Splendors of Himachal: 11-Day Tour of Shimla, Manali and McLeod Ganj (Dharamshala)

Up into the hills to Shimla

Fly into Chandigarh, usually from Delhi, where your driver meets you. The road climbs from the plains through the Shivalik foothills, with pine forests and terraced fields, to Shimla, set along a ridge at about 2,200 metres. It passes Parwanoo and Solan, and there are roadside dhabas for a cup of tea and a plate of hot parathas on the way. The bends are many, so take a travel-sickness tablet if you need one.

From 1864 Shimla was the summer capital of British India, when the whole government moved up from Calcutta to escape the heat. The town still looks the part, with its steep lanes, tin roofs and Victorian buildings stacked on the hillside.

In the evening, walk along the Mall and the Ridge, which are closed to traffic, past mock-Tudor buildings, the Gaiety Theatre and Christ Church, consecrated in 1857. From Scandal Point, where the two meet, walk down to Lakkar Bazaar for carved wooden souvenirs. Evenings are cool, so carry a light jacket.

• ArrivalMeet at Chandigarh airport and drive to Shimla
• EveningThe Mall, the Ridge and Lakkar Bazaar

OvernightShimla, 2 nights, at a heritage-style hotel.

Colonial Shimla and the Kalka to Shimla toy train

Visit the Viceregal Lodge, completed in 1888 as the summer residence of the viceroys and now the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. Guided tours show the teak-panelled halls where the Simla Conference of 1945 met in the run-up to independence, and the gardens look out over the hills.

Take a short ride on the narrow-gauge Kalka to Shimla railway, opened in 1903 and part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing of the Mountain Railways of India. The line winds through more than 100 tunnels and over arched stone bridges; we usually ride the scenic stretch between Shimla and Shoghi or Tara Devi.

If you have energy, walk up to the Jakhoo Temple, dedicated to Hanuman, on the highest point in Shimla. Keep sunglasses and food out of sight: the temple's monkeys are bold thieves.

• MorningViceregal Lodge
• MiddayToy-train ride on the Kalka to Shimla railway
• AfternoonOptional Jakhoo Temple

OvernightShimla.

Through the Kullu Valley to Manali

A long, scenic day, so we leave soon after breakfast. The road drops to the Sutlej and Beas rivers, passes Mandi with its old stone temples, and runs along the Pandoh reservoir before entering the Kullu Valley, the 'Valley of the Gods', with apple orchards and views of the Pir Panjal range. Beyond Pandoh the road runs through a narrow gorge where the Beas rushes below.

Stop in Kullu to see a shawl weaving workshop, famous for its geometric patterned borders, woven on wooden handlooms. In late summer and autumn, roadside stalls sell fresh apples, plums and local juices. If you would like something more active, the Beas can be rafted on gentle stretches near Kullu in spring and autumn.

Arrive in Manali, at about 2,050 metres at the head of the valley, in the evening. For dinner, try river trout, a local speciality, or siddu, a steamed bread stuffed with walnut or poppy-seed paste and eaten with ghee.

• MorningDrive via Mandi and the Pandoh reservoir
• AfternoonKullu Valley and a shawl workshop; optional rafting
• EveningArrive in Manali

OvernightManali, 3 nights.

Old Manali, the Hadimba Temple and Naggar Castle

Walk through the cedar forest to the Hadimba Temple, built in 1553 and dedicated to the demoness-goddess Hadimba, wife of the Pandava prince Bhima. Its four-tiered wooden roof and carved doorway are a fine example of Himalayan temple architecture; look for the animal horns fixed to its walls. Go early, before the queues of day visitors.

Explore Old Manali, a village of stone-and-timber houses, apple orchards and cafés, and visit the Manu Temple. Then cross the river to Vashisht and its hot sulphur springs, where locals still bathe in the temple's stone tanks. Separate bathing areas are kept for men and women.

In the afternoon, drive down the valley to Naggar, the old capital of Kullu. Its 15th-century castle of stone and wood looks over the valley, and nearby is the Roerich Art Gallery, the former home of the Russian painter Nicholas Roerich, filled with his luminous Himalayan landscapes. Have tea on the castle terrace before heading back to Manali.

• MorningHadimba Temple, Old Manali and Vashisht
• AfternoonNaggar Castle and the Roerich Art Gallery

OvernightManali.

Solang Valley and the Atal Tunnel

Drive up to the Solang Valley, a broad meadow below snow peaks. In season you can ride the ropeway for views, paraglide in tandem with a licensed pilot, or play in the snow in winter and spring. Activities are optional and paid locally; your guide will steer you to licensed operators.

Continue through the Atal Tunnel, about 9 km long and opened in 2020, under the Pir Panjal range into Lahaul. The landscape on the far side changes completely: bare, high-altitude valleys and Buddhist villages along the Chandra River. Visit Sissu with its waterfall and lake, then return to Manali. Sissu is at about 3,100 metres, so walk slowly and carry a warm layer, even on a sunny day.

Weather can close the road to Lahaul in winter; if it does, we spend longer in Solang or visit the Jogini waterfall walk instead. Weekends and Indian holidays bring heavy traffic to Solang and the tunnel, so an early start helps. Back in Manali, the evening is free for the Mall Road and its shops.

• MorningSolang Valley; optional ropeway or paragliding
• AfternoonAtal Tunnel to Sissu in Lahaul
• EveningBack in Manali

OvernightManali.

To Dharamshala via Baijnath and the Palampur tea gardens

Drive down the Kullu Valley and west into the Kangra Valley, with the Dhauladhar range rising sharply behind it. The route crosses the hills between the two valleys, with pine forest, small market towns and terraced fields along the way. It is a long day, but the stops break it up well.

Stop at Baijnath, where a stone Shiva temple built in 1204 is still in worship. Look at the carved figures on its outer walls and the inscriptions in the porch. Then continue to Palampur, among India's northernmost tea gardens, where you can see how Kangra tea is made and walk between the bushes with the snow peaks above.

Arrive in the evening at McLeod Ganj, above the town of Dharamshala at about 2,000 metres, and check in for four nights. The last stretch climbs steeply through deodar and pine forest. Have a quiet first evening, with prayer flags and the sound of temple bells around you.

• MorningDrive into the Kangra Valley
• MiddayBaijnath Temple
• AfternoonPalampur tea gardens
• EveningArrive in McLeod Ganj

OvernightMcLeod Ganj, 4 nights, at a hotel such as Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort.

The Dalai Lama's temple and the Tibet Museum

After China took control of Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, and since 1960 McLeod Ganj has been the seat of the Tibetan government in exile. It is often called 'Little Lhasa'.

Visit the Tsuglagkhang complex, the main temple of the Tibetan community, next to the Dalai Lama's residence. Join pilgrims turning prayer wheels on the kora path around it, and watch monks debating in the courtyard of Namgyal Monastery, their claps marking each point. Next door, the Tibet Museum tells the story of Tibet and the exile.

In the afternoon, walk through the market for Tibetan handicrafts, singing bowls and thangkas, and try momos and thukpa, the Tibetan dumplings and noodle soup. If the Dalai Lama is in residence and teaching, we can help you register to attend.

• MorningTsuglagkhang complex, the kora path and Namgyal Monastery
• AfternoonTibet Museum and the market

OvernightMcLeod Ganj.

Bhagsu waterfall, Dharamkot and St John in the Wilderness

Walk to Bhagsunag, with its old Shiva temple and spring-fed pool, and on to the Bhagsu waterfall, fullest after the monsoon. Continue up to Dharamkot, a hillside village of cafés, yoga and meditation centres with views to the Triund ridge. Stop for coffee or a light lunch in one of its small cafés.

In the afternoon, visit St John in the Wilderness, a Gothic stone church built in 1852 in a deodar forest, where the Viceroy Lord Elgin is buried, and the nearby Dal Lake, a small lake fringed with deodars. Look for the church's stained-glass windows and the old graves in the churchyard.

For a bigger day, fit walkers can hike to Triund instead, a ridge at about 2,900 metres with a close view of the Dhauladhar peaks. It is about 9 km each way, with a steady climb. Wear proper walking shoes, start early, and carry water and snacks; there are basic tea stalls on the trail.

• MorningBhagsu waterfall and Dharamkot
• AfternoonSt John in the Wilderness and Dal Lake
• OptionalFull-day hike to Triund

OvernightMcLeod Ganj.

Norbulingka Institute and the Kangra Valley

Drive down to the Norbulingka Institute, built to preserve Tibetan arts in exile. Watch artists at work on thangka painting, wood carving, metal statue-making and appliqué, and walk through its Japanese-inspired gardens and temple. The temple holds a large gilded statue of the Buddha, and the shop sells pieces made in the workshops. The workshops are busiest on working days, so we time the visit to see the artists at work.

The afternoon is yours. Ideas include a Tibetan cooking class, where you learn to fold momos, a meditation or Buddhist philosophy session at the Tushita centre in Dharamkot, or the Kangra Fort, one of the oldest forts in India, and the 8th-century rock-cut temples at Masrur, carved from a single sandstone ridge. Kangra and Masrur together take most of the afternoon.

If you prefer a slow day, sit in a café in McLeod Ganj with a pot of Kangra tea and watch monks and pilgrims walking the kora path.

• MorningNorbulingka Institute
• AfternoonFree, or a cooking class, meditation, or Kangra Fort and Masrur

OvernightMcLeod Ganj.

Down to the plains and Le Corbusier's Chandigarh

Drive down from the Kangra Valley to the plains and on to Chandigarh. The hills fall away in stages, through pine forest and small towns, to the Punjab plain with its wheat and mustard fields. We stop for lunch on the way; try a Punjabi meal of dal makhani, sarson ka saag and makki di roti in season.

Chandigarh is India's first planned city, designed by Le Corbusier in the 1950s, laid out in numbered sectors with wide, tree-lined roads. His Capitol Complex, with the High Court, the Legislative Assembly and the Open Hand Monument, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing of his work.

If time allows, visit the Rock Garden, a fantastical sculpture garden built in secret by Nek Chand, a road inspector, from broken crockery, tiles and industrial waste. Then end the day with a walk beside Sukhna Lake at sunset, a favourite with local families.

• DayDrive to Chandigarh
• Late afternoonOptional Rock Garden
• SunsetSukhna Lake

OvernightChandigarh, 1 night, near the airport.

Fly home from Chandigarh

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast, and if your flight is later in the day, take a last look at Chandigarh's sights, such as the Rose Garden, before you leave.

Transfer to Chandigarh airport for your flight to Delhi or onward. If your international flight leaves from Delhi in the evening, we can drive you there instead, about 5 hours on the highway, with a stop for lunch. Allow a good margin for traffic as you approach Delhi.

• MorningBreakfast; optional Rose Garden
• DepartureTransfer to Chandigarh airport, or drive to Delhi