Uttarakhand Tour (Kumaon region)

Uttarakhand or Uttaranchal is the northern state of India and called as "Devbhumi" for its enormous number of temples and Hindu pilgrims. There are two regions of Uttarakhand one is Garhwal and another is Kumaon. We visited the Kumaon region and Nainital is the center or headquarter.

How to reach: The nearest railway stations are "Kathgodam", "Haldwani" and "Lalkuan". From here you can get cab to reach nearest tourist's spots. Also, there is Pantnagar Airport is the nearest to Nainital. There is good road connectivity to come down to various tourist spot of Kumaon region.

Time to Visit: During summer Nainital, Bhimtal and most of the places of Kumaon region has pleasant weather. Also, if you want to enjoy the snowfall January and February is good time to visit in Nainital, Kausani, Ranikhet.

We visited in the middle of April, and it was quite pleasant and temperature in the hilly regions was 12 to 20 degrees Celsius.

Following is the 7 Nights 8 Days tour plan.

Day 1: Arrive in Bhimtal:

We reached Lalkuan Junction in the morning and took our booked cab toward Bhimtal.
On the way visited Bhimtal Lake, which is the largest lake in the Kumaon region.
There is boat ride available in the lake which you can take on the lake and enjoy the scenic views.
Visit the Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple, which is situated on the banks of the lake.
There is parachute gliding available in Bhimtal area which you can experience with trainer.
If you are staying near lake, you can enjoy the night view of the lake, or you may choose to stay in nearby areas where you can enjoy the great night view of hilly regions.

Day 2: Explore Nainital:

Next day we drove to Nainital, which is approximately 22 km from Bhimtal
Visited the Naina Devi Temple, which is located on the banks of the Naini Lake
Take a walk around the Naini Lake and enjoy the stunning views of the surrounding hills.
You can enjoy the boating ride in the lake. which usually 30 minutes to one hour.
There is aerial ropeway, experiencing that is a memorable one. Also, you can visit Nainital zoo, Pangot which is 10 kms from Nainital.
Visit the Governor's House, which is also known as the Raj Bhavan
Overnight stay in Nainital

Day 3: Explore Zoo and Boating in Nainital:

On our 2nd day stay at Nainital we visited Nainital zoo, after that we went for the boating.
In the evening walking and roaming around Naini lake is refreshing along with street foods and tea.
We stayed that night in Nainital.

Day 4: Head to Almora:

On our journey to Almora, which is approximately 60 km from Nainital. we visited Kanchi Dham which is on the way of Almora and went for prayer. It was set up in 1964 by Neem Karoli Baba.
After that we headed to visit the Kasar Devi Temple, which is an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Kasar Devi. Here Swami Vivekananda came for "Dhyana".
In the evening you can take a walk around the Almora Bazaar and explore the local handicrafts and cuisine.
That night we stayed in Almora.

Day 5: Visit Kausani:

Next day morning we headed to Katarmal Sun temple which is 18 Kms from Almora and on the way to Kausani, which is approximately 50 km from Almora. Katarmal temple was established by Katyuri king Katarmalla in 9th century AD and it is surrounded by 45 pristine.
Then we reached Kausani and visited the Anasakti Ashram, which is a quiet and peaceful retreat where Mahatma Gandhi spent some time.
Enjoyed the panoramic views of the Himalayas from the Anasakti Ashram.
That night we stayed in Kausani.

Day 6: Explore nearby of Kausani:

Today we went to visit Baijnath temple at Kausani. This temple was also established by the Katyuri king Katarmalla in 9th century AD .
On the way back we visited "Shawl Factory", here you can purchase woolen cloths.
Then we visited the Kausani Tea Estate and there are lots of tourist points where you can stop your car and view the magnificent Himalayas (with Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chowkhamba, Pancha Chulla peaks) with changing climate.
During our stay enjoyed the rain as well.

Day 7: Visit and Explore Ranikhet:

Drive to Ranikhet, which is approximately 60 km from Kausani.
Visit the Jhula Devi Temple, which is an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Durga.
Take a walk around the Chaubatia Gardens, which is a botanical garden famous for its apple orchards.
Visit the Kumaon Regimental Centre Museum, which is a museum that showcases the history of the Kumaon Regiment of the Indian Army
Take a walk around the Mall Road and explore the local markets.
Overnight stay in Ranikhet.