India is blessed to have a lot of beautiful and peaceful places and hill stations in India contribute a lot to the same. Hill stations in India are amazingly beautiful and impart memorable experiences to all those who love and appreciate natural beauty. India is full of such hill stations, some of which are listed below –
Famous Hill Stations in India
Darjeeling
Located in Lesser Himalaya, Darjeeling is one of the best place to visit in India. This beautiful hill station in India is known for the amazing views of the world. The third-highest mountain – Kanchenjunga is here and it’s something that makes every visitor awestruck by its beauty and majesty. March, April, May, June, October and November are the best months to visit Darjeeling. The city is easily accessible via trains, bus and flights. Himalayan Railway is the nearest railway station to this beautiful hill station. Darjeeling has got good road connections with Gangtok, Kathmandu, Siliguri, Kurseong and Kalimpong and can be reached via bus or private vehicle from any of these places. The nearest airport to this Indian hill station is Bagdogra Airport.
Ooty
Sited in the Nilgiri Hills, Ooty is amongst the top 10 hill stations in India. Being one of the popular hill stations in India, Ooty is blessed with spectacular beauty and amazing peace. Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Botanical Gardens, Pykara Lake and Pykara Falls, Avalanche Falls, Doddabetta Peak, Rose Garden, Emerald Lake and Ooty Lake are some of the famous attractions of this beautiful hill station in India. Summer season is considered as the most appropriate time to visit Ooty, Ooty has got good road connectivity to nearby areas. Chennai lies at a distance of 535 km from Ooty. The road distance between Ooty and Coimbatore is 80 kms while it is 155 km in case of Mysore. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway imparts good rail connectivity to Ooty from different parts of the nearby states. Ooty can also be reached via air and Coimbatore is the nearest airport to Ooty.
Manali
Nestled in the mountain ranges of Himachal Pradesh, Manali is one of the top hill stations in India. This popular hill station in India is known for its heart-engaging scenic beauty. Tourists would love to visit Beas River, Hidimba Devi Temple, Manikaran Gurudwara, Solang Valley, Jogini Waterfalls and Naggar Castle while being in Manali. Most of the tourists love to experience the snowfall and hence November to March is the best time period to visit Manali. This Indian hill station has good road connectivity and can be reached easily via public transport such as buses, Volvos etc as well as via your personal vehicle. Manali can also be easily reached via trains and flights.
Shimla
The list of hill stations in India is quite long and Shimla is amongst the most famous ones. It is the largest city as well as the capital city of Himachal Pradesh and is known for its handicrafts apart from its striking scenic beauty. This popular hill station in India has got good road network and it connects to many nearby places via National Highway 22. One can easily witness heavy local transport connecting Shimla to its nearby suburbs. Shimla is also well connected to different parts of the nation via flights. Shimla Airport lies at the distance of 23 km from the city at Jubbarhatti. Chandigarh is the nearest major airport to Shimla. Shimla also possesses the most scenic railway track in India known as the Kalka Shimla Railway.
Nainital
Sited at the foothills of the outer Himalayas, Nainital is amongst the best hill stations in Uttarakhand. It lies in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and is set in a valley possessing pear-shaped lake surrounded by mountains having the circumference of around two miles. Nainital does not own any airport itself but the nearest airport to this beautiful Indian hill station lies at a distance of 65 km in Pantnagar. This hill station also enjoys excellent road networks and can be easily reached by buses, taxis and other means of road transport. Apart from air and road route, Nainital can also be reached by trains. The nearest railway station to this hill station is in Kathgodam.
Coorg
Coorg, also known as Kodagu, is one of the top 10 hill stations in India. I t is nestled in the deep valleys and green hills of Karnataka and is famous for its scenic charm and attractive views. This place attracts tourists not only for its incomparable scenic beauty but also for multiple backdrops from the history. Madikeri Fort, Abbey Falls, Pushpa Giri Wildlife Sanctuary, Gaddige etc are some of the must to visit places in and around Coorg. The months between October to April provide the best time period to visit this beautiful hill station in India. Coorg can be easily reached via road, rail and air at any time during the year.
Munnar
Surrounded by the serene hills having tea plantations, Munnar is amongst the best hill stations in India. It is situated in the Western Ghats range and lies in the Idukki district of Kerala. This hill station serves very well to those travelers who love adventure, paragliding, trekking and other similar activities. Other attractions of this beautiful Indian hill station include stone Christ Church (built in 1910 by British), Eravikulam National Park and much more. The nearest major railway stations to this hill station are at Aluva and Ernakulam. Udumalaipettai is the nearest functioning railway station as per the Google maps. Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport to this hill station.
Kodaikanal
The list of hill stations in India includes Kodaikanal at its top. Located in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu, this Indian hill station is popularly known as the “Princess of Hill stations” in India for the extraordinary beauty and scenic charm possessed by it. Apart from scenic beauty, this hill station has got much more including Bryant Park, Kodaikanal Lake, Pillar Rocks, Green Valley View, Berijam Lake, Guna Cave and the list goes on. This Indian hill station is very connected to the nearby areas via roads. One can also reach here by air by landing at Madurai Airport or Coimbatore Airport, the nearest airports to this place. Tiruchirapally International Airport is the nearest international airport to this place.
Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar is one of the best hill stations in India and is heavily visited by numerous local and international travelers each year. It lies in Satara district of Maharashtra and is settled in the Western Ghats range. Three Monkey Point, Krishnabai Temple, Arthur Seat Point, Venna Lake, Wilson Point, Lingmala Waterfalls, Elephant Point are some of the attractions of this hill station. It lies at a road distance of about 32 km from Wai and at 260 km from Mumbai. It is well connected to all major nearby areas via road. Satara Railways Station is the nearest railway station to this Indian hill station and is around 60 km away from here. Pune International Airport is the nearest airport connecting Mahabaleshwar to rest of the places via air transport.
Dehradun
This city is amongst the top 10 hill stations in India located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Dehradun is nestled between two mightiest rivers in India – the Ganges and the Yamuna is in the foothills of Himalayas. This hill station is famous for its scenic beauty and milder climate. It is well connected via roads, rails and air routes to different parts of the India. Jollygrant Airport is the nearest airport being at the distance of only 25 km from the city center. The best time to visit this amazing Indian hill station starts from October and remains till February.
Mount Abu
Mount Abu is amongst the top 10 hill stations in India and is located in the Sirohi district of Rajasthan. It is home to evergreen forests, rivers and lakes in the deserted Rajasthan and hence is also known as the ‘oasis in the desert’. Being located in Aravali range, this hill station of India is known for its attractive rocky structures along with scenic green hills. This hill station is famous for its temples. It is well connected via railways to different parts of India and the nearest railway station to this place lies at a distance of 22 km only. Road and air connectivity of this place to the rest of the India is also good.
Dharamshala
Dharamshala, being one of the most beautiful hill stations in India, is home to hundreds of tourists every year. It is located in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh and is famous for its serene and peaceful surroundings. This Indian hill station is well connected to its nearby areas via road. The connectivity of this place via railways and air is also good. Gaggal is the nearest airport and is just 13 km from this city. Pathankot Railway Station is the nearest major railway station to Dharamshala. The best seasons to visit this hill station of India are the autumn and spring seasons.
Mussoorie
Mussoorie lies in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand and is amongst the most popular hill stations in India. Being nestled in the Garhwal Himalayan range, this Indian hill station is full of fascinating green hills and varied flora and fauna. Mussoorie has got a lot of attractions including the Gun hill, Kempty Falls, Bhatta Falls, Lake Mist, Mussoorie Lake, Jharipani Fall, Nag Tibba, Cloud End and a lot more. It is well connected via road to major Indian cities. The nearest railway station to Mussoorie lies in Dehradun and can be easily used by the tourists. The months from March to November are the best months to visit this hill station of India.
Gangtok
Located at an elevation of 1,650 m in the Eastern Himalayan range. Gangtok is one of highest hill stations in India. This beautiful hill station in India is blessed with extraordinary picturesque environment and enjoys moderate climate round the year. Apart from heart-engaging beauty and peaceful surroundings, this Indian hill station is known for its monasteries and pilgrim sites devoted to Lord Buddha. Gangtok is well connected via roads to nearby cities and National Highway 31A connects it to the Siliguri city in West Bengal. New Jalpaiguri is the nearest railway station to Gangtok and is located in Siliguri at a distance of 124 km. The closest airport to this attractive hill station in India lies in Siliguri again and its name is Bagdogra Airport.
Matheran
Matheran is one of the most popular hill stations in India and lies in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. It is nestled in the Western Ghats range and is the smallest hill station in India as well as Asia’s only hill station that is free of automobiles. Matheran attracts a large number of tourists each year for it offers them multiple look-out points. Some of these are – Panorama Point, One Tree Hill Point, Louisa Point, Monkey Point, and Heart Point etc. This Indian hill station is well connected to Mumbai and other nearby cities via roads. The nearest railway station to this hill station lies in Neral whereas Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
