Trek to Triund above McLeodganj
9 km gentle climb, camp under a billion stars with the entire Dhauladhar range as your private wall. Even beginners manage it; the sunrise is worth every ache.
Things to do in Himachal Pradesh
Drive the Manali-Leh highway
One of the world’s greatest road trips. Turquoise lakes, snow walls in June, prayer flags snapping at 5,000 m. Rent an Enfield or just sit in a shared taxi and let the landscape break your heart.
Stay in a village homestay in Tirthan or Barot
Zero tourists, home-cooked pahadi food, trout fishing, walks through forests where you meet no one. Fall asleep to river sound, wake up to birds you’ve never heard before.
Paragliding in Bir-Billing
World’s second-highest paragliding site, host of World Cup. 20-minute flight over Kangra tea gardens and monasteries. Tandem with instructors; even scaredy-cats come down grinning.
Attend Kullu Dussehra properly
Unlike the rest of India, here Ravan is not burnt; instead gods from hundreds of villages arrive in palanquins. Week-long carnival of music, dance, and mountain deities; pure magic.
Winter in Shimla when it snows
The Ridge turns white, Scandal Point disappears under snow, and the toy train looks like something from a Christmas card. Drink hot rum toddy at old bars, walk empty forests; Shimla in January feels like 1900.