Hill Stations and Mountain Towns of India

1. Darjeeling- West Bengal Hills - 2134 m

West Bengal's main attraction; Darjeeling is separated from Nepal and Bhutan by snow-capped peaks and lies in the North East foothills of the Himalayas. Take a break from rowdy cities during your India trip to experience the cool mountain air of this charming hill station, surrounded by emerald tea plantations, and home to a fascinating mix of Indian, Nepalese, and Bhutanese people. 

You can wander through lush green forests, enjoy the fresh mountain air and explore brightly colored Buddhist monasteries. In the end, you can toast your visit with a steaming cup of Darjeeling - the champagne of teas. This is an excellent spot to begin a North East India tour into the Himalayas and the gateway to the relatively undiscovered state of Sikkim and neighboring Bhutan.

2. Gangtok- East Sikkim - 1400-1700m

The name Gangtok means 'hill top' and is the capital of Sikkim, a beautiful province that many travelers forget to add to their India itinerary. The buildings are perched along a sharp mountain ridge. 

The town itself is not so attractive in its architecture, but the views, when clear of clouds, are awe-inspiring. There are excellent views of the Kangchenjunga Range from various points. Mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, towers over all of the scenery, dwarfing its surroundings. 

It is viewed as a hill station holiday resort by many holidaying Bengalis. It can get very busy at festival times, for this reason, so bear this in mind if you're thinking of including Sikkim in your India tour.

3. Shimla- Himachal Pradesh 2205 m

Shimla is a lovely sprawling Himalayan hill station with a leisurely pace of life and an interesting past. It's bound to be a real highlight of any India trip. It was the British summer capital from 1864 and was once part of the Kingdom of Nepal, but is now a firm favorite with Indian honeymooners, giving it a real holiday feel. 

Shimla is popular for its cool mountain air in the hot season, its snowfall in the winter, and the famous scenic toy train ride on the way down (or up)! The toy train has recently been given UNESCO World Heritage status and is one of the famous narrow gauge mountain railway journeys of India. 

If you visit Shimla during your India travels, you can stroll along the Mall enjoying Himalayan views, relax in your hotel garden, or hike up to the Monkey Temple set on a hillside above the town.

4. Mount Abu- Southern Rajasthan - 1200 m

Rajasthan's only hill station that attracts many Indian tourists from the plains of neighboring Gujarat state and those retreating from the desert heat of Rajasthan. From one of the viewpoints, you can see Pakistan on a clear day - a unique experience to add to your India travel plan. 

The Maharaja of Jaipur built a summer retreat here in 1897 overlooking the lake. You can do some nice treks here too and there are temples to admire and a polo ground too. Diwali is really big here and it gets very crowded at this time.

5. Manali - Himachal Pradesh - 2050 m

The modern town of Manali is built on an ancient site but does not have the colonial history, charm, and attractive setting of Shimla or some of the other hill stations, but it has a big reputation hanging over from the 70's and 80's scene and western hippy scene.

There is high-quality marijuana that grows in this region. This attracts a certain kind of traveler, but it is still illegal to smoke it in India. It is now more popular with Indian honeymooners and the western 'hippy' travelers are more likely to now reside in neighboring villages such as Vashisht or Dhungri. The nearby countryside is good for hiking and there are forests, orchards and old temples and the Beas River to explore. 

Old Manali is more peaceful and charming and walking distance from New Manali or just a short auto-rickshaw ride. Adventure travellers can find opportunities to go rafting, paragliding, skiing as well as trekking.

6. Munnar - The Western Ghats - 1524 m

Munnar town itself is not so great to look at, but the reason to head up to this hill station is the sea of emerald green tea plantations that surround the town. It's a real joy to walk through the rolling green hills and take in the cool air and tranquillity of this region. Some of the highest commercial tea estates of the world are in this area. Munnar was another colonial British retreat in days gone by.