Himachal Travel Guide: Places to Visit, Best Time and Travel Tips

This Himachal travel guide helps you plan a trip to Himachal Pradesh, the mountain state of North India. It covers the best places to visit, the best time to go, how to get there and how many days you need. When you are ready to book, see our Himachal tour packages.

Himachal lies in the Himalayas, north of Delhi and Chandigarh, and this Himachal travel guide covers it from the toy train hills of Shimla to the high desert of Spiti. Its hill stations have welcomed travellers for more than a hundred and fifty years, and its high valleys are some of the most beautiful places in India.

Why Visit Himachal Pradesh

Every Himachal travel guide gives its own reasons. These are ours:

• Snow and mountains: easy to reach from Delhi, with snow in winter and cool air in summer.
• Old hill stations: Shimla, Dalhousie and Kasauli still keep their colonial churches and walks.
• Tibetan culture: monasteries and prayer flags in McLeod Ganj and Spiti.
• Adventure: trekking, rafting, paragliding and skiing.
• Scenic drives: some of the most beautiful mountain roads in the world.

Best Places to Visit in Himachal

These are the places every Himachal travel guide should start with.

Shimla

Shimla was the summer capital of British India. Walk along the Mall Road and the Ridge, see Christ Church and the Viceregal Lodge, and ride the Kalka-Shimla toy train, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Mountain Railways of India. Kufri and Chail are close by. Read our Shimla travel guide.

Manali

Manali sits at the top of the Kullu Valley, surrounded by snow peaks. Visit the Hadimba Temple in the cedar forest, play in the snow at Solang Valley and drive through the Atal Tunnel to the Lahaul Valley. Read our Manali travel guide.

Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj

McLeod Ganj, above Dharamshala, is the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community in India. Visit the main temple, Bhagsu Falls and St John in the Wilderness church, or walk up to Triund for a view of the Dhauladhar range. Read our Dharamshala travel guide.

Dalhousie and Khajjiar

Dalhousie is a quiet hill station of old churches and pine forests. Khajjiar, a short drive away, is a wide green meadow ringed by deodar trees. Read our Dalhousie travel guide.

Kasauli

Kasauli is a small, peaceful town near Chandigarh, known for Christ Church, its quiet walks and its sunset views over the plains. It is about an hour and a half from Chandigarh, so it makes an easy first stop on the way to Shimla.

Chail and Kufri

Both lie near Shimla. Chail has a royal palace and one of the highest cricket grounds in the world. Kufri has pony rides, snow in winter and wide views.

Bir Billing

Bir, near Dharamshala, is one of the best places in India for paragliding, with Tibetan monasteries in the village below.

Kullu, Kasol and the Parvati Valley

The Kullu Valley is known for river rafting and shawls. Kasol and Manikaran, in the Parvati Valley, are popular with young travellers and trekkers.

Spiti Valley

Spiti is a cold mountain desert with ancient monasteries such as Key and Tabo, and the blue lake of Chandratal. The roads are open mainly from June to October.

Best Time to Visit Himachal

The weather in the mountains changes a lot, so this part of our Himachal travel guide matters most when you choose your dates.

• March to June: the best time for most visitors. Days are warm and nights are cool.
• July to September: the monsoon. The hills are green, but landslides can close roads. Check the weather before you travel.
• October and November: clear skies and the best mountain views.
• December to February: cold, with snow in Manali, Shimla and higher places. The best time for snow lovers.

How to Reach Himachal

Getting there is easier than many people think. This Himachal travel guide lists the main routes.

• By air: Chandigarh is the main airport for Shimla and Manali. Kullu (Bhuntar) airport serves Manali, and Kangra (Gaggal) airport serves Dharamshala. Amritsar is a good airport for Dharamshala and Dalhousie.
• By train: take a train to Kalka, Chandigarh or Pathankot, then the toy train or a car into the hills.
• By road: Shimla is about seven to eight hours from Delhi. Manali is about twelve hours from Delhi, so most travellers stop in Shimla or Chandigarh on the way.

How Many Days for Himachal

Mountain roads are slow, so allow more time than the map suggests. As a simple rule of this Himachal travel guide:

• Three to four days: Shimla and Kasauli, or Dharamshala alone.
• Five to seven days: Shimla and Manali, or Dharamshala and Dalhousie.
• Nine to twelve days: Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie, or Spiti.

Ready-Made Himachal Tours

If you would like us to plan the trip for you, these private tours follow the routes in this Himachal travel guide. Each one can be changed to suit you.

• 6-day Himachal Delight tour: Shimla and Manali, with the Kullu Valley.
• 7-day Beautiful Himachal tour: three nights each in Shimla and Manali.
• 7-day Classic Himachal tour: Shimla, Manali and a night in Chandigarh.
• 10-day Scenic Himachal with the Taj Mahal tour: Manali, Shimla, Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri.
• 5-day Dharamshala with Amritsar tour: Dharamshala, McLeod Ganj and the Golden Temple.
• 6-day Dharamshala, Dalhousie and Amritsar tour: Amritsar, Dharamshala and Dalhousie.
• 7-day Himalayas to the Golden Temple tour: Dharamshala, Dalhousie and Amritsar at an easy pace.
• 8-day Himachal with Amritsar and Katra tour: Amritsar, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and Vaishno Devi at Katra.

Compare them all on our Himachal tour packages page.

Food of Himachal

No Himachal travel guide is complete without the food. Try siddu, a steamed bread with a sweet or savoury filling, and dham, the festival meal of rice, lentils and curries. In McLeod Ganj, try Tibetan momos and thukpa soup. Fresh trout is a speciality around Manali.

Things to Do in Himachal

Here are the experiences our Himachal travel guide recommends most:

• Ride the Kalka-Shimla toy train.
• Try paragliding at Solang Valley or Bir Billing.
• Go river rafting on the Beas near Kullu.
• Walk to Triund above McLeod Ganj.
• Visit apple orchards in season.
• Shop for Kullu shawls, Tibetan crafts and local jams.

Travel Tips for Himachal

Before you go, read these tips from our Himachal travel guide.

• Pack warm clothes in every season. Nights are cold even in summer.
• Mountain roads are slow. Plan fewer places and more time.
• Some high passes need a permit and close in winter. We arrange permits for our guests.
• Carry some cash, as cards and phone signals can be weak in remote areas.
• Respect local customs in temples and monasteries, and keep the hills clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions travellers ask us most while reading this Himachal travel guide.

Is Himachal safe for tourists?

Yes. Himachal is one of the safest and friendliest states in India for families, couples and solo travellers.

What is the best month to visit Himachal?

May, June and October are the most popular. December to February is best for snow.

Which is the best hill station in Himachal, according to this guide?

Shimla is best for heritage, Manali for snow and adventure, Dharamshala for culture and Dalhousie for peace.

Do I need a permit for Himachal?

Indian and foreign visitors do not need a permit for the main hill stations. Some high passes and border areas need one, and our team arranges these.

Can I combine Himachal with Amritsar?

Yes. Amritsar is about five hours from Dharamshala and Dalhousie. Read our Amritsar guide.

Plan Your Himachal Trip

We hope this Himachal travel guide helps you plan. Shamrock Journeys has planned Himachal holidays since 2002. See our Himachal tour packages, our Kashmir tour packages or all our India tour packages.

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