Anantnag · Jammu & Kashmir
Pahalgam
2,740 m · Best Apr – Oct
Mountain destinations for beginners
You don't need to be a trekker to wake up to Himalayan or Western Ghats views. These hill places need no long hikes or special acclimatisation, and they're straightforward to reach.
How we chose these: Mountain places with easy physical effort, below 3,000 m (or no altitude concern) and not remote.
13 places
Nainital · Uttarakhand
Nainital
2,084 m · Best Mar – Jun, Oct – Nov
Munnar · Kerala
Munnar Tea Gardens
Low altitude · Best Sep – May
Kodagu · Karnataka
Coorg
Low altitude · Best Oct – Mar
Baramulla · Jammu & Kashmir
Gulmarg
2,650 m · Best Dec – Mar (snow), May – Jun (meadows)
Aizawl · Mizoram
Aizawl
Low altitude · Best Oct – Mar
Ganderbal · Jammu & Kashmir
Sonamarg
2,800 m · Best May – Sep
Ooty · Tamil Nadu
Nilgiri Mountain Railway
2,240 m · Best Mar – Jun, Sep – Nov
Alluri Sitharama Raju · Andhra Pradesh
Araku Valley
Low altitude · Best Oct – Mar
Manali · Himachal Pradesh
Solang Valley
2,560 m · Best Dec – Feb (snow), May – Jun
Darjeeling · West Bengal
Tiger Hill
2,567 m · Best Oct – Dec, Mar – May
West Sikkim · Sikkim
Pelling
2,150 m · Best Oct – Dec
Ramgarh · Jharkhand
Patratu Valley
Low altitude · Best Jul – Feb