Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh stretches from the orchards and colonial hill stations of its lower ranges to the high-altitude cold deserts of Spiti and Lahaul. It is a state of remarkable contrasts featuring Shimla's Raj-era architecture and Manali's adventure culture, Dharamshala's Tibetan exile community and Kasol's bohemian riverside culture, as well as Dalhousie's Scottish-town nostalgia and Kalpa's dramatic views of Kinnaur Kailash. The Kullu Valley, strung with apple orchards and river-flanked meadows, leads north through the Rohtang Pass, one of the most cinematic mountain crossings in the subcontinent, into the cold desert world of Lahaul and Spiti. Here, ancient Buddhist monasteries cling to cliffsides above turquoise rivers, and the sky is wider than anywhere in India. Himachal rewards every type of traveller, including those who seek peace in pine forests, thrill on glacier treks, or meaning in the prayer flags of Tabo and Key.