If you are visiting North India and wish to explore some of the main hill stations in North India, we have tried to make an attempt to share list of top 10 Hill Stations you should consider. Below are the names of these hill stations, along with reasons about why we picked them for you. It was certainly very hard to chose between plenty of options. Name of every place below is a link and would share lot more details in terms of what all to expect in these hill stations, how to reach these hill stations from Delhi or nearby cities, along with safety & pocket friendly tips. Let's get started and explore some of these options.
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Srinagar is capital of Jammu & Kashmir state of India. Apart from being capital Srinagar offers great diversity of experiences in terms of grand mountains covered with snow, some of the most beautiful lakes in the country (Dal Lake), wonderful architecture, people and lot more. Lot of Indians and foreigners die to visit this place to see with their own eyes. Security concerns have impacted tourism in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, so it's recommended to check latest state in Srinagar before planning a trip there.
Some blogposts from Srinagar & nearby -
A Photo Journey to the gems of Kashmir by Ujjwal Saxena - Dal Lake, Pari Mahal, Gulmarg , Sonamarg, Pahalgam & Srinagar
If you have most beautiful landscapes from India with dry & golden colored mountains, then you know how Leh looks like. Leh is place situated closer to Himalayas which is dry place which hardly sees any rains but heavy snowfall. Leh has low oxygen levels, so it takes a day to settle and then start your exploration. There are so many things to explore around Leh. Usually people prefer driving in cars or riding bikes to Leh. There are 2 ways to enter into Leh via road - through Himachal & Kashmir. One can also chose to have flight to Leh, as Leh has an airport.
A Related Blogpost from Leh - 10 Days itinerary of Laddakh - A Valley in the Mighty Clouds
Spiti is my favourite. Chose one between Leh and Spiti. I can quickly tell the fundamental difference. Leh is more commercialised because of good connectivity, while Spiti is not. One can not take any flight to Spiti unlike Leh, so the only option is to drive or hire a taxi with experienced drive who has experience of driving in such tricky mountains. Spiti mountains are grand with world's most tricky roads to drive. These roads are maintained by army and that's a hard task. Spiti hardly sees any rain but heavy snowfall happens here. Snow Leopards can also be seen in Spiti during winters.
Some of the related Blogposts from Spiti Valley -
How to reach Spiti Valley from Delhi and things to do around Kinnaur/Spiti in Himachal Pradesh
Tour de Nako Village in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh (India)
Tangyud Monastery, Komic - One of the highest altitudes Gompas in the World
500 years old Mummy of Sangha Tenzin with teeth & hair at Gue Monastery
Shimla is one of the most popular tourist destinations in North India and that's why we also receive lot of queries through form on our blog. Most of the folks commonly ask - Shimla Weather, Shimla Hotels, How to reach Shimla from Chandigarh, main places to visit in Shimla, Shimla mall road etc. In past, we have shared some of these details on our blog, but here is an attempt to write a comprehensive post which helps you with details like - ways to reach Shimla by bus, car, train or by air, main places to see, how to find hotel/resort which fits your budget, how to plan your time well in the town or around etc.
How to Reach Shimla -
First thing first - there are different ways to reach Shimla. Primarily I share options to reach places from Delhi. If you are looking for options from other cities, please drop a comment and we assure to respond back within a day.
If you don't mind traveling in buses, there are plenty of options. HRTC offers different bus services between Shimla and Delhi/Chandiagrh. Most comfortable Volvo buses are available for overnight journey. They start late in night and reach Shimla early in the morning. Apart from that, you have options of TATA-AC, Deluxe, Semi-Deluxe and ordinary buses. Apart from that lot of private operators run luxury buses to & from Shimla. Himachal Pradesh Tourism buses are also available from different cities in North India. Online bookings are possible through HRTC as well as Himachal Tourism website.
If you like train journey, then ensure that you are aware of train options near Shimla. One can take train till Kalka/Chandigarh and then either take slow speed toy train till Shimla. Or take taxi/bus from Kalka to Shimla. Before making a decision, ensure that you are aware of fact that toy train takes almost whole day to reach Shimla.
If you plan to self-drive, please ensure that you have arranged parking in the Shimla town. Many of the hotels don't have appropriate parking, so ensure that you book with hotel which provides convenient parking.
Best time to visit Shimla -
Very obvious time to visit Shimla is summers, but one needs to ensure that your visit is not overlapping with holidays in Punjab and Delhi. Because there are few slots in summers when Shimla is overcrowded. This is also a personal preference if you like lot of people around you or not. Winters is also a good time, when you can enjoy snowfall and related activities. My recommendation is always to visit such tourist places in off season to explore them in best way at much lower cost. E.g. - Room worth 5000 in season can be booked at 2000/2500 in off-season.
Related Blogposts from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh -
Places to skip when travelling to Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Mussourie is one of the most visited hill stations in India and there are multiple reasons for folks to chose Mussourie as a destination. Especially for folks in Delhi, Mussourie is one of the top summer destinations when all kids force their parents to make travel plans during their vacations. This time, we also chose to visit Dhanaulti which 22 kilometers away from Mussrourie and planned to visiting Mussourie during one of the days.
Mussourie used to be a must go place for creative minds and gradually that fading away or the locations around Mussrourie are preferred now. Over the years, like many other hill stations Mussourie has been covered by multiple layers of concrete and usually very crowded, especially during summers. So folks who want to have peaceful vacations, prefer to visit surrounding hill stations having comparatively lesser hustle bustle.
Related Blogposts from Mussourie -
Few days in Mussorie, Uttarakhand state of India
Shimla Vs Mussourie - Which of them has better Mall Road?
Tal is hindi word for Lake and Nainital is one of the most popular lakes in India. Nainital has been very popular lake for shooting movies. This beautiful town around Naini lake is in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand state in India. Over the period of time, Nianital has become very crowded and especially in summers tourist vehicles are not allowed inside the town. So you need get down from your vehicles around the border and then hire a local taxi to go to your hotel in Nainital. There are many lakes in this region of North India - Bhimtal, Sattal & Naukuchiatal are some of the popular ones.
Bhimtal is very well connected with Delhi. One can take Shatabdi from Delhi to reach Kathgodam and from Kathgodam it's hardly 45 minutes drive. Bhimtal is 17 kilometers from Kathgodam. And if you are someone who likes driving, it's plain till Kathgodam and only 17 km stretch is hilly. I have a friend who has a cottage in Naukuchiatal and he drives there almost every alternate weekend. He starts at 5am and reaches Naukuchiatal by 12noon. During monsoons road condition deteriorates, so it will take little more to reach Bhimtal if you come via road. Roads in Uttrakhand are always awesome, so if you are coming to Kathgodam via train, you need not to worry about road condition.
Naukuchitaal is a small town around a beautiful lake. You can enjoy boating & kayaking in this lake. There are some opportunities for hiking or paragliding around this place. The town has two beautiful resorts, which are usually preferred by folks in larger groups.
Few related Blogposts from Nainital, Bhimtal & Naukuchiatal -
7. MANALI-KULLU
The famous hill station where lot of bollywood movies are shot or one of the top honeymoon destinations in North India or the place to easily see snow capped mountains and even reach places to touch snow. That's Kullu and Manali. Manali is main touristy town and Kullu is close-by and district headquarter with so many other things of interest to expplore.
The famous hill station where lot of bollywood movies are shot or one of the top honeymoon destinations in North India or the place to easily see snow capped mountains and even reach places to touch snow. That's Kullu and Manali. Manali is main touristy town and Kullu is close-by and district headquarter with so many other things of interest to expplore.
Ideal time to visit Kullu Manali -
Exploring Kullu Manali region easily needs 3-4 days, because there is so much to explore around this region. If you plan to visit Rohtang Pass, it easily takes the whole day unless you plan very smartly. Summers is main season but folks also visit in August-September-October month to see apple laden trees all around. Lot of folks reach Manali for celebrating New Year and folks try their luck to see snowfall in winters. Manali town looks awesome after fresh snowfall.
Related Blogposts from Kullu-Manali region of Himachal Pradesh -
Mcleodganj, a small town about 10 kilometers from Dharamshala, isn’t anything like your typical hill station. Yes, there are mountains, temples, and even a quintessential waterfall, but one whiff of the air fragrant with the tantalizing aromas of fresh baking, Italian and Tibetan Cooking, and coffee, and a walk through the Buddhist artifacts-laden market are enough to transport you into another world altogether. The fact that this town is also the residence of His Holiness the 14 th Dalai Lama is palpable everywhere, from the narrow congested streets, receding into the heart of the town, to the Tsuglagkhang, Dalai Lama’s temple, towering over the town.
Mcleodganj – Where the World Comes Together in Peace
If you are interested in visiting Dalai Lama's main temple/residence, Mcleodganj is the place to visit to experience buddhism. Mcleodganj in Himachal Pradesh is one of the popular destination for tourists, travellers and explorers. We have shared about Mcleodganj many times in past, but this time we are sharing again after request from one of our followers who is planning to visit Mcleodganj during summer vacations.
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. The New Cricket Stadium at Dharmshala is hosting various IPL Cricket Matches apart from regional ckicket and many folks are coming to this beautiful town for sports as well as exploring natural beauty. This Photo Journey talks about various options around Dharmshala for better holidays with Sports !!!
Related Blogposts from Dharmshala & Mcleodganj -
Main Places to explore around Dharmshala during IPL Matches - Mcleodganj, Palampur, Baijnath, Masroor etc
Things to do and Main places to visit around Mcleodganj || One of the popular hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh, India
Peaceful Journey at Tsuglagkhang - Dalai Lama's Buddhist Temple at Mcleodganj, Upper Dharmshala, Himachal Pradesh, India
Beautiful Church in Mcleodganj, Himachal Pradesh || St. John Church near Dharmshala Town
Dalhousie is one of the most popular Hill Stations in Himachal and there is lot to explore around Dalhousie. This is small and very well maintained town in Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh. This Photo Journey shares some of the exciting places around Chamba and how to plan a good one day tour through Khajjiar, Chamba & Chamera etc.
Lush green meadows, grazing sheeps, beautiful cottages, high deodars and high hills of Khajjiar makes it a popular destination for traveller, explorers and tourists from India & abroad. Khajjiar is also known as mini Switzerland of India. Khajjiar is located on the way from Dalhousie and Chamba. This Photo Journey shares more about the ways to reach Khajjiar and other interesting things to explore & do around Khajiar/Dalhousie.
Related Blogposts from Dalhousie & Khajjiar -
Dalhousie Mall Road || A Fun Place to Enjoy Shopping and Great Mountain Views
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Ranikhet is quiet place Uattrakhand state of North India and has been quite popular because it's little away, secluded & less commercialised. Certainly lot of other such places are evolving as hill stations in Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand state of India, but Ranikhet is a place which has special charm about it.
Some more related Blogposts about Hill Stations in North India -
Top 10 Hill Stations in Himachal Pradesh, India
If you think this post is sharing those typical names of hill stations, stay tuned for another post about 10 Top Offbeat Hill Stations of North India.
Related Blogposts :
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