Four Hill Towns of Himachal — Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala & Dalhousie

The trip begins at Chandigarh, at the airport or the railway station, where your driver and car are waiting. From there it is uphill all the way to Shimla. The day is kept free of sightseeing so that the only thing to do on arrival is check in, have dinner at the hotel and rest.

A day in and above Shimla. The car takes you to Kufri, higher along the ridge, for the views and, depending on the month, the snow. The Himalayan Bird Park, with its collection of Himalayan pheasants, is the second stop. Anything you choose to do at Kufri, such as a pony ride, is paid for there.

The first of the trip’s long transfers, from the Shimla hills down to the Beas and up the Kullu valley to Manali. Nothing else is scheduled. The river keeps the road company for much of the afternoon, and you reach the hotel in time for dinner and a proper night’s sleep before the one full day here.

Manali’s day is spent north of town. Solang Valley is the open, grassy bowl where the cable car and paragliding operate; both are optional extras that you pay for on the spot. On the return, Vashisht offers a different mood: a hillside village with an old temple and hot sulphur springs that have drawn bathers for generations.

A transfer day westwards, out of Kullu and into Kangra. The scenery shifts as you go, from the narrow Beas valley to the wider, greener country under the Dhauladhar wall. No stops are planned. You arrive in Dharamshala for dinner and the night, with its sights saved for the morning.

The morning belongs to Dharamshala. Up the hill, McLeod Ganj is the centre of Tibetan life in India, busy with monks, cafés and prayer wheels. Just below it stands St John in the Wilderness, a nineteenth-century church among tall deodars, and lower down the cricket stadium sits against the mountains. From there the car continues to Dalhousie.

Dalhousie is spread over several wooded hills and keeps much of its hill-station character. The day links St John’s Church and St Francis Church by way of Mall Road, then heads out to Panchpula, where streams meet at a small waterfall, and to the Rock Garden. The Tibetan Market is the place for an unhurried last browse.

Departure day is also a full road day: the car leaves Dalhousie after breakfast and drives down to Chandigarh, dropping you at the airport or railway station. Please plan an evening or night departure, or an extra night in the city. We confirm a safe onward timing with you before anything is booked.