The Abode of the 14th Dalai Lama in McLeod Ganj is place every travel enthusiast should visit. All over India it is also known as the state of Apples.

Himachal Pradesh also has ample number of palaces, forts and monasteries which are of historical and cultural importance. In short Himachal Pradesh is a treat for the eyes and packed with awesome experiences.

Places to visit in Himachal Pradesh

Spiti valley

It is one of the coldest places in the country located at an altitude of 12,500 feet above the sea level.  Famously known as “Trekking mecca and a virgin paradise” and surrounded by the Himalayas one can just forget themselves and get lost in the breathing taking view of the snow covered mountains and the beautiful terrain as soon as they step in the valley.

Spiti means “The Middle Land”, as the valley separates India and Tibet. The valley is only open during the summer season as the rest 6 months it remains cutoff from the country due to heavy snowfall in the region.

An easy 1.5 km trek along the Spiti River from dhankar monastery to the lake dhankar provides an eye-catching view of the villages below, you can also sit and relax at the lake and enjoy the cool air from the mountains. Various travellers visit spiti for camps and treks when the valley is open for tourists. The ropeway from Kibber to Chichum is also another popular tourist attraction.

Places to Visit : Chandratal Lake, Key Monastery, Kunzum Pass, Suraj Tal

Manali

Manali is a popular hill stations in India. With its beautiful scenic views, green forests and flowers, fulsome blue streams, an eternal fairy-tale like mist lingering in the air, and a enduring fragrance of pines and freshness, the region has been blessed with extraordinary scenic beauty. From different museums to temples, from quaint little hippie villages to busy streets, adventure sports to trekking trails, Manali has it all to attract tourist throughout the year.

Every year almost approximately 25-26 lakh tourists visit the hill station. Rohtang Pass is undoubtedly one of the most popular attraction to visit in Manali, with its snow covered mountains and breathtaking view its most popular among the tourist and photographers. You can also enjoy the famous ropeway and Para-gliding and Para Sailing the region offers.

Even though It is a hill station it is loaded with awesome cafes, bars and restaurants which definitely have an answer for each and every cravings a travelers might have. From Chinese, Italian, Korean, Continental to its local Tibetan momo shacks Manali has it all basically a mix of multicultural cuisine.

Places to visit: Solang Valley, Rohtang pass, hadimba temple, Famous Manali mall Road etc.

Kullu

Kullu is a famous tourist destination mostly conjoined with Manali since both are only few Kilometers apart it is basically the sister town to Manali. Famous for its Deodhar and pine trees Kullu is situated at an height of 1230 above sea level and it is a travelers  paradise.

According to scripts when Manu visited the valley during the great  floods he could not go beyond Rohatang pass so he name that place kulant peeth meaning end of habitable world. It is also known as a religious town as emperor Ashoka buith a stupa for Buddhist monks. It also has few important temples like Jagannathi Devi Temple and Raghunath Temple.

Travelers typically visit kullu along with manali to enjoy various adventure sports it offers river rafting, trekking, mountaineering etc .  Apart from adventure sports Pandoh Dam is also must visit in the region.

Places to visit:  Pandoh Dam, Raghunath Temple, Rafting in Kullu,  Jagannathi Devi Temple.

Kasol

Famously known as the Amsterdam of India it is one of the few hill station in the country that has yet to get ruined by the rapid commercialization and urbanization. Situated on the banks of river Parvati kasol is a small village famous for its scenic beauty and snow clapped mountains. It is home and hub for various nature lovers, backpackers and Trekkers since many treks start from the region like the Kheerganga Trek.

Located between the towns of manikaran and bhuntar kasol is the best place to chill along with your friends and family and sit back and relax in the arms of Mother Nature. Camping is one of the many activities that attract tourists.

It is mostly famous for the various trekking trails like the Kheerganga, Yanker pass, Sar Pass and Pin Bharti Pass. To know the culture more the visit to the village of malana is must located at some few kilometers from kasol, the people here claim themselves to be of Aryan descent so don’t interact much with the outsiders.

Largely inhabited by Israeli people, which we can clearly experience from there signs in Hebrew and the local Israeli cafes and delicacies, kasol attracts a lot of foreigners throughout the year. The flea market in kasol is another tourist attraction where you can get pendants, souvenirs and also some semi-precious stones.

Places to visit: Kheerganga Trek, Tosh, Parvati River, Malana, Camping in kasol, Flea Market etc.

Mandi :

Mandi is situated at the juncture of Kullu and Dharamshala. It is also called as the “Varanashi of Hills” or “Choti Kashi” it almost have around 79 -81 temples in the region. Located on the banks of river Beas, it also have some old temples dated back to the 5th Century AD.

It serves as a gateway to famous valleys like Kullu, Manali, Spiti etc. It is a must place to visit when you are planning for Himachal Pradesh. For the treks of Prashar lake and Janjheli it is the nearest town.

It is a small city  and a commercial hub because of this you can easily find number of eating stalls, dhabas and restaurants in the region.

 Places to visit: Prashar lake trek, Bhutnath Temple, Sunder nagar.

Shimla

The largest city in Himachal Pradesh and also its capital Shimla is located at the height of 2200m above the sea level. Situated in the presence of beautiful hills and woods, Shimla has been a very popular hill-station among Indian People since the last 5 Decades. The east India Company (Britishers) made Shimla its Summer capital in 1864 because of their immense love for the city and the pleasant atmosphere and Ruled the Sub-continent from up there, Shimla has still retained its old charm beautiful colonial architecture.

Famous for its Centrally Located mall road where tourists gather to enjoy number of cafes, bars and restaurants. It has also played an important role in history, host to some important meetings be it the Shimla conference of 1945 or the Shimla Agreement of 1972 between India and Pakistan. When it comes to connectivity it is just 4 hr drive from the city of Chandigarh, it also has an airport there aren’t many daily flight. The Kalka-Shimla train is listed as the UNESCO world Heritage site. Kufri is one of the major attractions because of its snow covered peaks throughout the year. Tattapani(Hot-water) is another tourist spot  famous for its hot springs.

Places to visit: The Ridge, Kufri, kalka-Shimla toy train, Mall road, Tattapani, Chail etc.

Dharamsala

Famous known for the holy residence of Dalai lama and Tibetans in exile. The town of Dharamsala is divided in Two parts the lower region as the Dharamsala Town itself and the upper region which is 3km apart famously known as Mcleodganj. Located at the 1,457 m above sea level it is home to one of the highest sports ground in the world the Dharamsala Cricket Ground. It is famous for its beautiful landscapes, pleasant atmosphere and various historic monasteries and Tibetan and Buddhist architectures.

The Dharamsala market is largely visited by tourists as it offers many unique, locally made items. It is also called the “Little Lhasa of India” because in 1959 Dalai Lama came there along with their followers and settled there. Tourists can find a lot of resturants and cafes which serve good quality food. But because of the dominant influence from the Tibetan culture the famous local dishes are   the momos, thukpas and other Tibetan dishes. Some cafes also serve English food like Pancakes, Omlettes and Sandwiches.

Places to visit: Dharamsala Cricket Ground, Gyuto Monastary, War memorial etc.

Dalhousie 

Located far away from the busy cities and towns  of the country Dalhousie is a tiny beautiful town tucked away in the lap of Himachal Pradesh. Famously known for its beautiful landscapes, Pine forests, mesmerizing scenic beauty it is a paradise for the tourists visiting here. Dalhousie is famously known  as the “Little Switzerland of India”.

Like Shimla it is a hill station famously known for its ties with the Britsh as the hill station was one of the popular summer destination for the ruling Britshers in that era. The city was founded by the British viceroy Lord Dalhouise in the year 1854 hence the name. When it comes to food Dalhousie offers a wide range of choices from local dhabhas with their prominent north Indian cuisine till various chinese , Tibetan style shacks the options are wide to pick from.

Places to visit: Khajjiar, Satdhara falls, Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctury, Dainkund Peak etc.

Best Himachal Holiday Packages