Best treks for Winter in India
Planning a trek in Winter? These 39 trails across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, West Bengal are at their best in winter, think clear skies, the right snow conditions and open meadows. Each trek below includes difficulty, altitude, base camp and how to reach.
Kedarkantha
India's most popular winter summit trek, pristine snow, pine forests and a 360° Himalayan panorama at the top.
Nag Tibba
The perfect weekend Himalayan trek, a quick snow summit with grand Bandarpoonch and Swargarohini views.
Kuari Pass (Curzon Trail)
The classic "Curzon Trail" with jaw-dropping close-ups of Nanda Devi, Dronagiri and the Chaukhamba massif.
Brahmatal
A dreamy winter trek to a frozen high-altitude lake with the finest views of Mt. Trishul and Nanda Ghunti.
Dayara Bugyal
One of India's most beautiful high-altitude meadows, gentle, rolling and vast, superb for beginners.
Deoriatal – Chandrashila
A summit trek via the mirror-like Deoriatal lake and Tungnath, the world's highest Shiva temple.
Khaliya Top
A short, scenic meadow-top trek above Munsiyari facing the entire Panchachuli range.
Triund
The iconic overnight ridge above McLeod Ganj with the Dhauladhar wall on one side and the Kangra valley on the other.
Prashar Lake
A serene lake with a floating island and a pagoda temple, framed by Dhauladhar, Pir Panjal and Kinnaur ranges.
Chadar (Frozen Zanskar)
The legendary walk over the frozen Zanskar river through a canyon at sub-zero temperatures, one of the world's most unique treks.
Sandakphu – Phalut
The highest point of West Bengal on the Singalila ridge, with the rare "Sleeping Buddha" view of four 8000ers including Everest & Kanchenjunga.
Nongriat Double-Decker Living Root Bridge
A steep 3,500-step descent to the legendary double-decker living root bridge and turquoise natural pools.
David Scott Trail
A gentle historic bridle path laid by a British officer, winding through Khasi meadows, sacred groves and waterfalls.
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.
Alang–Madan–Kulang (AMK)
The toughest fort trek in the Sahyadris, a chain of three forts with exposed rock patches demanding climbing skill.
Sandhan Valley
The "Valley of Shadows", a deep, narrow 200 ft canyon requiring rappels and swims through cold pools.
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.
Chembra Peak
The highest peak in Wayanad, famous for the perennial heart-shaped lake on the way to the summit.
Meesapulimala
The second-highest peak in South India, crossing eight hills of shola forest and rolling tea-country grassland.
Kolukkumalai
A sunrise trek to the world's highest tea estate, perched on a knife-edge above the Tamil Nadu plains.
Agasthyakoodam (Agasthyamala)
A permit-only pilgrimage-trek up a biosphere-reserve peak revered for the sage Agastya and its rare medicinal flora.
Kolli Hills (Seven Hills)
A gentle Eastern-Ghats range of 70 hairpin bends, Agaya Gangai waterfall and lush herbal-medicine country.
Mukurthi Peak
A protected Nilgiri trek through rolling shola-grassland home to the endangered Nilgiri tahr.
Vellingiri Hills
The "Kailash of the South", a steep seven-hill pilgrimage climb open only in season, with a Shiva shrine at the top.
Papikonda Hills
A remote Eastern-Ghats forest trek along the Godavari river gorge inside a tiger-and-hornbill national park.
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.
Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Trek
An Aravalli-range trek past the great fort with the world's second-longest wall, through a wolf-and-leopard sanctuary.