Tailormade Himachal Pradesh Tour Packages

For many travellers, Himachal Pradesh is synonymous with mountain tourism in India. The state up north has always attracted thrill-seekers and peace-seekers. The infrastructure and topography of Himachal offer some of the most exhilarating experiences in India, making it a favourite of thrill-seekers.

The many serene, laid back hamlets and towns afford peace and tranquillity. The stunning views of the Shivalik and the Great Himalaya ranges and the powerful, gushing waters of the Beas, Chenab, Ravi, Satluj and Yamuna rivers are a big draw and make Himachal Pradesh Tour Packages extremely sought after.

• OVERVIEW
• TOP ATTRACTIONS
• THINGS TO DO
• PLACES TO VISIT
• ITINERARY
• COST
• FAQ

OVERVIEW

HIMACHAL PRADESH TOUR PACKAGES

Flying Squirrel Holidays personalises your Himachal Tour Plan according to what you want to experience. The summer season is especially favoured for Honeymoon Packages to Himachal Pradesh, as the pleasant weather enhances the natural beauty of the state. Nature walks, fun sports, spiritual retreats and wildlife safaris also make family Tour Packages to Himachal Pradesh popular.

When is the best time to visit Himachal?

There really is no one perfect time to visit Himachal. The summers last between March and June, and are the most popular time to visit. The pleasant weather, with the crispy sunny days and cool nights, make the summers busy. The Hadimba Devi Festival which marks the beginning of the summer seasons in the state is celebrated with passion, and is a riot of colours.

It is a great time to witness the vibrant culture of the state, as locals perform traditional music and dances! The warmer months are the only time trekking and hiking are allowed in the state too. Even spending a relaxing vacation, shopping on the Mall Roads of the hill stations and enjoying natural beauty is best enjoyed between March and June.

Monsoons in Himachal are days out of a fairytale. The rain casts mists over the blooming, verdant trees and petrichor marks every street. In the town of Chamba, the Minjar Festival is celebrated with a lot of grandness with the hope of reaping a good corn harvest.

Going up to Kasol is also popular at this time to see the River Parvati in its utmost flow. However, one must be careful of the frequent landslides during the rains.

Himachal is a Winter Wonderland between December and February. It is a great place to enjoy snowfall and the mountains are blanketed with snow. The frozen lakes during these months along with the snow make it ideal for outdoor sports like skiing and heli-skiing. The hill stations of Himachal have fun parties to ring in the New Year, while the smaller hamlets offer more intimate and quiet celebrations.

What to Expect from Himachal Tour Plans?

Adventure Sports

The topography of Himachal makes it ideal for a multitude of activities. The rugged mountain sides are great for mountaineering and mountain biking, while its gushing rivers are home to some of the best rafting options in north India.

The placid lakes between the hills have milder things to enjoy. The many treks running throughout the state are frequented by experienced trekkers. The valleys of Himachal are world-famous for having some of the best paragliding options.

The Reo Purgyil is one of the most popular peaks in Himachal for mountaineering among experienced mountaineers. Being the highest peak in the state, the top is often shrouded with clouds. The views of the valleys of Tibet and the Satluj River are mesmerising.

The Shilla Peak in the Spiti region is another challenging peak to scale. The Rangrik Rang is one of the few mountains that are slightly easier to climb in Himachal, making them popular with intermediate climbers.

The state has valleys and peaks affording varying degrees of difficulty when it comes to mountain biking. Kangra, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur are easier, gentler trails affording breath-taking views. Biking tours are organised at Shimla, Manali and Dharamshala, making them accessible.

The Trans-Himalayan tracks in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur are more challenging and test one’s stamina. While personalising family tour packages to Himachal Pradesh, our clients prefer clubbing biking tours with camping.

The glacier-fed rivers of Himachal look deceptively calm and serene. The water descends with a powerful and strong flow, and river rafting is a thrilling activity in the state. Manali is good for rafting at all times of the year. The River Beas flowing through the hill station has stretches that are suitable for both beginners and experienced rafters.

The stretch between Manaki and Jhiri passing through Manali is one of the best rafting stretches in India. The Chamba River in McLeod Ganj is known for offering stunning views of the lush green mountains. Being a grade 2 and grade 3 rafting stretch, it is suitable for beginners too. The Tibetan monasteries pass by as one rafts down the river.

The stretch on the River Satluj in Shimla is scenic. However, it is challenging and suitable only for experienced rafters.

The construction of dams across the rivers of Himachal has made still water activities popular. The Maharana Pratap Sagar is a man-made lake made by damming the River Beas. Exhilarating sports like kayaking, canoeing, rowing, sailing and water skiing. For those with advanced experience, rowing and kayaking regattas are conducted at pong dam and Gobind Sagar Lake.

The hills and valleys of Himachal are known for some of the best trails in north India. The Kheerganga Trek in Kasol leads to stunning views of the Kheer Ganga River which flows down the mountains in a frothy white stream.

The trek up to the river is short yet strenuous, but those who complete it are awarded with unforgettable sights. The Beas-Kund Trek around Manali is one of the most popular treks in northern India. The trail passes through verdant grasslands, with peaks of the Pir Panjal Range looming in the horizon.

The trail takes on to the source of the River Beas, and legend has it that Rishi Valmiki sat by the shore of the source lake as he wrote the Mahabharat. The trek is relatively easy and suitable for beginners as well.

The Prashar Lake Trek is another moderate difficulty trek, passing through rivulets and affording 180-degree views of the Dhauladhar, Pir Panjal and Kinnaur Ranges. The Prashar Rishi temple near the lake is distinguished for its Himachali architecture.

The state hosts unmatched adventure activities for every level of skill, making it ideal for families to thrill-seekers, and everyone in between. We at Flying Squirrel Holidays make adventure activity focused Himachal Pradesh Tour Packages too. Contact us for further details.

Nature

Himachal Pradesh has a wide variety in its geography. Known for its bountiful apple orchards, the state also has lush, rolling meadows, colourful valleys, white, snow-capped peaks, and stunning gorges with little streams and gushing rivers rushing by. During monsoons, the forests are dense and the trees and pines verdant.

The Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most breath-taking places in the state. The green meadows and forests contained between ridges and gorges form the setting to one of the most diverse and unique ecosystems in the world. The park also has glaciers and streams.

The Himalayan Brown Bear, the Snow Leopard, Blue Sheep and the Himalayan Thar are found in abundance. There are many unpaved trails that are frequented by trekkers and nature lovers alike.

The Old Hindustan-Tibet Road runs through the Daranghati Sanctuary, which is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. It is easy to spot the Himalayan Black Bear, the Himalayan Brown Bear, the Himalayan Musk Deer and the Blue Sheep here.

The sanctuary also has a large number of birds, the most prominent being the Cheer Pheasant, the Koklass Pheasant and the Kaleej Pheasant. Western Tragopan, the state bird of Himachal, can also be spotted here. There are a number of trails around the Old Road allowing visitors to explore the vicinity.

The Parvati Valley in Kullu has extremely fertile flora and fauna. The Kanwar Sanctuary, situated in the valley, is famous for its hot springs, and thick forests of Oak, Deodar, Conifers, Blue Pine and Spruce. Mammals such as the Himalayan Tahr, Black Bear, Brown Bear, Barking Deer, Leopard and Snow Leopard are found in healthy numbers here.

Religion and Spirituality

Himachal’s imposing mountains and gorges, dense green forests, placid lakes, refreshing rivers and immense glaciers make up its stunning natural beauty. However, their sheer tranquillity is also catalysts to one’s spiritual mind-set.

Many visitors sit by the rivers or gaze at the mountains and the glaciers and meditate. It is easy to find peace and silence in the state, making it ideal to disconnect with reality and connect to one’s spirit.

Himachal is fondly called “God’s Land”. A number of revered monasteries, Churches, Gurudwaras and Temples are found here, and countless believers flock to them throughout the year. The state is greatly influenced by Buddhism, and the monasteries deserve a special mention.

Buddhism is not new to Himachal, and monasteries of thousand years old are found in its districts. Some monasteries have links to Guru Padmasambhava, who is accredited to spreading Mahanaya Buddhism in Tibet. The many Buddhist influenced places in the state are frequented by believers, photographers or explorers.

The Buddhist Circuit in Himachal starts at Dharamshala-McLeod Ganj, passes through Bir Biling, Joginder Nagar, Rewalsar, Manali and ends in Lahaul and Spiti. Most believers trail the complete circuit in summers, as Lahaul faces heavy snow between November to June.

McLeod Ganj and Dharamshala are the holiest places in Tibetan Buddhism outside Tibet. McLeod Ganj is the home to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and the town is also fondly called the ‘Little Lhasa’. McLeod Ganj and Dharamshala overlook the Kangra Valley from the Dhauladhar Range.

The Tsuglag Khang is an important place of worship in McLeod Ganj, and monks chant and study hymns all round the year. The Namgyal Monastery, the Mani Lachang Stupa, the Nechung Monastery and the library of Tibetan Works and Archives are other frequented places.

The Buddhist colony at Bir is another revered destination. The community has many monasteries where traditions of Nyingma, Sakya and Kagyu schools of Buddhism are practised and taught. The Choking Monastery has large stupas and statues dedicated to Padmasambhava. Visitors could sign up for short courses on Buddhist meditation and philosophy at the Palpung Sherab Ling Monastery, just slightly west off Bir.

Rewalsar is one of the most diversely holy places in Himachal- it is an important destination for Buddhists, Sikhs and Hindus simultaneously. The monasteries are made like pagodas and preserve old stuccos, wall murals and paintings.

A Gurudwara sits on the shore of the holy lake to commemorate the month-long stay of Guru Gobind Singh in the 1930s. The Temples of Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva draw countless Hindus every year.

The Lahaul and Spiti valleys have some of the strongest Buddhist influences. Lahaul’s harsh climate and setting stand in sharp contrast to the peaceful teachings of the religion, and age-old Buddhist practices have been preserved the best here.

The festival of Shahsur Tsesha held in Shahsur every year is vibrant and fun, with monks wearing colourful masks. Gemur is a small monastery holding a rare 11th Century idol of a female Bodhisatva deity “Marichi Vajravarahi”. The monastery is highly revered.

Spiti lies between India and Tibet, and the influence of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism is seen vividly here. Kee is the oldest monastery in Spiti, and it houses a rich collection of Thangka paintings and ancient musical instruments including trumpets and cymbals. The library at the monastery has manuscripts of Tangyur texts, and a lot of religious paintings are on display.

Himachal is an important place for Sikhs too. The much-revered Gurudwara Paonta Sahib is said to be the place where the holy text Dasam Granth was written. The Gurudwara still possesses relics of Guru Gobind Singh. Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara is another important place. Located on the banks of the River Parvati, it is believed that Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism visited the place.

Himachal is filled with shrines and places of worship of countless religions. It is said that every corner in the state has immense spirituality, and it is evident in the culture and lifestyle of the people.