Best mountain trips with children

Auli, Bhimtal & Naukuchiatal and Chail lead a list of 20. Easy to reach, easy on small legs, and not too high.

Ranked from our own destination data on season, difficulty, altitude, cost and who each place suits. Not paid for, and not the same as “most popular”.

1. 1Uttarakhand · Joshimath, ChamoliAuli3,050 m, easy, 4–5 days.Snow slopes with a view of Nanda Devi, and India's best-known ski meadow outside Gulmarg.Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov · Why not: Snowfall is unreliable some winters; check reports before booking a ski trip.
2. 2Uttarakhand · Nainital, KumaonBhimtal & Naukuchiatal1,400 m, easy, 2–3 days.Two quieter Kumaon lakes 20 minutes below Nainital, with paragliding and lakeside cottages.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: Less to do in town; you'll want a vehicle.
3. 3Himachal · SolanChail2,250 m, easy, 2 days.A former princely summer capital with the world's highest cricket ground and deodar forest all around.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: Small; the palace and cricket ground are the main draws.
4. 4Himachal · ChambaDalhousie & Khajjiar2,340 m, easy, 3–4 days.Five hills of colonial charm plus the 'Mini Switzerland' meadow of Khajjiar at 1,920 m.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: Far from everything else; a long detour from Manali or Shimla.
5. 5Darjeeling hills · Darjeeling, West BengalDarjeeling2,590 m, easy, 3–4 days.Tea estates, the UNESCO toy train and sunrise over Kanchenjunga from Tiger Hill.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec · Why not: Crowded and traffic-heavy in May–June and around Durga Puja.
6. 6Sikkim · East SikkimGangtok2,100 m, easy, 3–4 days.Sikkim's tidy hill capital — MG Marg, Rumtek monastery and Kanchenjunga on clear mornings.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec · Why not: A busy town, not a mountain retreat — use it as a base.
7. 7Uttarakhand · HaridwarHaridwar350 m, easy, 2 days.Where the Ganga leaves the mountains — Har Ki Pauri, the evening aarti, and the gateway to Char Dham.Best months: Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov · Why not: Hot, crowded and commercial from March to June.
8. 8Nepal · BagmatiKathmandu Valley & Nagarkot2,175 m, easy, 3–4 days.Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Durbar Squares, and a Himalayan sunrise from Nagarkot.Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Feb, Mar, Apr · Why not: City traffic and dust; the mountains are a view, not an experience.
9. 9Assam · Golaghat & NagaonKaziranga National Park80 m, easy, 3 days.UNESCO-listed grassland home to most of the world's one-horned rhinos, plus tigers, elephants and wild buffalo.Best months: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr · Why not: Not mountains — it's the Brahmaputra floodplain, and it closes in the monsoon.
10. 10Uttarakhand · Pauri GarhwalLansdowne1,800 m, easy, 2–3 days.A quiet Garhwal cantonment town of pine ridges, a golf course and the Garhwal Rifles museum.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: Limited stay options and almost no adventure activities.
11. 11Nepal · Rupandehi, LumbiniLumbini180 m, easy, 2–3 days.The birthplace of the Buddha, with the Maya Devi Temple, the Ashoka Pillar and a monastic zone of world temples.Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar · Why not: Very hot from April to June; the monastic zone is spread out and needs cycling or a rickshaw.
12. 12Meghalaya · East Khasi HillsMawlynnong900 m, easy, 2 days.A spotless Khasi village with a living root bridge and a bamboo sky-view tower over Bangladesh.Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr · Why not: Busy with day-trippers by late morning.
13. 13Darjeeling hills · Darjeeling, West BengalMirik1,600 m, easy, 2 days.A lake town ringed by tea gardens and orange orchards, near the Nepal border.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec · Why not: Small — most people only spend a few hours.
14. 14Uttarakhand · DehradunMussoorie2,290 m, easy, 2–3 days.The 'Queen of Hills' above Dehradun — Kempty Falls, Gun Hill, Camel's Back Road and the Mall.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: Heavy weekend traffic and crowds; Landour next door is far calmer.
15. 15Uttarakhand · Nainital, KumaonNainital2,615 m, easy, 3–4 days.The classic Kumaon lake town — Naini Lake, the Mall Road, Snow View and Naina Peak.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: Very crowded in summer and on long weekends; parking is a nightmare.
16. 16Kashmir · AnantnagPahalgam2,400 m, easy, 3–4 days.Lidder river valley of meadows, pine forest and pony rides — Kashmir's family favourite.Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct · Why not: Crowded during the Amarnath Yatra (July–August) with heavy security.
17. 17Sikkim · West SikkimPelling2,150 m, easy, 3–4 days.A ridge town facing Kanchenjunga, with Pemayangtse monastery, Rabdentse ruins and a glass skywalk.Best months: Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec · Why not: Clouds hide the peak for days at a time outside October–December and March–April.
18. 18Nepal · Kaski, GandakiPokhara1,600 m, easy, 3–4 days.Lakeside town under the Annapurnas — boating, paragliding, cafes and sunrise at Sarangkot.Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Feb, Mar, Apr · Why not: Views hide behind haze and cloud from May to September.
19. 19Uttarakhand · Almora, KumaonRanikhet2,100 m, easy, 2–3 days.A cantonment hill station of pine and oak forest, golf greens and colonial-era quiet.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: Deliberately uneventful; not a place for activities.
20. 20Meghalaya · East Khasi HillsShillong1,965 m, easy, 2–3 days.A hill capital of pine ridges, cafes, live music and colonial-era lanes.Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr · Why not: Traffic jams in town; the best of Meghalaya is outside it.