India Hill Stations

India is a land of diverse culture, language, heritage and people and is bestowed with equally rich and diverse riches of natural beauty. India hill stations are ideal destination for discerning travellers, who wish to have a leisure vacations in India. India known for picturesque hill stations are the preferred choice of tourists of every corner and especially for the lovers of natural beauty. Mystical, misty and serene hill stations can be found in every part of India making them a perfect holiday destination. The salubrious environment, green surrounding, and the spectacular views of these places offer a respite away from the noise and pollution of the plains. India is surrounded with places of natural beauty from all directions.

Kashmir, Gulmarg, Kalimpong, Manali, Mussoorie, Chamba, Badrinath, and Srinagar are popular hill stations of north India. Anantagiri hills, Devikulam, Coorq, Vythiri are famous south India hill stations. Famous east India hill stations include Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Tawang, Mirik, and Shillong. Some of the popular west India hill stations include Khandala, Lonavala, Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Matheran. Let us explore some popular hill stations of every region of India.

North India Hill Stations:

Shimla
Capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla is a hilly town enclosed by green pastures and snow-capped mountains. Also referred as "the Queen of Hill Stations", Shimla is a treasure trove for the lovers of natural beauty and attracts many tourists to enjoy a pleasant holiday in the midst of the cool and fresh airs of this hilly retreat. This lovely hill station was founded by the British who liked this place so much that they declare Shimla as their summer capital. Shimla surrounded by lofty snow-clad Himalayan ranges, lakes and lush green pastures look like a beautiful painting of an artist. This city has perfectly retains its colonial charm and the ambience of this place is simply matchless.

Shimla is well connected via air, train and road route. Nearest airport to Shimla is Jubarbhatti, which is 23 kms and linked to Chandigarh, Kullu, and Delhi. Nearest railway station is Kalka. By road Shimla is 343 km from Delhi and 83 km from Chandigarh.

Places of Interest in Shimla - Places of interest in Shimla include Jakhu Hils and Temple, Himachal State Museum, Kamnadevi Temple, Lakkad Bazaar, Kufri Snow Point, St. Michael's Cathedral, Mashobra, Chail Palaces are worth visiting places of Shimla.

Places of Interest: Himachal State Museum, Jakhu Hills and Temple, Institute of advance study, Tara Devi Temple, Himachal State museum, Kamnadevi Temple, The Ridge, Lakkad Bazaar, St. Michael’s Cathedral, Annandale, Wildflower hall, Mashobra, Fagu view point, Kufri snow point, Chail Palace are places worth visiting.

Reach:
By Air: Nearest Airport is Jubarbhatti-23 kms. and is linked to Chandigarh, Kullu and Delhi.
By Rail: Nearest broad gauge railhead is at Kalka. Chandigarh is another alternative option.
By Road: Delhi: 343 kms, Chandigarh: 83 kms.

Dalhousie Built on Five hills and covering an area of 14 km, this hill station is named after a British Governor. Dalhousie is surrounded by varied vegetation and its height varies from 1525m to 2378m. Dalhousie is known for its colonial architecture and has some beautiful churches, and snow covered mountains.

Nearest airport to Dalhousie is Gaggal in Kangra, and railway station is Pathankot and is 485 km from Delhi and 52 km from Chamba.

Places of interest of Dalhousie - some of the interesting places of Dalhousie include Hari rai Temple, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Chowgan, Rangmahal, St. Andrew Church and Akhand Chandi Palace.

Places of Interest: Laxmi Narayan Temple Complex, Hari Rai Temple, The Chowgan, Rangmahal, St. Andrew’s church, Akhand Chandi Palace.

Reach:
By Air: Nearest airport is Gaggal, in Kangra 135 kms.
By Rail: Nearest railhead is Pathankot 80 kms.
By Road: Delhi 485 kms Chamba 52 kms.

Dharamshala This hill station is perched on the high slopes of Kangra Valley and is set on the backdrop of Dhauladhar Mountains. The major tourist attractions in Dharamsala include a number of monasteries, temples, and institutes, which is set up to preserve the Tibet art, culture and tradition. Today this place has become the abode of the Tibetan leader Dalai Lama and the entire city is dominated by the Tibetan community but still it has retained the colonial lifestyle and British fervour. This city is surrounded by dense pine trees and Deodar forests and the cool healthy atmosphere makes the surroundings of Dharamsala very attractive.

Dharamsala can be well reached by air, train and bus as the nearest Airport is at Gaggla, approximately 13 km away from the town, the nearest railway station is that of Pathankot, approximately 85 km away and there are regular bus services from Manali, Delhi and Shimla to Dharamsala.

Places of Interest in Dharamsala - St. John'S Church In Wilderness, Chamunda Devi Temple, Kangra Art Museum, St. John's Church, War Memorial, Macleodganj, and various other interesting places can be found in Dharamsala.

Places of Interest: War memorial, Kangra Art museum, Kunal Pathri, Mcleodganj, Dal Lake.

Reach:
By Air: Nearest airport is Gaggal in Kangra -13 kms.
By Rail: Kangra Mandir Railway Station is nearest 22 kms.
By Road: Shimla -317 kms. Manali – 260 kms. Delhi-526 kms.

South India Hill Stations:

Ooty
This is the most popular hill station of south India, which is also known as the queen of the hills. Located in the Nilgiri hills at a height of 2286 m is renowned for its salubrious climate and rolling lawns. Due to its pleasant weather conditions and exotic locales Ooty became the summer capital of the former Madras presidency. Ooty is simply marvellous with its pretty gardens, cottages, and stone churches standing among the pine grooves. Ancient summer palaces of maharajas have now be turned into hotels located in the beautiful parks of Ooty.

To reach Ooty by air or train, the nearest airport and railway station is Coimbatore and is well connected by road from all the major cities of south India.

Places of Interest in Ooty: Tourist favourite places in Ooty include Ooty Lake, Kitty Valley, Dolphins Nose, Lambs Rock, Dodabetta Peak, and Laws Fall etc.

Coorg
This is one of the most attractive regions in India, which is an enchanting area of natural tourist spot snuggles among the hills and valleys of the Western Ghats. Often referred as Kashmir of Karnataka due to its natural beauty and cool weather, Coorg is inhabited by around 260,000 people and is renowned for its tea and coffee estates. The people of Coorg are brave and courageous and they have actively served in the Indian army.

Nearest airport and railway station to Coorg is Bangalore and Mysore and is 260 km from Bangalore and 120 km from Mysore.

Places of Interest in Coorg - Some of the major attractions of Coorg include Nisarga, Dhama, Dubare Forest, Talacavery, Brahmagiri, Fort Madikeri, Omkareshwar Temple, Iruppu Falls etc.

Places Of Interest: Harangi & Kudige, Nisarga Dhama, Dubare Forest, Bhagamandala, Talacavery, Brahmagiri, Fort Madikeri, Raja’s Seat, Omkareshwar Temple, Iruppu Falls.

Reach:
By Air: Nearest airport is Bangalore- 260kms.
By Rail: Nearest railhead is Bangalore and Mysore.
By Road: Bangalore- 260kms, Mysore- 120kms, Mangalore- 136kms, Tellicherry & Cannanore- 113kms.

Munnar
Popularly known as the Kashmir of South India, Munnar is a beautiful hill station and due to its impeccable beauty has made this place the most sought after tourist destination for people all round the world. Munnar literally means three rivers and this place is actually convergence of three mountain streams-Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala 5000ft above sea level. Munnar is surrounded by dense forest, wildlife sanctuaries and most of the region is covered by coffee and cardamom plantations. Munnar also has ideal spot for trekking and this is also the South India highest peak.

Nearest airport and railway station from Munnar is Kochi and it is 130 km by road from Kochi.

Places to Visit: Potheamedu, Devikulam, Mattupetty Lake, Rajamala Wildlife Sanctuary, Eravikulum National Park, Echo Point, Pothamedu, Pallivasal, Nyayamakad waterfalls, Valara waterfalls, Chithirapuram, Attukal, Lock Heart Gap , Anayirangal, Marayoor, and Pallivasal.

Vythiri
Vythiri is a quaint, little hill station of Kerala, which is tucked at the north-eastern tip of Kerala. Mostly renowned for rubber, tea, coffee, cardamom, and pepper plantation, this place has breathtaking scenery that are sure to enthrall each and every tourist on their trip to hill stations of India. Vythiri is 100 km from Kozhikode, which is 5 hours journey. The interesting place of Vythiri includes Vythiri National Park.

West India Hill Station

Lonavala
This is a renowned hill station of Maharashtra, which is also termed as the jewel of the Sahyadri Mountain. Located on the height of 625m is also a popular health resort in the western ranges. Lonavala is situated at 106km of Mumbai and is considered as a starting point for tourists visiting that ancient Buddhist rock cut caves of Bhaja and Karla, located near this hill station.

Places of Interest - Numerous lakes around Lonavala are worth visiting. Lakes like Tugauli, Lonavala and Bhushi, and Walvan attracts tourists all the year.

Lonavala Travel Information: Pune is the nearest airport, which is 64 km from Lonavala. Lonavala is the railway stations itself all the train plying between Mumbai and Pune stop here. By road Lonavala is 2 hours drive from Pune and from Mumbai it takes 4 hours to reach Lonavala.

Khandala
A popular hill station of Maharashtra, situated 101 km southeast of Mumbai, is set in hills of the Shyadri Mountain. Gifted with astound natural beauty it proves to be an ideal destination to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Khandala is just a treat for the tourists due to its mystifying water falls, scenic beauty, verdant valleys, magnificent forts, serene lakes, and historic hills.

Khandala can be reached via air, train and road. Nearest airport is Pune, and railway station is Lonavala and Khandala is well connected by road from Pune and Mumbai.

Places of Interest: Places of Interest in Khandala include Shivaji Park, Duke's Nose, Kune Falls, and Tiger's Leap etc.

Mahabaleshwar
This is the highest hill station in the Western Ghats, which is situated at the height of 1372m around Lake Venna. Rightly called as Queen of all hill stations, Mahabaleshwar is famous for its scenic beauty and splendid views of valleys and the sea. The natural beauty of Mahabaleshwar attracts nature lovers from every part of the world providing exciting and thrilling experience to tourists.

Tourist can reach Mahabaleshwar via air, train and private vehicles. By road tourists can reach Mahabaleshwar from Bombay via Pune, which is 290-km. nearest railway station is Weather, which is 62-km but Pune is the preferred railway station, which is 120-km. Nearest airport is Pune, which is 120-km.

Places of Interest in Mahabaleshwar: Pratapgad Fort, Mount Malcolm, and Catholic Church.

East India Hill Station

Darjeeling
Famous for natural beauty of mountains, clean fresh air and salubrious weather, Darjeeling is widely known as visitor's paradise. Each day is considered as a new day as it offers something unique to visitor's everyday. Darjeeling provides a wide variety of activities in hill stations from simple scenic walks to more arduous activities like trekking and river rafting. Darjeeling let tourists to explore and discover many nuances of fun, excitement, thrill and adventure.

The nearest airport to Darjeeling is Bagdogra and Shiliguri is the nearest railway station and Darjeeling is connected with major cities through Shiliguri. Many toy trains are available from Shiliguri and Jalpaiguri that provide a memorable journey to Darjeeling.

Darjeeling Places of Interest: Batasia Loop, Bhutia Busty Gompa, Botanical Gardens, Chowrasta, Dhoom Gompa, Happy Valley Estate, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute & Museums, Kanchenjunga View, Kurseong, Natural History Museum, and Senchal Lake etc.

Gangtok Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, is part of the lower eastern Himalayan mountain range and is considered as the most popular and well visited hill stations. Literally meaning High Hill, this place is admired by visitors only due to its natural beauty provided by the Himalayan mountain range. The beauty of Gangtok is marked by more than 500 varieties of orchid, brilliant sunshine, blue skies, white fragrant magnolias, tea gardens, silver fir forest and many more. This place is a heaven for the adventure sports lovers as it offers numerous interesting treks.

Reaching Gangtok: Closest airport to Gangtok is Bagdogra and to reach this place by road, it is connected with many cites through Siliguri. To reach Gangtok by train, the two nearest train stations are Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri.

Interesting Places of Gangtok: The Rumtek Monastery, The Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Gardens, The Chorten Stupa, Do Drul Chorten, Enchey Monastery, Himalayan Zoological Park, and Gangtok's Cable Car etc.