Gopeshwar (PTI): The Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district opened to tourists for this year on Sunday, an official said.
The Valley of Flowers, known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and variety of flora, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005.
Forest Range Officer Chetna Kandpal of the Valley of Flowers Range said that the first group of 83 tourists from Ghangaria were given permission by issuing permit for the national park.
Four tourists had taken permission online and 79 tourists had taken permission in a normal way, he added
Thousands of tourists from India and abroad come here every year. The Valley of Flowers opens for tourists in June every year and is closed after snowfall begins in October.
With the onset of monsoon, flowers start blooming in the valley which reaches its peak by September.
During this time, hundreds of species of flowers like Brahma Kamal, Blue Poppy and Cobra Lily bloom here due to which the entire valley looks like a colourful carpet.
Reaching the Valley of Flowers is an exciting experience. After climbing about 13 kilometers from Govindghat -- the main base camp and starting point for the trek to the Valley of Flowers -- one reaches the Ghangaria base camp from where the entrance to this national park is at a distance of about three kilometers.
The entry in the Valley of Flowers is allowed only during daytime and tourists have to come out before sunset.