Cuddled in the Himalayan region of Northern India and enclosed by Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, the newly found state- Uttarakhand and the Chinese territory of Tibet, Himachal Pradesh is a beautiful state of India. This state is blessed with remarkably charming beauty of nature and its splendor. Spread over an area of 55, 670 square kilometers, this state has abundant natural beauty, and thus it has a number of beautiful hill stations and hill resorts. These hill stations are not only famous in India rather attracts a large number of international tourists too. As they say, it is the beauty lies in the eyes of the onlooker, but the natural beauty of Himachal Pradesh cannot be described in few words. Therefore, in the following write-up, we have mentioned some of the famous hill stations, which you must pay a visit to when in here.

Shimla

Sited in the foothills of the Shivalik ranges, Shimla is a spectacular capital of Himachal Pradesh. The elevation level of this stunning hill station ranges from 300 to 2200 meters above the sea level. Also known as “the Queen of Hill Stations”, this city gets its names from “Shyamala”- an incarnation of Hindu Goddess Kali, whose temple was once located there in the thick forest which has covered the Chalk Hill in the early 90s. Shimla (also pronounced as Simla) is amongst the famous places for honeymooners and holidaymakers in the northern part of India. Besides observing the amazing views of gorgeous valleys, tourists can visit various attractions like, the ancient Christ Church, Jakhu Hills, the Mall Road and go for excursions to Chail, Mashobra, Kufri and Naldhera. The ideal time to enjoy this place’s beauty is from “mid-September to mid-November” and “April to Mid-July”.

Manali

Situated at an altitude of 2, 050 meters above the sea level, in the Beas River Valley is a captivating hill station of Himachal Pradesh. This beautiful hill station is sited close to the northern end of the Kullu Valley. This hill station is named after the Hindu lawgiver Manu. Manali is considered as the converted name of “Manu Alaya” which means “the residence of Manu”. This attractive hill station is conferred with various gifts of nature like, picturesque landscapes, dense forests, steep cliffs and snow-capped peaks. Therefore, it forms a perfect base for many treks and hiking expeditions, which includes the Solang valley and the valley of Lahaul & Spiti. The ideal time to visit Manali is during summers (April to Mid-July) & light winters (September to November), when you can enjoy adventure activities. Some of the popular tourist attractions of Manali are, Hadimba Temple, Vashisth Bath, Raghunathji Temple, Arjun Gumpha, Tibetan Monastery etc. A must visit excursion destination from Manali is Rohtang Pass, which is the coldest place here and remains covered with snow throughout the year.

Besides these two most popular hill stations in Himachal Pradesh are, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Chamba, Kully Valley, Kasauli, Kinnaur (Spiti & Lahaul), Palampur, Narkanda, Khajjiar and Barog, which one must try to explore while visiting Himachal Pradesh.

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