8 Refreshing Indian Hill Stations To Visit To Escape The Heat

Escaping to a cool, green hill station in the sweltering Indian summer is a perfect holiday. Indian hill stations provide a wonderful, scenic escape mostly to the mountains (in the north) and tea plantations (in the south). But don’t think that it is restricted to this, you will find waterfalls, gorgeous flora and fauna, lovely weather and historic and interesting sights. The adventurous will always find options for trekking, hiking, paragliding and other activities in Indian hill stations. But that’s not all! Indian hill stations also provide the most scenic routes to get there, so travelling there becomes just as much an adventure as visiting.

Indian hill stations are the perfect getaway spots, usually accessible for weekend getaways or short trips. And they are the quintessential honeymooner destinations (for those who couldn’t or don’t want to go abroad). Providing cool relief from the sweltering weather, some of these Indian Hill Stations are a must-visit, especially in the summers.

Indian hill stations you must visit

Pahalgam

This is a popular tourist destination and hill station in Jammu and Kashmir. With trekking, golf, trout fishing, white water rafting against the backdrop of the Himalayan ranges and various rejuvenating fun activities, Pahalgam has a lot to offer for nature lovers. Beetab valley, Sheshnag lake, Tulian lake are some of the most scenic and serene places you can visit in Pahalgam. The entirety of Kashmir itself is like one big, beautiful hill station and there are lots of hidden gems to explore in Kashmir.

Also read: Is Kashmir safe for tourist? Views from a local

Mukteshwar

Mukteshwar is one of the popular hill stations in the Nainital district, Uttarakhand. It is named after Lord Shiva (One who offers Moksha). Mukteshwar is surrounded by the beautiful reserve forests and fruit orchards. You can enjoy the scenic beauty of Garhwal, Kumaon & Nepal snow ranges which include Bandar Poonch, Chaukhamba, Neel Kanth, Trishul, Nandadevi, Panchachuli, Mt. API, and Nampa.

Mount Abu

It is the only hill station in western Rajasthan. The sunset view on the Aravali Range, Nakki Lake, the Dilwara Jain temples, Guru Shikar, the highest point in Mount Abu are the major tourist attractions.

Khandala

Khandala is a hill station in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. It is famous for the picturesque green valleys, treks and walks, Duke’s nose, and Rajmachi point. Kune falls is one of its most prominent features, a 3-tier waterfall against the backdrop of a gorgeous valley.

Khandala was made most famous by the song ‘Aati Kya Khandala‘ performed by Aamir Khan and Rani Mukherjee in the 1998 Hindi film Gulaam, at least by name, as the place in question wasn’t featured in the song.

Mussoorie

Mussoorie, The Queen of Hill Stations, located 35 kilometres from Dehradun covers dense forests of deodars, rivers and waterfalls. It is famous for the majestic view of the mountain ranges, ropeway on Gun Hill, and Trekking. This place is known for its scenic beauty, pleasant sunrises and sunsets that leave the visitors spellbound. Nag Tibba Trek, Kempty Falls, Mossy Falls, Lake Mist, Lal Tibba, Dhanaulti, Happy Valley, Jharipani Falls are some of the popular tourist attractions.

Mussoorie is also famous for the atmospheric phenomenon known as ‘Winterline’ and hosts a Winterline Carnival Festival in honour of this phenomenon and to promote its vibrant heritage. The Winterline phenomenon occurs in only two places in the world, one being Uttarakhand in India and the other Burn in Switzerland.

Also read: 7 spectacular natural phenomenon that occurs in the sky

Ranikhet

Ranikhet is one of the most beautiful of Indian hill stations in the Almora district, Uttarakhand. It is famous for Jhula Devi temple, Chaubatia, Uppat along with the majestic views of Himalayas.  

Also read: How I got the best of Ranikhet in 2 days

McLeod Ganj

A suburb of Dharamshala in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, it gives visitors an experience of Tibet. It is known as “Little Lhasa” or “Dhasa” because of its large population of Tibetans. It’s known for some of the most beautiful places like Pangong Lake, the great statue of Maitreya Buddha, Magnetic Hill, Military Hall of Fame, Khardongla Pass- the world’s highest motorable pass and Thiksey Monastery.

So which of these Indian hill stations do you plan to visit this summer?