This is a small post to let travelers know that for Indian Citizens you do NOT need any permission to visit Niti Village in Uttarakhand. The rule was implemented in 2022.
Niti valley is often called the last village before Tibet, and is a picturesque valley that is covered by snow in winters, and only inhabited by 25 families. We visited and camped there in the Summer of 2024.
The confusion
Even on the official euttaranchal tourism website, the information is wrongly stated that the you need permission from SDM in Joshimath to enter Niti Village. It also states that the last place in Niti Valley to visit without any permission is Ghamsali. This information has been copied by many other blogs and websites and it fills the google search results.
Now coming to the locals. Since the removal of ILP (inner line permit) is a new thing in Niti village, locals also aren't aware of it, and they say the same thing. I understand this one, because Niti village doesn't have anything to do except for the natural beauty of it, and it is a remote place, so locals from Joshimath won't be frequent visitors anyway. And most tourists in Joshimath prefer to go to Auli instead of this village so even the cab drivers are unaware.
How to go to Niti village?
Just drive from joshimath, the roads are good, except for a few patches. There is a ITBP checkpost before Niti village. They will ask you for your national ID, and keep it with them. You can take it back when returning. It's as simple as that. You can camp anywhere inside the Niti valley, near Niti Village or on one of the mountain side that is directly connected to the road.
There is no JIO 4G network just 5 kms before Niti village. We were even able to video call our friends and family from our tent.
Happy travelling!