The Himalayas — Roof of the World
The Himalayas stretch over 2,400 km along India's northern border — the highest mountain range in the world with peaks over 8,000 meters (including Kangchenjunga, 8,586 m, on the border with Nepal). For travelers, the Indian Himalayan regions offer some of the most spectacular landscapes on earth.
- Ladakh: "Little Tibet" — a high-altitude desert at 3,500–5,600 m with Buddhist monasteries, turquoise lakes (Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri), and the highest motorable road in the world (Khardung La, 5,359 m). Season: June–September.
- Himachal Pradesh: Shimla (colonial summer capital), Manali (trekking hub), Dharamsala/McLeod Ganj (seat of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile), the Spiti Valley (remote moon landscape with monasteries).
- Uttarakhand: Rishikesh (yoga on the Ganges), the Char Dham pilgrimage centers, the Valley of Flowers National Park (UNESCO World Heritage — hundreds of wildflower species in a high-altitude valley).
- Sikkim & Darjeeling: Tea plantation hills, views of Kangchenjunga, Tibetan-Buddhist culture, and the famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (UNESCO, "Toy Train").
