India > Hill Stations > Himachal Pradesh

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Chamba - The serene town of Chamba, lies on the bank of the river Ravi. An erstwhile princely state, it was the capital of the former rulers of Chamba, and dates back to the 6th century.

Dalhousie - Standing at the foot of the spectacular Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas, is the popular hill - station of Dalhousie, that covers an area of around 14 sq km, and is sprawled over five hills - Kathlog, Portreyn, Moti Tibba (formerly known as Tehra), Bakrota and Balun. A resort that still exudes an old worldly charm, Dalhousie has retained much of the British Raj style. It has been named after the famous British Governor - General, Lord Dalhousie.

Dharamshala - Dharamshala is the principal township of the region and is magnificently set to the background of the Dhauladhar mountains.

Kullu - Kullu, the valley's capital since the mid-seventeenth century, became district head quarters after Independence. Despite being the regions main market and transport hub, however, it is deservedly eclipsed as a tourists centre by Manali, 40 km north. Most traveler's stay just long enough to pick up transport for somewhere else.

Shimla - A quaint little hill train chugs upinto the Shivalik foothills, over dramatic loops and high arched bridges to the hill resort of Shimla (2130 m) - the capital of the mountain state of Himachal. Shimla's salubrious climate, easy accessibility and numerous attractions have made it one of the most popular hill stations in northern India. The splendid views of the snow-clad ranges of the Himalayas, fine walks through oak and flowering rhododendron, enchanting resorts within easy reach, golf at Naldehra and skiing at Kufri and Narkanda make Shimla an attractive destination throughout the year.

Shimla (120 km from Chandigargh) - Toy train for Shimla starts from Kalka. The narrow gauge route has 107 tunnels and 96 km is covered in 5 hour, State museum & art gallery, hill resort, forest, The Mall - busy shopping area, at the top end of Mall is Scandal point and Christ church, Jakhoo hills (2438 m, 2 km) is the highest point and is half an hour walk from Christ church, Chadwick falls (67 m, 7 km), handicrafts, Kufri (2622 m, 16 km) - famous for summer and winter sports. Naldehra (23 km) - scenic beauty, 9 hole golf ground. Theog (32 km for fishing ), Solan - hill station, Karol Tibba and Meteol are pretty spots; Fagu - Scenic beauty; Chail - World's highest cricket ground; Narkanda (64 km) at 2707 m is famous for skiing, Jalori pass connects to Kullu via Aut; Tattapani hot springs (54 km).

Kasauli - Kasauli is a hill station 77 km from Shimla.

Manali - Manali, Himachal's main tourist resort stands at the head of the kullu. Manali - Hadimba devi temple, hill resort, Vashist hot springs (3 km), Solang nala (14 km) for moutaineering and skiing.

Kufri Hills

Some great hiking, some skiing, some beautiful scenes and a cool environment that's what Kufri is all about. In the winter Kufri attracts ski loving people. The Skiing season spreads between November to February. The tourist inflow is maximum during winter. This place has a Himalayan Nature park. Close by is the Indira Tourist Park with HPTDC's Cafe Lalit. Indira Park provides some great views of the near by places. Here one can have a pony or a Yak ride. Kufri is 19 km from Shimla on the highway No 22.

Naggar Hills

Naggar can be taken as an excursion from Kullu or Manali. It is a very lovely village set on a hill surrounded by forest. Naggar was the capital of Kullu valley in the 16th century and the monuments in the region are witness to the Glory it had once lived. The rulers of the Kullu valley had built a Castle which has been converted into a hotel. The gracefully built castle has a temple in the courtyard and also houses a small museum. The temples in the area are also giving a visit. The grey sandstone Gauri Shankar temple, the Chatar Bhuj temple, Tripura Sundri devi temple and the Murlidhar temple in Naggar are some of the well known places of worship.

Himachal Pradesh Photo Gallery