Deoprayag, Rudraprayag, Nandprayag, Karnaprayag and Vishnuprayag are the five prayags (confluences) in the Himalayas. These five prayags are the famous pilgrimage places in the Uttaranchal. Hemkund Sahib, Uttarkashi, Joshimath and Srinagar are the other places in Uttaranchal.

Joshimath, also known as Vishnuprayag is the winter home of Sri Badrinathji. Joshimath is situated on the slopes above the confluence of the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga river. It is one of the four maths established by the Adi Guru Shankaracharya. It is also located at the junction of two formerly important Trans-Himalayan trading routes. An ancient temple of Lord Vishnu is situated here which stands beside a pool called Vishnu Kund.

Deoprayag is the most important prayags as it is located at the junction of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers. Below Deoprayag, the river Bhagirathi becomes Ganga. This town is mostly confined and squashed into the deeply cut valley between the junction of the two rivers and tumbles down the hillside, houses almost on the top of one another. There is a bathing ghat where the rivers meet, artificially made into the shape of India. The various pilgrims take a bath in this river. Some of the ancient stone scriptures were also found here. The famous pilgrimage shrines in Deoprayag are the Shiv Temple and Raghunath Temple.

Rudraprayag is situated at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. The temples of Rudranath and Chamunda Devi are the worth visiting temples in Rudraprayag. On the way from Srinagar to Rudraprayag is a tablet which marks the spot where the man-eating leopard of rudraprayag was finally killed by jim corbett. rudraprayag is a linear town strung out along a fairly narrow part of the alaknanda valley. 

Nandprayag is situated at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. The Gopalji temple is the worth visiting temple in Nandprayag.

Karnaprayag is situated at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Pindar rivers. The temples of Uma and Karna are located in Karnaprayag.

Uttarkashi is an important pilgrimage centre, situated at an altitude of 1150 meters above sea level on the banks of the Bhagirathi river. Some of the temples which can be visited in Uttarkashi are Vishwanath Temple, Ekadash Rudra Temple, Gyaneshwar Temple and Kuteti Devi Temple. The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering is situated nearby. Every year, during the Magh Mela, people visit Uttarkashi to take a holy dip in the Bhagirathi river along with the image of their village deity.

Srinagar is the old capital of Garhwal, the Land of forts. It is an important cultural and educational centre. Srinagar was devastated by a great earthquake in the mid 19th century. The most attractive part of Srinagar is down from the square towards the river. There are some typical houses with elaborate carved door jambs. The places that can be visited in Srinagar are Kamleshwar and Kikileshwar temple and the Shankar math.