India is a land of many paradoxes. There are people who strive hard to earn their bread and butter here, and then there are people who have all the luxuries of life. There are cultures which are forward thinking and open to changes, and then there are cultures which strongly hold to their roots. There are places which are rugged and barren, and there are places which are blessed with lush greenery and amazing forests.
And each one of those paradoxes of India is beautiful in its own right. You don’t need to go looking for beauty in India. You come across it while exploring the land. But for those who want to experience some of the most beautiful destinations of the country, here is a list of 100 beautiful tourist places in India that you cannot miss out on. (Part 2 of this list can be found here.)
Himachal Pradesh
1. Khajjiar
Image Credit: Ramnath Bhat – Flickr
This beautiful place bears a very striking resemblance to Switzerland’s topography, the well known romanticizing location. Khajjar is located at the foot of Dhauladkar , in the lap of Himalayas and is 2000 meters above sea level.
A beautiful panoramic view of the densely populated forests and the meadows and snowy peaks of Himalayas can be captured. Summer months are the best to visit this place as it wouldn’t be too cold and the hill station would be laden with beautiful flowers which makes it one of the mostbeautiful places to visit in India.
2. Chandertal Lake
Image Source: vijay_v82 – Flickr
The Chandertal lake is situated between Lahaul and Spiti, the two Himalayan ranges and is at an altitude of 4300 metres above sea level. It is also known as the ‘moon lake’ as it’s the source of river Chandra and the crystal clear waters of chandertal will not miss captivating you in its depth.
[Explore the captivating Chandertal lake along with Bhabha Pass]
Image Source: vijay_v82 – Flickr
[Don’t forget to see our very popular post on 101 best things to do in India]
A trek to this lake during the summer is exactly what one requires to bask in nature’s glory and its breathtaking in its literal sense too, as you will have to cross some real high mountains to reach there
3. Sar Pass
Image Source: Navaneethakrishnan R – Flickr
The Sar pass, a popular tourist destination in India and a great pace for adventure lovers and treks, gets its name from a small frozen lake that is a part of the Sar pass trek too. When uttermost peace and natural scenic beauty is all you want to accompany you, the 12,500 feet above sea level destination is the place to be. Its quite a risky trekking spot and that ensures that loners definitely get here .
4. Rohtang Pass
Image Source: Balaji.B – Flickr
‘Pile of corpses’ [Sounds scary? Try our post on the most haunted places in India] is how the literal translation is for Rohtang pass, for all the people who lost their lives while crossing the pass and yet in the recent times it has become one of the most popular tourist attraction in India, attracting thousands of people with its captivating beauty.
Image Source: Santosh Dawara – Flickr
Rohtang pass happens to be one of the few destinations in India where one can go skiing as it snows for almost all the months of the year. However, it is closed for 6 months every year so be ready to witness swarms of people in the other 6 months waiting to explore this 13,000 feet high destination.
5. Suraj Tal Lake
Image Source: Eye.Ess.Ohh – Flcikr
The Suraj Tal Lake, also known as the lake of the sun god, close to the Baralacha la pass is the third highest lake in India and the 21st highest in the world. Beautifully clad mountain tops, glacier views, the extreme polar region conditions and pin drop silence greets you out here which is probably why you will hardly find any other soul around if you manage to trek to this lake.
Jammu and Kashmir
6. Dal Lake
Image Source: Tony Gladvin George – Flickr
Dal lake, the iconic destination of the Kashmir valley, also referred to as heaven on earth is one of the bollywood’s favorite shooting sights. The mughal gardens by the lake’s shore go back to jehangir’s reign and the shikaras, houseboats in the lake are the best way to embark upon the nature. [Never visited Kashmir? Here are 5 reasons why you should.]
Image Source: Dhimant Patel – Flickr
7. Pangong Lake
Image Source: ashokboghani – Flcikr
The Pangong lake is one of the beautiful places visit in India. Spread over an area of about 600 sq. km, the lake is shared by india and china and 60% of it lies in the neighbouring country. The alluring beauty of the lake and its natural scenic views make it seem like a landscape painted. Its enduring to see how the lake changes colors every season due to its salinity.
Image Source: Amit Rawat – Flickr
8. Tsomoriri Lake
Image Source: anoop madhavan – Flickr
Another jewel in the crown of Ladakh is the Tsomoriri Lake. [Did you know that it is also known as the ‘Mountain Lake’?] The lake is situated in Changthang Plateau, one of the highest and widest plateaus in the world is a among the must visit tourist places in India . The lake gets its name from the saltiness of it, and the fact that salt was extracted from it till 1959. You can spot some really rare species of birds here during the migratory season such as Black Necked Crane, Brown Headed Gull and Great Crested Grebe. The calmness of the lake is just perfect for meditation.
[Wanna know more about other exciting places to visit in Ladakh]
Image Source: Martin Sojka – Flickr
9. Kashmir Valley
Image Source: Kashmir Pictures – Flickr
Kashmir valley is no doubt the most beautiful tourist places in India. The heaven on earth tag is always linked to Kashmir for its evergreen landscapes and snow-filled mountains. A visit toKashmir should definitely include seeing the Shalimar gardens, visit to Dal lake and the shikaras and gulmarg. Mountaineering and river rafting are good adventure activities in Kashmir.
Image Source: Muzaffar Bukhari – Flickr
Image Source: Michal Svec – Flickr
10. Zanskar Valley
Image Credit: Bob Witlox – Flickr
Zanskar valley is filled with small hamlets, less population and gorgeous views and with this range you have plenty of chances to start clicking perfect moments which makes it one of the most beautiful places to visit in India. One of the highlights of this is the zanskar river where you could opt for rafting and even go trekking in the months of January and February.
