Winter is the best season to travel to Himachal and experience the breathtaking scenes of valleys, snow capped mountains, frozen lakes and also to indulge in some winter sports activities. Himachal Pradesh experiences heavy snowfalls in winter and hence when you are searching for some best places to visit in Himachal, the following should be added to your itinerary.
Here are some of the best places to visit in Himachal in winter:
Khajjiar
Why to visit in winters – Khajjiar otherwise known as India’s Switzerland is famous for its beautiful landscape and aura. Welcome this winter by visiting the best place in Himachal at Khajjiar and also experience the unique snowfall.
What to do – Visit to Golden Devi temple, Trek on Rohtang pass, Solang valley, visit Manu temple, go to Sankat Mochan temple, Jakhu temple, IIAS
What to see –The most amazing thing to see here is the Khajjiar Lake, smell some deodar trees in this small meadow, and explore the pristine beauty of this lake by strolling around those small ponds.
Manali
Why to visit in winters – Manali is one of the best places to visit in Himachal Pradesh in winter to see winter film shoots, or to paraglide or to raft or trek.
What to do – Paragliding at Manali or Zorbing on the green slopes of Solang valley.
What to see – Manikaran sulphur water bath, trek to Rohtang pass, Hampta pass trek, rafting at Rishikesh, Beas river side view, Hidimba Devi temple visit, Jogini waterfalls bath, trek to Bhrigu lake, etc.
Parashar Lake
Why to visit in winters – The Lake has a unique sight during winters and this is the only reason you have to make a visit to Parashar Lake this winter, this hidden gem of Himachal is great to be explored during winter season.
What to do – Visit the Devnal temple, Prashar Lake, Trokada mata Mandir, Trilonkanth temple
What to see – Temple hopping (lots of temples to hop), Panchvaktra temple and Arya samaj Mandir are worth seeing
Why to visit in winters – If there are any places to visit in Himachal in winter then, Kufri is the perfect spot for tourists. Situated on the Himalayan range, Kufri is almost like touching the snow paradise during winters, during winters the annual winter sports festival is held during the month of February
What to do – Take part in the skiing competition, Kufri is the provider of oldest skiing slopes in the whole of Himachal region, or go fro go karting in the Kufri circuit
What to see – Sprawl to see the Himalayan nature park, winter skiing at Fagu, or get exerted at Kufri fun world or learn skiing in the gentle slopes of Kufri.
Rohtang La
Why to visit in winters – Rohtang is the gateway to Ladakh, and as the name suggests that it is ground of corpses, adventurous travellers looking out for places to visit in Himachal Pradesh in winters pick Rohtang La.
What to do – Go trekking, have some hot water springs, relax at Hadimba temple, and also visit nearby places, ski and go for sledge rides on the valleys
What to see – The natural springs are great to see, Vashist is a small village near Rohtang and this is the place where Saint Vashist resided, go to this place and experience the hot water springs during winter.
Shimla
Why to visit in winters – The capital city of Himachal Pradesh is not only the best places to visit in Himachal Pradesh in winters, but this is also a hill station that is rich in its colonial history
What to do – What can be more tempting than to shop in the heart of the beautiful town of Shimla, soak this winter into the surrounding area of Shimla at Ridge, or take a joyful train ride through Kalka and Shimla.
What to see – Jakhoo temple has to be in the itinerary, appealing Christ church is worth seeing, get flattered by seeing the Kufri sceneries or see the tourists ski in the snow covered Kufri Mountains
Why to visit in winters – Spiti valley is the Indian favorite for witnessing some beautiful snow balls and snow rains. Full of monasteries and Tibetan culture, it’s one of the best places to visit in Himachal Pradesh in winters.
What to do – Take a ride on the Kunzum range by trekking at the Kunzum pass, or collect some ancient books at Key monastery or capture some memorable pictures at Chandratal Lake
What to see – One must definitely see the Toba monastery or Dhankar monastery or see the real photogenic lake Suraj Tal or Taste the tasty momos and Thupka at Dragon restaurant.
Solang Valley
Why to visit in winters – Here’s one from the Himalayas for snow lovers! The Solang valley looks magnificent when completely covered with snow during the winters and is a popular destination for skiing.
What to do – Tourists get lot of things to do here – from horse driving to paragliding, and mini open jeeps, this is an alluring place for any age group tourists. Go for zorbing as the snow melts or ski on the snow covered Solang valley
What to see – Nehru kund, Manu temple, Vashisht baths, Hadimba temple and adventure sports are few things to see and indulge in.
Malana
Why to visit in winters – The Malana a small village is famous for its Parvathi valley and its dam project Malana Hydro power station, Availability of Wi-Fi, local eateries, good restaurants, adventure, legend, myth, trekking and thrills are few of the pros of this hidden little village
What to do – Some famous attractions nearby are Chandrakhani pass, Bijli Mahadev temple, Manikaran and Naggar
What to see – The Athens of Himalayas provides some or other things for its tourists – from eateries, to hospitality to adventure tours.
Kullu
Why to visit in winters – Tourists normally prefer to go to Manali, but little are they aware that Kullu which is near to Manali is a nature’s paradise on Earth and that too mainly during winter seasons
What to do – Tourists normally want some best places to visit in Himachal in winters so that they can get some best adventure fun, indulge in some best things like river rafting, trekking, mountaineering and camping
What to see – Catch the festive look at Raghunath temple, see the flowing waters at Pandoh Dam, watch natural and scenic beauty of Kullu at Great Himalayan national park or take adventurous by fishing and rafting at River Beas of Kullu.
Narkanda
Why to visit in winters – Surrounded by woodlands and thick forest, tourists would love to visit this place, Narkanda is one of the best places to visit in Himachal in winters. This popular winter destination is famous for winter skiing
What to do – Touch the Hatu peak, or go skiing on the mountains, take a break for Tannu Jubbar lake picnic or eat some fresh apples from stokes farm
What to see – Watch the mountains and relax get immersed in the serenity of Mahamaya temple, shop at the city shopping for buying some pattoo or Himachal shawls and eat the local Narkanda cuisine at Negi dhaba.
Mcleodganj
Why to visit in winters – The best time to visit Mcleodganj is in winter, this the time where you can enjoy paragliding and do plenty of things and experience the real fun of winter in Himachals
What to do – The top most things to do in Mcloedganj is to trek in the mountains of Triund hills, enjoy the water fall at Bhagsu or visit the museums at Tibetan museum
What to see – Spin your prayer wheels at Kalachakra temple, find peace at Tsechokling Gompa or hit the peak of Naddi view point to see the beauty of Mcleodganj.