network to reach this place. The nearest railway station to this place is the Haridwar railway station. Many trains run to this place.

You can also take a bus either till Dehradun or Rishikesh. UPRSTC runs buses on a regular basis to this place.

From Rishikesh or Dehradun, you can again take either a bus or a shared taxi to reach Auli. Buses leave early in the morning. There are options for taking a private taxi as well. However, it would cost a lot.

Accommodations in Auli

There are several guest houses and hotels in Auli. One of the most prominent ones is the Auli resort. You can also stay in Joshimath and travel to and fro from this place. Joshimath has a proper market place with many stay options, however, to soak in the surroundings, I would highly recommend you to stay at Auli.

The stay in Auli is comparatively costly when compared to Joshimath. I stayed in ‘Manik hotel’ which was cheaper when compared to other hotels.

If you are traveling to Auli during the peak season, it is better to pre-book the rooms. Otherwise, the best option would be, if the rooms are not available, is staying in Joshimath instead.

Food options are not as much available as compared to other hill stations. There are only a few restaurants and dhabas that you would be able to find in Auli.

ATM Availability

ATMs – ATMs are not readily available in Auli. You can find 2-3 of them in Joshimath. So it would be best to carry extra cash with you from Dehradun or Rishikesh so that you do not face the cash crisis in Auli.

Wrap Up

This place is a perfect hill station amidst the upper Himalayas. Not only is it a perfect destination for skiing lovers, but it also offers the most picturesque sites of the mountains. If you visit this place during the winter, you could experience snow, as well as snowfall if the time is right.

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There are several things that you can tick off as well such as experiencing the highest man-made lake, longest cable car, etc.