Himachal Pradesh Tourism

Fast Facts
Location : North India
Area : 55,673 sq. km
Capital City : Shimla
Also Known As : 'Devbhumi' or 'Land of Gods'

Looking for that bit of extra enjoyment and satisfaction in your trip? Want to spend your vacation in a place that is truly blessed by nature, has unending adventure options while at the same time offers a wonderful cultural treat? Well then, the state of Himachal Pradesh in India is the place to be for you.

 First let's tell you how to reach there. Various cities of Himachal Pradesh like Shimla, Kullu, Dharamshala and Pathankot receive regular flights from Delhi. So once you reach Delhi, you can directly board a flight to any  of these destinations. Kalka, Ambala Cantt, Pathankot and Chakki Bank are the important railway stations of the state that connect you to destinations like Mumbai, Howarh, New Delhi and Jodhpur. The tourism department of Himachal Pradesh also operates volvo/luxury coach services to Shimla, Manali and Dharamshala. Ordinary bus services are available from the above as well as other cities like Jaipur, Dehradun/ Haridwar, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jammu/ Pathankot.

Most Important Destinations to Visit –  Though you will find details of place as per theme below, we still want to list out the names of most popular destinations in Himachal Pradesh and here are they – Shimla, Kullu Manali, Dalhousie, Kangra,Lahaul, Spitu,, Dharamshala, Rewalsar, Renukaji, Kasauli, Chamba and Palampur.

Adventure Trails – Himachal is one of the best destinations in India, if you are an adventure buff. A number of adventure options make the state adorable for adventure enthusiasts. Right from trekking to rafting, paragliding, skiing, mountain cycling, angling, ice skating and heli skiing – all kind of adventure sports options are available here. Listed below are destinations that you can visit for a particular sport

Rafting : the Sutlej near Shimla, the Beas near Kullu, the Ravi near Chamba and Chandra in Lahaul
Mountain Cycling : Kangra, Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur
Angling : For trouts - Rohru in the Pabbar valley (Shimla) , Baspa river in the Sangla valley, Uhl river near Barot, river Beas in the Kullu valley. For Mahsheer - The reservoir of the Maharana Pratap sagar, Nadaun along the river Beas, Chamba Pattan near Garli, river Giri, Gaura and river Yamuna
Paragliding : Bir-Billing, Bundla Dhar near Bilaspur, in the Kullu valley, Intkali in the Pabbar valley near Rohru in Shimla district.
Ice Skating - The Ice Skating Club, Shimla
Skiing : Kufri
Heli Skiing - Hanuman Tibba, Rohtang Pass, Deo Tibba and Chandrakhani Pass
Trekking : Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal ranges, routes over the passes between the Shimla region and the Kullu valley, Trans-Himalyan regions of Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti.

Monastery Trail – Himachal is one of those states in India where Buddhist culture is amply visible. Mc Leodganj in Dharamshala is the place where the exiled spiritual guru of the Tibetan Buddhists - Dalai Lama resides. The entire atmosphere of the area, hence reverberates with Buddhists chants. In areas like Lahaul and Spiti too there is a majority of Buddhist population. A number of Buddhist monasteries, therefore can be seen here. Most important Buddhist monasteries of the region include Kye Monastery, Tabo Monastery, Dhankar Monastery, Guru Ghantal Monastery, Namgyal Monastery, Kanum Monastery, Kardang Monastery, Shashur Monastery, Tayul Monastery and Thang Yug Gompa. These monasteries make for an interesting visit.

Wildlife Trails :  Wildlife of Himachal is also worth enjoying during a trip to the state. The Parks are the place where you can see the Snow Leopard, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Brown Bear, Himalayan Tahr and Musk Deer. Significant parks of the state are Great Himalayan National Park, Simbalbara Sanctuary,Renuka Sanctuary, Pin Valley National Park and Chail Wildlife Sanctuary.

Pilgrimage Tour – Apart from the monasteries, Himachal is also home to worship abodes of other religions. Manikaran, Paonta Sahib and Rewalsar are the most important amongst these. Other than these, Baijnath temple, Jwalamukhi Temple, Laxmi Narayan temple Chamunda Devi Temple, Jhakhu Temple, Chintapurni Temple, Naina Devi Temple, Bhimakali Temple, Hadimba Devi Temple, Bijli Mahadev Temple, Hatkoti Temples and Brajeshwari Devi Temple are also famous.

Tribal Tour –  For those interested in exploring the different tribes, Himachal Pradesh is a destination par excellence. The tribal population of Himachal resides primarily in Kinnaur , Lahual, Mandi, Kangra and Bilaspur. The most important tribes of Himachal Pradesh include Kinnaure, Lahule, Gaddi, Pirals and Gujjars