Best treks for Monsoon in India
Planning a trek in Monsoon? These 23 trails across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland are at their best in monsoon, think clear skies, the right snow conditions and open meadows. Each trek below includes difficulty, altitude, base camp and how to reach.
Valley of Flowers
A UNESCO World Heritage alpine valley that erupts into hundreds of wildflower species during the monsoon.
Hampta Pass
A dramatic crossover trek from the green Kullu valley to the stark desert of Lahaul, often paired with Chandratal lake.
Bhrigu Lake
A high oval lake said to never fully freeze, reached quickly across gorgeous meadows above Manali.
Kashmir Great Lakes
Widely called India's most beautiful trek, a string of turquoise alpine lakes across endless flower meadows.
Tarsar Marsar
Twin almond-shaped lakes separated by a ridge, set amid some of Kashmir's dreamiest meadows.
Kolahoi Glacier
A trek to the glacier below the "Goddess of Light" Kolahoi peak, the highest in the Kashmir valley.
Dzükou Valley
The "Valley of Flowers of the Northeast", surreal emerald rolling hills carpeted with the rare Dzükou lily in summer.
Kalsubai
The "Everest of Maharashtra", the state's highest peak, a popular monsoon and night trek with iron ladders near the top.
Harishchandragad
A grand hill-fort with an ancient temple, cave shrines and the awe-inspiring overhanging Konkan Kada cliff.
Rajmachi
An easy, scenic walk to twin forts (Shrivardhan & Manaranjan), magical in the monsoon and during firefly season.
Harihar Fort
Famous for its near-vertical rock-cut staircase, an adrenaline-pumping climb to a tiny fort plateau.
Andharban
The "Dark Forest", a lush downhill jungle trek through misty Sahyadri rainforest to the Kundalika valley.
Torna Fort (Prachandagad)
The first fort captured by Shivaji Maharaj, the tallest hill-fort near Pune with sweeping Sahyadri views.
Devkund Waterfall
A forest trek to a spectacular plunge waterfall and emerald pool at the origin of the Kundalika river.
Ratangad
A 400-year-old fort with a natural rock hole ("Nedhe"), ladders and glorious Bhandardara-lake views.
Kudremukh
The "horse-face" peak, rolling shola-grassland hills that turn emerald in the monsoon, among the Ghats' finest.
Tadiandamol
The highest peak of Coorg, a lush walk through coffee country, shola pockets and open grassland ridges.
Kumara Parvatha (KP)
Considered one of the toughest treks in the Western Ghats, a relentless climb rewarded with vast Ghat panoramas.
Mullayanagiri
The highest peak in Karnataka, rising over Chikmagalur's coffee hills with a tiny temple at the top.
Kodachadri
A biodiverse peak above the Mookambika sanctuary with dense shola forest, waterfalls and a sublime sunset.
Skandagiri (Kalavara Durga)
A popular pre-dawn trek near Bengaluru to catch a magical sunrise above a rolling sea of clouds.
Talakona
A short rainforest trek to the highest waterfall in Andhra Pradesh inside the Sri Venkateswara sanctuary.
Girnar
A sacred volcanic massif climbed by roughly 9,999 stone steps past Jain and Hindu temple clusters.