Lot of folks who visit Delhi are not able to explore the city well because of weird weather (don't take it personally if you are a Delhite). Especially summer season is very discouraging. But still if you are in capital city of India, the architectural marvels of Delhi can be explored relatively well because of green landscapes around them to calm down the heat a bit. Delhi has some of the most interesting food shops/streets, shopping areas and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Delhi Metro and Uber/Ola can be your best friends to roam around in Delhi during summers, apart from Red buses by DTC. HOHO buses by Delhi Tourism is anotehr good option and we shall discuss them more in separate post as we are going to discuss places around Delhi for spending extended weekends.
Related post - A super aggressive tour of Taj Mahal & Jaipur city during a weekend around Delhi
Related post - A super aggressive tour of Taj Mahal & Jaipur city during a weekend around Delhi
For summers, we thought of compiling a list of things you can do in Delhi as well as weekend destinations which can be easily planned from Delhi. We are also talking about destinations which fit better for extended weekends. There is tagging of weather conditions along with each option shared as - Hot, Moderate and Pleasant which are self-explanatory.
Weekend Destinations around Delhi :
Dhanachuli (Pleasant)
Jaipur (Hot)
The list shared above is very small in comparison to things Delhi can offer to explorers and travellers. In fact, Delhi itself is full of various interesting options, which we shall try to compile again. This list can further be divided for different types of travellers as per their tastes, ages and their travelling habits.
Related post : Top 10 Hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh, India
Haridwar (Hot)
Jim Corbett National Park (Moderate)
Rajaji National Park (Moderate)
Nainitaal (Pleasant)
Dhanachuli (Pleasant)
Naukuchiataal (Pleasant)
Saat-Taal (Pleasant)
Mukteshwar (Pleasant)
Vrindavan (Hot)
Jaipur (Hot)
Shekhawati region - Heritage Tour of Churu & Ramgarh (Hot)
Mandawa (Hot)
Mcleodganj/Dharmshala (Pleasant)
Palampur (Pleasant)
Kasauli (A quick road-trip) (Pleasant)
Barot (For 3 Days, along with Palampur) (Pleasant)
Dalhousie (3 Days) (Pleasant)
Jalori Pass and Sarolsar Lake (Pleasant)
Manali & Rohtang Pass (3 Days) (Pleasant)
The list shared above is very small in comparison to things Delhi can offer to explorers and travellers. In fact, Delhi itself is full of various interesting options, which we shall try to compile again. This list can further be divided for different types of travellers as per their tastes, ages and their travelling habits.
Related post : Top 10 Hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh, India
Delhi has different kinds of weekend getaways in various northern states of India. All these destinations include hills, deserts, strong cultural influences, natural beauty, ghats, rivers, wildlife, national parks, historical locations and lot more. Many of the destinations mentioned in this blog have very good connectivity through roads and you can choose to drive as well.
Related post - There is nothing like camping under star-spangled sky of Kullu Sarahan, Himachal Pradesh (India)
Main places to explore in Delhi during Summers :
KASOL :
Kasol is a small yet beautiful village in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. It was always in my bucket list since I came to know about the place through my friends. During the second week of June when the temperature was soaring in Raipur, I planned the trip to the cool hill station with my college friends. It was a 5 days/ 4 nights’ trip and we were a total of six guys travelling.
Related Post - Kasol: A beautiful Himalayan hotspot
How to Reach Kasol :
When it comes to options of reaching Kasol from Delhi or Chandigarh, the only way to hit this region is by road. It's not connected by railway and flights are not very frequent to Kullu. There is an Airport near to Kasol, which is located in Bhuntar (Kullu) but flights are rare and would be a costly affair. In some of the portals, folks have quoted low rates like 2.5K but I could never find that. There is no rail line in part of Himachal Pradesh. Kiratpur Saheb in Punjab and Una in Himachal are two railway stations around this place. Both of these railways stations are more than 150 kilometers away from Kasol. There is another narrow-gauge line at around 100 kilometers, which is located in Jogindernagar, but it's not recommended except in a scenario when you have enough time and want to experience toy train, which starts from Pathankot and ends at Jogindernagar.
Related post : Trek to Malana from Kasol, Himachal Pradesh
So road is only good options to reach Kasol. Now transportation has improved a lot and you have multiple options. There are luxury buses by HRTC are available for Kullu from Delhi, Chandigarh & many other main cities. Even normal buses of HRTC are also quite good and cheapest way to travel. Luxury buses by Himachal Tourism are also available from Delhi. All Volvo buses by HRTC & Himachal Tourism start from Himachal Bhavan in Delhi, which is located in Mandi House near Connaught Place.
Related post - Great National Himalayan Park - The first and only exclusive World Heritage Sites in Himachal Pradesh
All these buses go to Manali via Kullu and one needs to get down at Bhuntar to take local bus for Kasol or a taxi. Kasol is located at around 30 kilometers from Bhuntar. Kullu can be reached from Delhi by national highway NH 1 up to Chandigarh and from there by national highway NH21 which passes through Bilaspur, Sundernagar and Mandi towns. Kullu is 480 km from Delhi.
Related post - How to reach Kasol and things to do around Kasol/Malana in Himachal Pradesh (India)
JIBHI, SHOJA and BANJAR :
Related post : Road trip to Jibhi, Shoja & Banjar region of Himachal Pradesh, India
JALORI PASS - One of the favourite destinations of Bikers
Related post : Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake - Not all treks have to be difficult
KULLU-MANALI :
Related post : How to reach Manali and main places to see around Kullu, Himachal Pradesh
SPITI VALLEY :
Related post - How to reach Spiti Valley from Delhi and things to do around Kinnaur/Spiti in Himachal Pradesh
KASOL :
Kasol is a small yet beautiful village in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. It was always in my bucket list since I came to know about the place through my friends. During the second week of June when the temperature was soaring in Raipur, I planned the trip to the cool hill station with my college friends. It was a 5 days/ 4 nights’ trip and we were a total of six guys travelling.
Related Post - Kasol: A beautiful Himalayan hotspot
How to Reach Kasol :
When it comes to options of reaching Kasol from Delhi or Chandigarh, the only way to hit this region is by road. It's not connected by railway and flights are not very frequent to Kullu. There is an Airport near to Kasol, which is located in Bhuntar (Kullu) but flights are rare and would be a costly affair. In some of the portals, folks have quoted low rates like 2.5K but I could never find that. There is no rail line in part of Himachal Pradesh. Kiratpur Saheb in Punjab and Una in Himachal are two railway stations around this place. Both of these railways stations are more than 150 kilometers away from Kasol. There is another narrow-gauge line at around 100 kilometers, which is located in Jogindernagar, but it's not recommended except in a scenario when you have enough time and want to experience toy train, which starts from Pathankot and ends at Jogindernagar.
Related post : Trek to Malana from Kasol, Himachal Pradesh
So road is only good options to reach Kasol. Now transportation has improved a lot and you have multiple options. There are luxury buses by HRTC are available for Kullu from Delhi, Chandigarh & many other main cities. Even normal buses of HRTC are also quite good and cheapest way to travel. Luxury buses by Himachal Tourism are also available from Delhi. All Volvo buses by HRTC & Himachal Tourism start from Himachal Bhavan in Delhi, which is located in Mandi House near Connaught Place.
Related post - Great National Himalayan Park - The first and only exclusive World Heritage Sites in Himachal Pradesh
All these buses go to Manali via Kullu and one needs to get down at Bhuntar to take local bus for Kasol or a taxi. Kasol is located at around 30 kilometers from Bhuntar. Kullu can be reached from Delhi by national highway NH 1 up to Chandigarh and from there by national highway NH21 which passes through Bilaspur, Sundernagar and Mandi towns. Kullu is 480 km from Delhi.
Related post - How to reach Kasol and things to do around Kasol/Malana in Himachal Pradesh (India)
JIBHI, SHOJA and BANJAR :
Related post : Road trip to Jibhi, Shoja & Banjar region of Himachal Pradesh, India
JALORI PASS - One of the favourite destinations of Bikers
Related post : Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake - Not all treks have to be difficult
KULLU-MANALI :
Related post : How to reach Manali and main places to see around Kullu, Himachal Pradesh
SPITI VALLEY :
Related post - How to reach Spiti Valley from Delhi and things to do around Kinnaur/Spiti in Himachal Pradesh
Shimla used to be summer capital of Britishers while it doesn't disappoint in winters as well. In fact you can be lucky to see snowfall if visiting during Jan end or Feb beginning. Christmas is also a time when Shimla sees snowfall but certainly all unpredictable and varies from one year to another.
And there is a lot of to do in Shimla. For more you may want to check out the link above.
How to reach Shimla from Delhi - There are few ways and self-drive can be very interesting option expect that traffic in Shimla town can disappoint you and for local sightseeing you may still need to opt for local cab.
There are overnight & day-time Volvo/Scania luxury buses, These are semi-sleeper and comfortable.
One can also chose to take train to Kalka and then take toy-train from Kalka to Shimla, which is heritage railway line. It may take more time but depends what kind of priorities you have while travelling.
There is airport near Shimla but flights can be expensive unless you plan in advance.
And there is a lot of to do in Shimla. For more you may want to check out the link above.
How to reach Shimla from Delhi - There are few ways and self-drive can be very interesting option expect that traffic in Shimla town can disappoint you and for local sightseeing you may still need to opt for local cab.
There are overnight & day-time Volvo/Scania luxury buses, These are semi-sleeper and comfortable.
One can also chose to take train to Kalka and then take toy-train from Kalka to Shimla, which is heritage railway line. It may take more time but depends what kind of priorities you have while travelling.
There is airport near Shimla but flights can be expensive unless you plan in advance.
Mcleodganj for experiencing the Budhism culture :
Dharmshala & Mcleodganj have been very popular Hill Stations in Himlayan State of India (Himachal Pradesh) and it's more popular now because of wonderful Cricket Stadium there.
Palampur is another interesting place, which is not as commercialized as Mcleodganj is. Palampur is rich in terms of natural beauty and also known as Tea Estate of North India. Wonderful landspaces with snow covered hills of Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges and widely spread Tea gardens. There is a famous temple on the way from Dharmshala to Palampur - Chamunda Devi !
Overnight Buses can be best option unless you want to self-drive or go in a taxi. Nearest train is either in Una or Pathankot. There is early morning flight from Delhi to Gaggal, which relatively close to Dharmshala/Mclepdganj.
DALHOUSIE & KHAJJIAR :
Related Blogpost : How to reach Khajjiar and main things to do around Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh (India)
BAROT :
Surrounded by lush green mountain ranges, the high altitude Barot valley is Himachal Pradesh's least explored tourist destination. Everyone is flocking towards Manali and Shimla pressurizing the local ecosystem, neglecting much more beautiful destinations in Himachal Pradesh like Barot, Jibhi, and Tirthan. Barot is located at a distance of 38km from Jogindernagar (nearest railway station) and is home to scenic mountains, old villages, and lush green deodar trees. So if you are planning the next trip to Himachal Pradesh then Barot valley should always be on your wish list.
Related Post - Barot - A Time Capsule, Times of India
Related Post - How to reach Barot and things to do around this beautiful valley in Himachal Pradesh
DALHOUSIE & KHAJJIAR :
Related Blogpost : How to reach Khajjiar and main things to do around Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh (India)
BAROT :
Surrounded by lush green mountain ranges, the high altitude Barot valley is Himachal Pradesh's least explored tourist destination. Everyone is flocking towards Manali and Shimla pressurizing the local ecosystem, neglecting much more beautiful destinations in Himachal Pradesh like Barot, Jibhi, and Tirthan. Barot is located at a distance of 38km from Jogindernagar (nearest railway station) and is home to scenic mountains, old villages, and lush green deodar trees. So if you are planning the next trip to Himachal Pradesh then Barot valley should always be on your wish list.
Related Post - Barot - A Time Capsule, Times of India
Tucked away in the remote recesses of the Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh, lies the tiny town of Barot. To a large extent untouched by tourism, the town offers a peaceful getaway to travellers, away from the hustle-bustle of daily life.
Surrounded by century-old, tall deodars, Barot is a time
capsule and visiting Barot is like taking a peek into the bygone era when human beings still knew how to live in peace with their surroundings and with nature. The river Uhl runs through the town twisting its way amongst boulders and polishing pebbles till they glitter like silver and gold, and birds of all colours and sizes sing their various songs while flitting in and out of sight.
Related Post - How to reach Barot and things to do around this beautiful valley in Himachal Pradesh
How to reach Barot from Chandigarh or Delhi
Reaching Barot totally depends upon your starting location. If you are coming from Chandigarh or Delhi then you need to follow the steps mentioned below To reach Barot you need to know the basic geography of your traveling route.
Related Post - आओ लेके चलें आज हिमाचल प्रदेश की बरोट घाटी - Travellingcamera's First Hindi Blog
Delhi > Chandigarh > Bilaspur > Sundernagar > Mandi. From Mandi, one route will go towards Manali and the other towards Pathankot. You have to take Mandi- Pathankot national highway and at a distance of 58km from Mandi place called Ghatasni will come from where one way will go towards Jogindernagar and other will go towards Barot via Jhatingiri>Tikkan. The distance from Ghatasni to Barot is around 28km.
TREKS :
KHEERGANGA TREK :
For last few years Kheerganga has become a popular trek in Himachal Pradesh and one of the main reasons for that is that it's relatively shorter, easier yet enjoyable.
Related post - Exploring impossible landscapes on Kheerganga Trek, Himachal Pradesh
For last few years Kheerganga has become a popular trek in Himachal Pradesh and one of the main reasons for that is that it's relatively shorter, easier yet enjoyable.
Related post - Exploring impossible landscapes on Kheerganga Trek, Himachal Pradesh
CHURDHAR TREK :
Related Post - CHURDHAR TREK VIA CHOUPAL - SARAHAN, Himachal Pradesh
DAINKUND TREK, Dalhousie :
HAMPTA PASS TREK :
Related Blogpost : Hampta Pass – A crossover trek from Kullu to Spiti Valley
KARERI LAKE HIKE :
Kareri Lake is a beautiful lake around Dhauladhar Mountain ranges. Fresh water of melting snow from Dhaudhar peaks is source of water in Kareri Lake and that's why you see such a pure & reflective surface in all photographs of this lake. Lake is located 10 kilometers away from Dharmshala.
Kareri lake is one of the popular trekking destination around Dhauladhars. There is a shiva temple near the lake. Kareri lake is also a base for some of the long & difficult treks into Dhauladhar mountain ranges. There are few treks to Chamba and Bharmaur.
Related Blogpost : Kareri Lake - A beautiful trek around Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges, India
SHRIKHAND MAHADEV TREK :
Related Blogpost : Scaling the heights of Shrikhand Mahadev - one of the most challenging treks in India
SEROLSAR LAKE TREK :
Related Blogpost : Trek to Sirolsar Lake near Jalori Pass in Himachal Pradesh, INDIA
Related Blogpost : Yosemite in India - Treks around Jalori Pass and Serolsar lake in Himachal
HATU PEAK TREK :
Related Blogpost : Hatu Temple near Narkanda and Tani-Jubber Lake in Himachal Pradesh, INDIA
NAKO LAKE HIKE, SPITI VALLEY :
Related Blogpost : Morning walk around Nako Lake and the village in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh
TUNGNATH TREK :
Related Blogpost : Tungnath - The third Kedar and Chandrashila
KEDARKANTHA TREK :
Related Blogpost : Recollecting memories of Kedarkantha Trek
If you liked this post and found it helpful, I would request you to follow these things when traveling -
1. Manage your waste well and don’t litter Use dustbins.
2. Tell us if you went to a place and found it hard to locate a dustbin.
3. Avoid bottle waters in hills. Usually you get clean water in hills and water bottles create lot of mess in our ecosystem.
4. Say big no to plastic and avoid those unhealthy snacks packed in plastic bags. Rather buy fruits.
5. Don't play loud blaring music in forests of jungle camps. You are a guest in that ecosystem and disturbing the locals (humans and animals) is not polite
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