Region

Himalayan North

Pick one state, not four: Himachal or Uttarakhand for a first hill trip, Ladakh only in Jun–Sep with 2 acclimatisation days.

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Open India Plan a trip

Key facts · India

Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Indian rupee (INR, ₹)
Language: Hindi and English at national level
Plugs: C · D · M · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+5:30 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 6

South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
India ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
India ↗Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
India ↗Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
India ↗Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.

The Himalayan North is four separate trips wearing one name: Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are road-and-bus hill country from Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir is a valley you fly into, and Ladakh is a high desert open roughly late May to early October. Distances on the map are meaningless here — a 200 km leg can take 8 hours. Choose one state per trip, build in a buffer day for landslides, and treat altitude as the real limit above 3,000 m.

Sleep

Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it

Where to sleep

7 places in this region

Sleep base

ShimlaCity guide
Himachal hill station; railhead by toy train from Kalka.
Best Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
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ManaliCity guide
Himachal hub for Spiti, Rohtang side and the Leh road.
Best Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Manali →
Dharamshala / McLeod GanjPlanned
Tibetan exile centre; Triund trailhead.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
RishikeshCity guide
Uttarakhand gateway; rafting, Ganges, Haridwar nearby.
Best Feb–Apr, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
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LehCity guide
Ladakh base; fly in and rest 2 days before riding out.
Best Jun–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
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SrinagarCity guide
Kashmir Valley base; Dal Lake houseboats.
Best Mar–Jun, Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
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Also here

DehradunCity guide
Railhead and airport (DED) for Uttarakhand.
Best Feb–Apr, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Dehradun →

Night sequences

7 nights: Himachal: Shimla 2 + Manali 3 + Dharamshala 2, all by bus or car
8 nights: Uttarakhand: Rishikesh 3 + Mussoorie or Nainital 2 + a trek 3
9 nights: Ladakh: fly to Leh, rest 2, then Nubra 2 + Pangong 1 + Leh 2
6 nights: Kashmir: Srinagar 3 (houseboat 1) + Gulmarg or Pahalgam 3

Manali–Leh and Srinagar–Leh are seasonal: roughly late May to early October, weather-dependent.
Monsoon (Jun–Sep) brings landslides across Himachal and Uttarakhand; hill roads can be cut for hours.
Flying straight into Leh (3,500 m) and riding out the same day is how people get altitude sickness.
Winter at high altitude is genuinely cold: many guesthouses and passes shut from December.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Haridwar	Rishikesh	60 min	check	Ganga Aarti at dusk; buses and shared jeeps run late but thin out after it.
Triund	McLeod Ganj	240 min	check	Day hike up and down; start before 08:00, carry water.Day hike up and down; start before 8:00 AM, carry water.
Nubra Valley	Leh	300 min	check	Over Khardung La; better as an overnight than a day trip.
Pangong Lake	Leh	300 min	check	Long day; most travellers sleep at the lake and return next morning.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding worth planning here; you carry bags between hill towns or leave them at a Delhi or Chandigarh hotel.

When and how

Months, arrival and passes

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Shimla	×	ok	go	go	go	go	×	×	go	go	go	×
Manali	×	×	go	go	go	go	×	×	go	go	go	×
Rishikesh	ok	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	go	go	go	ok
Leh	×	×	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×
Srinagar	×	×	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	ok	ok	×
Dehradun	ok	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	×	go	go	go	ok
India (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	×	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Himachal Pradesh / Uttarakhand hillsShimla, Manali, Mussoorie, Nainital	cold	cold	ok	best	best	wet	wet	wet	ok	best	best	cold
Ladakh and SpitiLeh, Nubra, Kaza	shut	shut	shut	shut	ok	best	best	best	best	ok	shut	shut
Jammu and KashmirJammu, Srinagar, Gulmarg	cold	cold	ok	best	best	ok	ok	ok	best	best	ok	cold

best: dry, mildok: workablewet: daily rain

Himachal Pradesh / Uttarakhand hills: Monsoon Jun–Sep brings heavy rain and landslides; spring and autumn are clearest. Snow above about 2,500 m in Jan–Feb.
Ladakh and Spiti: Rain-shadow cold desert: dry, very cold in winter. Roads open roughly late May to early October.
Jammu and Kashmir: Jammu is subtropical; the Kashmir Valley is temperate with snow in Jan–Feb.

Best months are also the busiest: May–Jun and Sep–Oct fill Shimla, Manali and Leh beds; book hill-town rooms ahead in those weeks.

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Delhi	Shimla / Manali / Rishikesh / Dehradun	Overnight Volvo or state bus, or train to Kalka / Haridwar / Dehradun	Shimla ~8 h, Manali ~12–14 h, Rishikesh ~6 h by road	Buses leave Delhi in the evening and arrive in the morning; mountain-road times vary with traffic, weather and landslides, so allow extra. The toy train Kalka–Shimla is slow but a classic.
Delhi	Leh	Flight to IXL (Kushok Bakula Rimpochee)	~1 h 30 flight	The fast way in, and the fastest way to get altitude sickness — rest on arrival day.
Delhi	Srinagar	Flight to SXR (Srinagar International)	~1 h 30 flight	Winter weather can disrupt flights; check schedules. The road via Jammu is long and can be closed in winter.
Chandigarh / Pathankot	Dharamshala, Manali, Jammu	Bus, shared jeep or hired car	Dharamshala ~4 h from Pathankot	Broad-gauge railheads; from here it is all road.
Manali	Leh	Bus or motorcycle over the Manali–Leh road	2 days with a night at Keylong or Sarchu	Seasonal, roughly late May to early October; check road status before leaving.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Inner Line Permit (Ladakh border zones)

check

Some Nubra, Pangong and border-area visits may need a permit; requirements vary by area and change — check current entry requirements for each place before you go.

Protected-area permits (Uttarakhand treks)

check

Permit needs depend on the trek and current rules — Valley of Flowers and Nanda Devi area routes often need one, usually arranged with the trek operator; check before departure.

Kalka–Shimla toy train

buy

Book ahead in peak season; it is a slow, scenic way up rather than a fast transfer.

Eat and move on

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Siddu and thukpa	Himachal Pradesh: Manali, Kullu	Mountain staples; thukpa is the standard hot lunch on trek days.
Momos and butter tea	McLeod Ganj, Leh	Tibetan-style; butter tea is salty, not sweet.
Kashmiri wazwan (rogan josh, kebabs)	Srinagar	Ordered as a set meal; often lamb-heavy.
Kehwa (saffron tea)	Kashmir	Offered on arrival in homes and many guesthouses.
Aloo ke gutke and bhatt ki churkani	Uttarakhand: Kumaon	Cheap local plates in Nainital and Almora; ask for less chilli.

Go next

Delhi and NCR

Overnight bus or flight from Dehradun, Leh or Srinagar

Almost every Himalayan trip starts and ends here.

Agra

Train from Delhi, ~2 h

Pairs with a Delhi start before you head north.

Jaipur

Train or bus from Delhi, ~4–5 h

The other half of the classic first-trip triangle.

Varanasi

Flight or overnight train from Delhi

Add after the hills if you have a week spare.

Mumbai

Flight from Dehradun, Srinagar or Leh

Useful open-jaw exit if you fly home from the west.

Open India Up to India

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Sources

officialIncredible India — official tourism site
officialHimachal Pradesh Tourism
officialUttarakhand Tourism
officialJammu & Kashmir Tourism
officialLadakh Tourism
officialIndian Railways — IRCTC
officialAirports Authority of India
secondaryWikivoyage: Himalayan North, revision 5335891 (CC BY-SA 4.0)