Best mountain towns for a workation

Palampur, Almora and Bandipur lead a list of 18. Places where you can stay a month and still get work done: connectivity, long-stay rooms and somewhere to walk after five.

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. 1Himachal · KangraPalampurAbout ₹2,200 a day. Good.Kangra tea gardens and pine forest below the Dhauladhar, with the Neugal Khad at its edge.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: No dramatic viewpoint; it's a base, not a destination in itself.
2. 2Uttarakhand · Almora, KumaonAlmoraAbout ₹2,500 a day. Good.The cultural capital of Kumaon — a horseshoe ridge town of temples, bazaars and Kasar Devi.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: Not a scenic showpiece like Kausani; it's a working town.
3. 3Nepal · Tanahun, GandakiBandipurAbout ₹2,500 a day. Good.A preserved Newari hill town on a ridge above the Marsyangdi, between Kathmandu and Pokhara.Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Feb, Mar, Apr · Why not: Small; two nights is plenty unless you're using it as a trek base.
4. 4Himachal · Banjar, KulluJibhi & Tirthan ValleyAbout ₹2,500 a day. Decent Jio/Airtel; many homestays have Wi-Fi.Wooden homestays by trout streams, Jalori Pass and Serolsar lake, Great Himalayan National Park at the door.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct, Nov · Why not: Not dramatic snow peaks; it's a forest valley experience.
5. 5Himachal · KangraBir BillingAbout ₹2,500 a day. Good; several cafes and coworkings with Wi-Fi.India's paragliding capital, with Tibetan monasteries and a slow cafe scene below.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov · Why not: Outside paragliding there's little high-mountain drama.
6. 6Himachal · KangraDharamshala & McLeodganjAbout ₹2,500 a day. Excellent.Home of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government-in-exile, and a strong cafe-and-monastery scene.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: Busy and full of traffic in season; parking in McLeodganj is difficult.
7. 7Kashmir · AnantnagChatpalAbout ₹2,000 a day. Postpaid only; weak.A deodar-forest village in the Bringi valley, developed as a community-tourism model village.Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep · Why not: Very basic stays and little infrastructure.
8. 8Himachal · MandiBarot ValleyAbout ₹2,200 a day. Weak; BSNL mostly.A hidden Uhl-river valley of trout hatcheries, deodar forest and the Rajgundha trek.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: Basic facilities and a slow 3-hour drive from Mandi or Jogindernagar.
9. 9Darjeeling hills · Kalimpong, West BengalKalimpongAbout ₹2,500 a day. Good.A quieter hill town of flower nurseries, monasteries and old colonial buildings.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec · Why not: Lower and warmer; fewer big peak views from town.
10. 10Himachal · SolanKasauliAbout ₹2,800 a day. Excellent.A small colonial cantonment town on a ridge an hour above Chandigarh, with pine walks and old churches.Best months: Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov · Why not: Small; there is very little to do beyond walking and eating.
11. 11Uttarakhand · Nainital, KumaonMukteshwarAbout ₹2,800 a day. Decent 4G.A quiet ridge town with a 350-year-old Shiva temple and a clean sweep of the Kumaon Himalaya.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct, Nov · Why not: Very little nightlife or town activity; it's a stay-and-read place.
12. 12Nepal · Kaski, GandakiPokharaAbout ₹3,500 a day. Excellent.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.
13. 13Himachal · Parvati Valley, KulluTosh & KutlaAbout ₹1,800 a day. Weak Wi-Fi in Tosh cafes; nothing at Kutla.A steep village climb above Barshaini to Tosh, then a further walk to the Kutla meadows.Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct · Why not: Heavily commercialised in season, and the road up to Tosh is rough.
14. 14Uttarakhand · Nainital, KumaonBhimtal & NaukuchiatalAbout ₹2,500 a day. Good.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.
15. 15Uttarakhand · Tehri Garhwal / DehradunRishikeshAbout ₹2,500 a day. Excellent.Yoga capital in the Himalayan foothills — ashrams, Ganga aarti, river rafting.Best months: Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov · Why not: It is the foothills, not the high mountains — no snow, and it gets hot from May.
16. 16Uttarakhand · Mussoorie, DehradunLandourAbout ₹4,000 a day. Good.The quiet cantonment above Mussoorie — deodar walks, old bakeries and writers' cottages.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct, Nov · Why not: Mussoorie below is crowded and traffic-heavy on weekends.
17. 17Himachal · Dharamshala, KangraTriund & McLeodganjAbout ₹2,000 a day. Good in McLeodganj; signal on the ridge.A short ridge hike above McLeodganj with the Dhauladhar wall right in front of you.Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov · Why not: Triund is crowded on weekends and camping rules change; check current permissions.
18. 18Uttarakhand · DehradunMussoorieAbout ₹3,000 a day. Excellent.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.