North in June

A high alpine lake above Gulmarg, reached on foot or pony past Khilanmarg and the Apharwat ridge.

A vast twin meadow — Bodh Bangus and Lokut Bangus — ringed by fir forest near the LoC in Kupwara.

A deodar-forest village in the Bringi valley, developed as a community-tourism model village.

The 'Valley of Milk' — a broad grassy bowl at 2,730 m with a milky-white stream and grazing Gujjar herds.

India's ski resort — deep powder, the Gondola to Apharwat, and meadows in summer.

A remote Kishanganga valley of log houses beneath the pyramid of Habba Khatoon peak.

A riverside border village on the Kishanganga, with India on one bank and Pakistan-administered territory on the other.

A green orchard valley of walnut and apple groves, with the Kalaroos caves and the Nag Marg spring.

An old temple village at the trailhead for the Harmukh trek, ending at the twin lakes of Gangbal and Nundkol.

Lidder river valley of meadows, pine forest and pony rides — Kashmir's family favourite.

A 3,490 m pass on the Mughal Road between Shopian and Poonch, with meadows and a Sufi shrine.

The 'meadow of gold' and Thajiwas glacier — snow you can touch even in May.

Houseboats, shikaras, Mughal gardens and old-city food.

A huge high meadow below the Pir Panjal, formerly an army artillery range and long closed to visitors.

The upper Kishanganga valley beyond Gurez — wooden villages, shepherd camps and almost no visitors.

A small glacial lake at 3,800 m above Aru, usually done as an overnight camp from Pahalgam.

A bowl of alpine meadow in the Pir Panjal, 47 km from Srinagar, with pine slopes and pony trails.

One of Ladakh's oldest monasteries, above the eroded 'moonland' cliffs.

The old trading town of Ladakh — Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa and the monasteries of the Indus valley.

A homestay trek through desert canyons and tiny villages, over the Kongmaru La.

Over Khardung La to sand dunes, Diskit monastery and the Balti village of Turtuk.

A 130 km long high-altitude lake that changes colour through the day, reached over Chang La.

A remote, quiet high lake at Korzok, with nomad camps and black-necked cranes.

A remote valley of gompas, glaciers and river gorges, reached over Pensi La.

A hidden Uhl-river valley of trout hatcheries, deodar forest and the Rajgundha trek.

A short trek from Solang Nala to the glacial source of the Beas, under Indrasan and Deo Tibba.

A steep, short climb to a high alpine lake above Manali.

A former princely summer capital with the world's highest cricket ground and deodar forest all around.

A crossover trek from Naggar over a 3,660 m pass into the Malana side of Parvati Valley.

The last village on the Indo-Tibet road, along the Baspa river in Kinnaur.

Five hills of colonial charm plus the 'Mini Switzerland' meadow of Khajjiar at 1,920 m.

A high meadow trek to the base of Deo Tibba (6,001 m) beside the blue Chandratal lake.

Home of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government-in-exile, and a strong cafe-and-monastery scene.

A crossover trek from green Kullu into the barren Lahaul valley, often extended to Chandratal.

Wooden homestays by trout streams, Jalori Pass and Serolsar lake, Great Himalayan National Park at the door.

An old Kinnauri village of slate-roofed houses facing the Kinner Kailash range across the Sutlej.

A shallow freshwater lake at 2,934 m below the Minkiani Pass, through cedar and rhododendron forest.

A small colonial cantonment town on a ridge an hour above Chandigarh, with pine walks and old churches.

Riverside cafes in Kasol and a hike to hot springs at Kheerganga.

The sub-divisional capital of Spiti — base for Key Monastery, Kibber, Langza, Hikkim and Komik.

The classic honeymoon and family hill station, with winter snow at Solang and Atal Tunnel.

A high village around a turquoise lake on the old trade route to Tibet, with a 1,000-year-old monastery.

Kangra tea gardens and pine forest below the Dhauladhar, with the Neugal Khad at its edge.

A floating-island lake and pagoda temple on a high grassy bowl.

A dramatic crossover trek from Himachal into Uttarakhand, over a 4,650 m pass above the Rupin gorge.

The former summer capital of British India — the Mall, Ridge, Jakhoo temple and the toy train.

The first Lahaul village past the Atal Tunnel — waterfalls, the Chandrabhaga river and bare high mountains.

A high cold-desert loop through Kinnaur and Spiti — monasteries, fossil villages and Chandratal lake.

A 1,000-year-old mud-brick monastery often called the 'Ajanta of the Himalayas'.

A steep village climb above Barshaini to Tosh, then a further walk to the Kutla meadows.

The cultural capital of Kumaon — a horseshoe ridge town of temples, bazaars and Kasar Devi.

Snow slopes with a view of Nanda Devi, and India's best-known ski meadow outside Gulmarg.

Two quieter Kumaon lakes 20 minutes below Nainital, with paragliding and lakeside cottages.

A secluded cantonment above the Yamuna with Tiger Falls, deodar forest and Chilmiri Neck.

A short climb to the highest Shiva temple in the world and a 360° Himalayan summit.

Rolling alpine meadows at 3,600 m with a gentle gradient — the friendliest high-altitude trek in Garhwal.

A short climb to a forest lake that mirrors Chaukhamba on a still morning.

Walk to the source of the Ganga, then climb to the Tapovan meadows beneath Shivling.

A cradle-shaped valley below Swargarohini, walked through ancient Mahabharata-linked villages.

A Bhagirathi-side village of apple orchards and deodar forest, once called 'Mini Switzerland'.

A high-altitude gurudwara beside a glacial lake at 4,329 m, reached by a steep 6 km climb from Ghangaria.

A cluster of over 100 ancient stone temples inside a deodar forest, dating to the 8th–12th century.

Forest and meadow country on the Mussoorie–Chamba road, with camping and ziplining.

A ridge town facing a 300 km wall of peaks — Nanda Devi, Trishul and Panchachuli all in one frame.

One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, reached by a 16 km walk (or pony, palki or helicopter).

A steep, boulder-strewn climb from Gangotri to an emerald glacial lake under Thalay Sagar.

The quiet cantonment above Mussoorie — deodar walks, old bakeries and writers' cottages.

A quiet Garhwal cantonment town of pine ridges, a golf course and the Garhwal Rifles museum.

A remote Johar Valley route to a 5,500 m glacier, past the old silk-trade village of Milam.

A quiet ridge town with a 350-year-old Shiva temple and a clean sweep of the Kumaon Himalaya.

A remote Kumaon town facing the five peaks of Panchachuli.

The 'Queen of Hills' above Dehradun — Kempty Falls, Gun Hill, Camel's Back Road and the Mall.

A two-day weekend trek a few hours from Dehradun, with a camp under the stars.

The classic Kumaon lake town — Naini Lake, the Mall Road, Snow View and Naina Peak.

A long valley walk through Bageshwar villages to the snout of the Pindari glacier at 3,900 m.

A cantonment hill station of pine and oak forest, golf greens and colonial-era quiet.

A glacial lake at 5,029 m holding hundreds of human skeletons, reached over the deadly Ali–Bedni ridge.

A UNESCO-listed alpine valley that blooms with hundreds of flower species in the monsoon.