The Indian Himalayan region (IHR), one of the richest bio-geographic zones of India, stretches to about 3,000 km in length and varies from 220-300 km in width. It covers nearly 17% of the total geographical area and 3.8% of India’s population. The location, climate and topography of the IHR have endowed it with rich and diverse life forms. The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) is one of the World Heritage sites, located in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, NorthWestern Himalaya. It is well known for its rich faunal and floral diversity and important habitat for a large number of rare and threatened species. While exploring the floristic diversity of the GHNP, the intensive surveys were conducted to identify the diversity, distribution and status of the orchids. Rapid sampling method for the qualitative assessment and quadrat method for the quantitative assessment have been followed. A total of twenty one species of orchids representing 16 genera were recorded. These orchids were distributed between 2428-3820 m amsl and represented the shady moist, alpine meadows thatches, grassland, riverine, rocky, shrubbery and dry habitats. The species were analysed for nativity, threat categories and indigenous uses. Amongst the species, 12 species were natives and 9 species were non-natives. Of the total species, 6 species were found in the sites sampled for quantitative assessment of vegetation. Calanthe tricarinata was recorded in maximum sites (10 sites), followed by Dactylorhiza hatagirea (8 sites), Malaxis muscifera, Platanthera edgeworthii, (2 sites each) and Epipactis helleborine and Gymnadenia orchidis (1 site each). Maximum orchids were found in shady moist habitat (15 species), followed by rocky (4 species), dry (2 species) and alpine, riverine and grassland (1 species each). The density of Calanthe tricarinata ranged from 0.05-1.3 Indm-2, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, 0.06-0.8 Indm-2, Epipactis helleborine, 0.45 Indm-2, Gymnadenia orchidis, 0.15 Indm-2, Malaxis muscifera, 0.15-0.4 Indm-2 and Platanthera edgeworthii, 0.25-0.35 Indm-2. Some of the species have medicinal properties and used for curing sores, eczema, fever, burns, blood purifier, tonic, cough, cold, cut, sexual disability, rheumatism, nervous disorder, female disorder, kidney disorder, spermopiotic, urinary problems, dysentery, sterility, etc. Maximum species were used as tonic (8 species), followed by for curing blood problems (6 species), fever, cough, spermopiotic and female disorder (3 species each) and burns, expectorant, cold, rheumatism, urinary disorder, dysentery, epilepsy (2 species each). Among the species, Cypripedium himalaicum, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, and Habenaria intermedia were found to be Endangered and Cypripedium cordigerum, Malaxis muscifera, and Platanthera edgeworthii as Vulnerable and Herminium monorchis Near Threatened and remaining species as Least Concern. Present study suggests that studies on various aspects like habitat ecology of these orchids for understanding the dynamics of their population, mass multiplication following conventional and in vitro propagation methods; educational and awareness programmes for the conservation of orchids need to be carried out.