Location: Chamoli District, Uttaranchal.

Altitude: 2500 meters

Activities: Skiing and treks along the deodar and the oak forests

Highlights: Asia’s longest – 4 km – cable car at Gondola, chair lift and ski-lift, Auli Skiing festival (February/March), hot water fountains, longest and second highest ropeway of Asia.

When to Visit: November-March

How to reach:

By Air – take doirect flights from Delhi/Chandigarh to jolly Grant airport, which is 17 kms away from Rishikesh. After reaching Rishikesh, hire a taxi or bus service to Joshimath and then to Auli.

By Rail – board the train to Haridwar which is approximately 289 kms for Auli, a 10 to 12 hour journey by cab.

By Road – private and government bus operates from Delhi, Dehradun to Haridwar and then to Joshimath. From there take the cable service that takes you to Auli.

Kalimpong Hill Station

Location : West Bengal

 Altitude : 1250 meters

 Activities : Nature walks, sight seeing

 Highlights : Flower market, Buddhist monasteries, golf course, traditional handicrafts, Churpee (yak cheese), pork momos, Neora Valley National Park, 7^th mile view point, Relli river

When to Visit : March-May/ September-November

How to reach:

By Air- Bagdogra is the nearest airport, linked with major cities like Guwahati , New Delhi and Calcutta.

By Rail – Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri are the nearest stations to reach Kalimpong.

By Road – By hiring jeeps or buses one can reach Kalimpong via Siliguri, Gangtok and Darjeeling.

Chopta Hill Station

Location : Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand

 Altitude : 2600 meters

Activities : Camping, trekking

Highlights : Trek to Tungnath Mandir and Chandrashila Peak, Kanchula Korak Musk Deer Sanctuary, Gopeshwar, Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Atrimuni falls.

When to visit : March-July

How to reach :

By Air – Fly to Jolly Grant airport in Uttarakhand state and from there cabs are available to Rishikesh, Chopta and Ukhimath.

By Rail – Nearest railhead is Rishikesh, which is 209 kms away from Chopta and from there taxis are available.

By Road – Reach Delhi and Rishikesh is just 6 hours and from there travel to Chopta for the next 7 hours. For a smooth drive, travelling route goes like Delhi, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Roorkee, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Rudraprayag, Ukhimath and Chopta.

Dharamshala hill station

Location : Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh

Altitude : 1457 meters

Activities : Sightseeing, art and culture

Highlights : Library of Tibetan works and archives, Kangra Art Museum, Namgyal Monastery, Macleodganj, War memorial, Bhagsunag falls, Lord Elgin’s Memorial, Pong Lake Sanctuary, Dharmkot.

When to visit : January-June

How to reach :

By Air : Gaggal airport is the nearest, at a distance of 13 kms.

By Rail : The nearest railhead is at Pathankot.

By Road : reach Delhi and travel another 520 kms to reach Dharamsala, an overnight journey from Delhi.

Araku Valley

Location: 115 kms fromVishakpatanam, Andhra Pradesh

Altitude : 911 meters

Activities : Sightseeing, beach surfing

Highlights : Ananthagiri hills, Bheemunipatnam Beach, Borra Caves, Lawson`s Bay, Rishikonda Beach and its local tribes.

When to visit : March-May

How to reach :

By Air: Vishakhapatnam is the closest airport with frequent flights to all parts of the country. And from there taxis are available to Araku Valley.

By Rail: on reaching Vishakapatanam, board the Vizag Kirandul passenger to reach Araku.

By Bus: Buses are available from Vishakhapatnam to Araku Valley.

Jog falls

Location : Near Sagara, Karnataka

Activities : sightseeing

 Highlight : Second highest waterfall in India, Thyvare Koppa Lion & Tiger Reserve, Linganamakki Dam, Bombay Bunglow, Kadachadri peak, Sakrebayalu Elephant Camp, Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary.

When to visit : April-June

How to reach:

By Air: fly down to Benguluru and hire a taxi to reach jog falls.

By Rail: Shimoga Town has a railway station, and there are trains that run to and from Bangalore and Mysore.

By Road: From Bangalore, Shivamogga can be reached on road by on NH-206 via Tumkur, Arsikere, Banavara, Kadur, Birur, Tarikere, and Bhadravathi.

Nainital

Location : Uttarakhand

Altitude : 2084 meters

Activities : Night forest camping, bird watching, hiking, rappelling, river rafting, horse riding, mountain biking, canoeing, parasailing, paragliding.

Highlights : Naina peak, caves garden, Hanuman Garhi, Nainital lake,  Pt. G.B. Pant High Altitude Zoo.

When to visit : March-June

How to reach :

By Air : The nearest airport to Nainital is that of Pantnagar and has regular flights from the capital city of Delhi.

By Rail : The nearest railway station is Kathgodam station which linked with Delhi. One can avail taxi from Kathgodam to Nainital for a few hundreds.

By Road : Delhi-Moradabad- Bilaspur- Rudrapur-Bhowali- Nainital, approximately 230 kms.

Gangtok

Location : Eastern Himalayan region, Sikkim

Altitude : 1800 meters

Activities : trekking, mountaineering, river rafting

Highlights : Rumtek Monastery, Do-Drul Chorten, Enchey Monastery, Tashi View Point and the local bazaar, Lal Bazaar, visit Porky’s for some amazing sizzlers and momos.

When to visit : March-May

How to reach:

By Air: the closest airport is Bagdogra Airport and there are daily helicopter services from Bagdogra to Gangtok carrying 4 passengers daily.

By Rail: closest railway station is at New Jalpaiguri, a suburb of Siliguri, situated 124 km away from Gangtok.

By Road: Take the Delhi- Kanpur- Allahabad- Patna-Kora- Siliguri- Kalimpong- Gangtok via NH 31A.

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