For international travellers
Everything visitors from abroad ask us before a Himachal trip: which airport to fly into, permits for Kinnaur and Spiti, paying in India, safety and altitude, the best season, and how to add the mountains to a Golden Triangle tour.
Guides for visitors from abroad
Best Time to Visit Himachal Pradesh: A Month-by-Month Guide
Himachal changes completely with the seasons, and the right month depends on what you want: clear mountain views, snow, green valleys or festivals. For most international visitors, the best windows are March to June and September to November, when roads are reliable and the weather is pleasant. Here's what each part of the year is really like on the road, and how it affects a trip with a driver.
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Arriving at Delhi Airport: A Calm Guide for First-Time Visitors
Delhi's airport is big and busy, and the first hour after a long-haul flight can feel overwhelming. The good news: everything you need, from cash and a SIM card to a safe ride, is inside the arrivals hall. This is the order we suggest to our own guests, plus how to decide whether to head for the hills the same day.
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Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj: A Guide for International Visitors
McLeod Ganj, above Dharamshala, is home to the Tibetan government-in-exile and the residence of the Dalai Lama, which gives it a character unlike anywhere else in India: monasteries, prayer flags, Tibetan cafés and the snow peaks of the Dhauladhar range just behind. It draws visitors from all over the world. Here's how to make the most of it, including how to attend a public teaching.
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Can Foreigners Drive in India? Self-Drive vs Hiring a Driver
Many visitors from abroad are used to renting a car and driving themselves, and wonder whether they can do the same in India. The rules for foreign licences are less clear-cut than you might expect, and Himachal's mountain roads are among the most demanding in the country. This guide sets out what the sources say about licences, what driving in the hills is really like, and why most visitors choose a car with a local driver.
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Adding the Himalayas to a Golden Triangle Trip
The Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is India's classic first trip, and the Himalayan foothills of Himachal are the perfect contrast to it: cool air, pine forest and mountain towns after the heat and crowds of the plains. The question is how to connect them without wasting days. Here's how the pieces fit, with honest drive times.
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Himachal Itinerary for First-Time Visitors: 7, 10 and 14 Days
The most common mistake on a first Himachal trip is trying to see too much. Hill roads are slow: 250 km can take a full day. These itineraries are built around realistic drive times, with no day longer than about nine hours and rest days between long drives. Each one can be booked with a single car and driver for the whole trip.
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Permits Foreigners Need in Himachal: Kinnaur and Spiti
Most of Himachal Pradesh, including Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Kasol and Dalhousie, needs no special permit for foreign visitors beyond a valid Indian visa. The exception is the border country of upper Kinnaur and Spiti, close to the Tibet frontier, where foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit (PAP). Indian citizens don't. This guide explains where the permit applies, how travellers report getting it, and how to plan a Spiti road trip around it.
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Staying Safe in Himachal: A Practical Guide for International Visitors
Himachal Pradesh is one of India's most visited and generally welcoming regions, and most visitors have a trouble-free trip. The real risks here are less about crime and more about the mountains themselves: hill roads, altitude, weather and long days. This guide covers what we tell our own guests before they travel.
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Kalka–Shimla Toy Train: How to Ride It and Combine It with a Taxi
The Kalka–Shimla Railway is a narrow-gauge mountain line climbing about 96 km from Kalka, at the foot of the hills, to Shimla. It's part of the Mountain Railways of India UNESCO World Heritage site, and for many visitors the slow ride through tunnels, bridges and pine forest is a highlight of the trip. It's also slow, at around five hours, so it pays to plan how you'll reach Kalka and what happens with your luggage. Here's how to do it.
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Flying into Kangra (Gaggal) Airport: The Short Way to Dharamshala
Kangra airport at Gaggal (code DHM) is the small airport that serves Dharamshala, McLeod Ganj, Palampur and Bir. Flying in from Delhi turns a 10-hour drive into a short flight and a taxi ride of under an hour to Dharamshala. It's a mountain airport, though, with a short runway and daytime-only operations, so it pays to plan for delays. Here's what to expect and how to get from the terminal to your hotel.
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Paying for Taxis in India: A Guide for International Travellers
Paying for a taxi in India is easy once you know the options, but it's different from home. Prices are in rupees, small businesses often prefer mobile payments, and hill-trip quotes can hide extras. Here's how to pay safely, and how payment works when you book with us.
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When Does It Snow in Manali and Shimla? A Month-by-Month Guide
Seeing snow is one of the main reasons people visit Himachal in winter, and the first question is always when. The honest answer is that snowfall varies a lot from year to year. Broadly, late December to February is the core snow season in both Manali and Shimla, with early March still possible. Here's what to expect month by month, where to go if the towns themselves are bare, and how winter affects your taxi plans.
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Tipping Your Driver in India: How Much, When and How
Tipping is the question visitors ask us most often after price. In India a tip for a private driver is customary but not compulsory, and it isn't included in a taxi fare. The amounts are modest by Western standards, which makes people unsure whether they're giving too little or too much. Here's what's usual for transfers and multi-day trips, based on current travel-industry guidance, plus a few practical tips on handing it over.
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Triund Trek from McLeod Ganj: Route, Difficulty and Planning
Triund is a grassy ridge at about 2,850 m above McLeod Ganj, with a close-up view of the Dhauladhar range across the valley. It's the most popular short trek in Himachal for international visitors: a long half day up from town, with an optional night camping on top. It's rated easy to moderate, but it's a real mountain walk with a big height gain, so it's worth planning properly.
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