Best places to visit for summer vacation in Himachal Pradesh
With the summer vacations on, the first thing one looks to beat the scorching heat of Delhi NCR & nearby places is to find solace in a hill station nearby. But as we plan our holiday, its most important to choose the location which can offers us, not only the mountains & relief from summer but also a place which has good road connectivity & can offer plethora of fun activities like ice skating, trekking, river rafting, paragliding, trails etc.
Himachal Pradesh offers all these & much more with close proximity to Delhi NCR, Chandigarh, Haryana & UP. Let's have a look at a list of top 10 places to visit in Himachal Pradesh this summer to rejuvenate & garner memories for life.
1. Shimla
Shimla -Located around 340 km away from Delhi, Shimla the capital of Himachal Pradesh is the first choice among tourist all round the year. It's picturesque hill station offering gorgeous views almost everywhere. Nestled at a height of 2250 m above sea level, with panoramic views & great trail experiences surrounded by pine & oak forest. This a a great weekend getaway option.
Top Places to Visit :- Jhakoo Temple( dedicated to Lord Hanuman Ji), Christ Church on Mall road, Gaiety Heritage Cultural Complex , Tara Devi Temple, Mall Road, Chadwick Waterfall & The Ridge on the Mall road.
Fastest Way to Reach - Take Flight from Delhi to Chandigarh and then taxi to Shimla (4 Hours travel time for taxi). You can also get a Shatabdi/ Rajdhani trains to Kalka and then take taxi from Kalka to Shimla.
Major tourist attractions opens from 8/10 am & get closed by 6 pm. So do keep a check for respective locations.
2. Naldehra
Naldehra is located just 22 km from Shimla & is a must visit location for all. The drive would mesmerize you through amazing picturesque views of the panoramic landscape all the way. Naldehra got it's name from the name of the youngest daughter of Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India in 1905 who was mesmerized by the beauty of this place and built the golf course. Naldhera is top tourist place maintained by Himachal tourism where you will find a well maintained golf course which nested in the lap of nature along with panoramic view of mountains filled with pine and deodar trees.
Must do activity:- Take horse ride to the golf course & you will be astonished to see the natural beauty of this lush green valley.
Operating timing - 6 am to 7 pm all days
3. Dharamshala
Dharamshala another Himachal gem , at an altitude of 5800 feet above sea level is located 500 km from Delhi (225 km from Shimla) & is a top tourist place known for its Buddhist studying center (Its home to Dalai Lamba & the Tibetans people). The place is a photographers delight with lakes, monasteries, waterfalls & greenery all over.
Top Placed to Visit - Triund Hill, Dharamshala cricket ground ( Highest International cricket stadium ), St John in the Wilderness Church (Built in 1852), War memorial, Bhagsunath Shiva Temple, Gyuto Monastery (1474), Kareri Dal Lake, Kangra Fort, Tsuglagkhang Temple (Also know as Dalai Lamba temple), Bhagsu Waterfall & Kalachakra Temple.
Best way to get there - Nearest airport is Gaggal airport located 13 km from Dharamshala while major railway station is Pathankot ( 85 km from Dharamshala). One can easily get taxi or cab rides from these places to dharmshala.
4. Dalhousie
Another jewel of Himachal is Dalhousie located 120km from Dharamshala. Its one of the most popular destination with its unmatched scenic views & rich flora & fauna. Located at an altitude of 1970 meters in the Chamba district , Dalhousie was founded by Lord Dalhousie in the year 1850 as as summer retreat. The place boast of the rich Tibetan culture, panoramic views, waterfall, dense hills, historic churches & temples.
Top places to visit in Dalhousie - Panchkula picnic spot(1km away from city centre) , Kalatop wildlife sanctuary, Daikund peak (highest peak of Dalhousie at 2755 m), Pir Pinjalm Pancha pula, Satdhara falls, Chamera lake. Don't miss paragliding , river rafting & river crossing activities if you are game for it.
5. Khajjiar
Khajjiar (Also known as Switzerland of India/ Gulmarg of Himachal) located just 20 km away from Dalhousie in Chamba valley is a must visit destination with a full dedicated day for the fun activities it offers for the entire family. The views of snowcapped Kailash amid the dense deodar forest in the background makes the view so mesmerizing that it will remain with you all throughout your life.
Top places / activities - One can do Paragliding, Zorbing , Camping & enjoy the scenic beauty at this place . Also don't miss the Khajji nag temple, khajjiar Lake, Khajjiar trek & Panch Pandav tree.
7. Chail
You can escape to Chail, a beautiful tourist spot in Himachal Pradesh for a peaceful vacation , located just 44 km(1.45 hour drive) from Shimla. Chail stand tall among all the tourist destination of Himachal due to its natural unspoiled beauty & panoramic picturesque views of the mountains on backdrop of dense forest.
Top Attractions in Chail - Kali ka Tibba( Temple dedicated to Maa Kali), Chail Palace ( Built in 1893 by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala), Cricket School playground ( world highest cricket playground at 7500 feet), Siddh baba ka mandir, Gurudwara Sahib ( built in 1907), Lovers Hill (To enjoy awesome view of sunrise / Sunset)
8. Arki
Another less frequently visited places compared to the popular ones is Arki, located 40 km from Shimla (once used to be the capital of the hill state of Baghal). The place offers a peaceful experience away from chaotic city life.
Prominent places of Arki - Arki Fort is one of the famous tourist attractions which was built by Rana Prithvi Singh in the 17th century. Arki Palace exhibit historical paintings , arms, artifacts & sculpture's of the historical Baghal times. Another destination is the famous Luturu Mahadev temple (1621) located atop a hillock showcasing mesmerizing panoramic view is the place. Other places one can plan to visit are the Durga Temple and Shakhni Mahadev Temple.
9. Kasauli
Kasauli the cantonment town located 287 km from Delhi & 69 km from Shimla, is one of the most quite & peaceful location in entire Himachal which offers a very relaxed vacation. It's known for its apple orchards & colonial feel.
Top places to Visit in Kasauli - Monkey Point ( Highest point of Kasuali where one can see panoramic view of the entire city landscape), Gilbert trail ( 1.5 km trail from Kasuali club to airforce station offering an experience of the hills ), Mall road market, Christ Church ( built in 1853 with a beautiful Indian & Victorian style architecture stand tall at the city center), Kasauli brewery ( oldest brewery started in the year 1820, Sri Baba Balak Nath temple.
Best mode of travel - Cabs or taxi are widely available from Kalka to Kasauli (22km) charging approx. Rs.1700 to Rs.2000. Kasuali offers a good stop over destination while travelling to Shimla.
10. Manali
The last but not the least in the top places to travel in Himachal is Manali, located 540 km from Delhi (12 to 13 hours by road). The place is full of natural panoramic landscape views and greenery no other place can match. To add on to the beauty the place offers, some of the best adventure sports can be enjoyed here like paragliding, skiing, rafting & many more. Manali has something to offer for all age groups. A must visit place on the travel list.
Top places to travel in Manali - Solang Valley( the hub of all the adventure sports), Jogini waterfall ( 3km from city center), Hidimba temple ( dedicated to Hidimba, wife of Bheem from Mahabharat), Rohtang pass (snow capped desert landscape which is must visit for any travelers to Manali) , Jana waterfall ( Awesome looking 30 m fall ), Manu Temple, Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara ( famous for the hot water springs too, a must visit), Rohtang or Atal Tunnel connecting Manali to Lahaul Spiti, Vashist Temple (Popular among tourist - known for the medicinal hot water spring baths believed to have power to cure any skin disease), Briggu lake (40 km away in Kullu is another a great place to visit).
Fastest mode of travel to Manali from Delhi is by Flight directly to Kullu airport which takes 1.20 hours with price range of Rs.7500 to 14000 in season. Another popular mode of travel is by train to Kalka the nearest station to Manali (4 hour from Delhi ) & then take a bus or taxi to Manali (278 km is the distance between Kalka and Manali which would take at least 8 hours) . Apart from this there are Volvo buses available from Delhi/ Kalka to Manali too.
Let's the journey to the best ever summer vacation began with a plan to travel to a new place, to learn a new culture and to learn about the history of India as we unravel the journey of memories..
Jai Hind Jai Bharat
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By Sandeep Sethi
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