Himalaya in September

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.

Seven days over high passes between turquoise alpine lakes — often called India's most beautiful trek.

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

A hard trek from Aru up the Lidder valley to the largest glacier in Kashmir, under Kolahoi peak (5,425 m).

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.

Twin alpine lakes ringed by snow peaks, quieter than Great Lakes.

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.

India's paragliding capital, with Tibetan monasteries and a slow cafe scene below.

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 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.

A short ridge hike above McLeodganj with the Dhauladhar wall right in front of you.

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

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.

Where the Ganga leaves the mountains — Har Ki Pauri, the evening aarti, and the gateway to Char Dham.

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.

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.

Yoga capital in the Himalayan foothills — ashrams, Ganga aarti, river rafting.

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.

A preserved Newari hill town on a ridge above the Marsyangdi, between Kathmandu and Pokhara.

The two best-preserved Newari cities in the valley — Durbar Squares, courtyards and metalwork alleys.

A short, low-altitude teahouse loop through Gurung villages below the Annapurna South face.

The ancestral seat of the Shah dynasty, with the hilltop Gorkha Durbar and Gorakhnath temple.

Nepal's tea capital — emerald garden slopes, Antu Danda sunrises and Sandakphu views into India.

Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Durbar Squares, and a Himalayan sunrise from Nagarkot.

The birthplace of the Buddha, with the Maya Devi Temple, the Ashoka Pillar and a monastic zone of world temples.

A temple sacred to Hindus and Buddhists at 3,710 m in the Mustang rain-shadow.

Lakeside town under the Annapurnas — boating, paragliding, cafes and sunrise at Sarangkot.

Nepal's largest lake at 2,990 m, in the remote Karnali region inside Rara National Park.

A historic hill town of Newari traders between Pokhara and Lumbini, with a durbar and metalwork bazaar.

The former Kingdom of Lo — cave cities, red cliffs and the walled capital of Lo Manthang.

Tea estates, the UNESCO toy train and sunrise over Kanchenjunga from Tiger Hill.

A quieter hill town of flower nurseries, monasteries and old colonial buildings.

A lake town ringed by tea gardens and orange orchards, near the Nepal border.

Sikkim's tidy hill capital — MG Marg, Rumtek monastery and Kanchenjunga on clear mornings.

A hill town with a large monastery, apple orchards and views over the Kameng valleys.

A river valley of Monpa villages, a stone dzong, hot springs and kiwi orchards on the Tawang road.

India's largest monastery in a high valley near Bhutan and Tibet, reached over the snowy Sela Pass.

A wide valley of Apatani villages, pine hills and paddy fields, home to the Ziro Music Festival.

The Kamakhya Shakti Peeth on Nilachal hill, Brahmaputra cruises and Umananda island.

A grassy rim above huge green gorges, with steps down to the hidden village of Rasong.

A spotless Khasi village with a living root bridge and a bamboo sky-view tower over Bangladesh.

Often called the wettest place on earth, with a limestone cave and a natural Shiva-linga stalagmite.

A steep stair-trek into a jungle valley to living bridges grown from rubber-tree roots, and the Rainbow Falls.

A hill capital of pine ridges, cafes, live music and colonial-era lanes.

Plunging waterfalls like Nohkalikai, limestone caves and gorge views over Bangladesh.