z_n_d

Hi - my wife, daughter (14-year old), and I are going from the US to attend a wedding in Dharamshala, India the week of July 4th.
We’re thinking about arriving in India a week before the wedding (around 6/25) to travel despite the hot weather

So far been considering Leh/Ladakh as we’ll be in Himachal Pradesh for the wedding the following week anyway.

Would love to get suggestions on where in India to go, given the weather? Open to flying in any direction after we land in Delhi.

Thanks, d

galactus

My suggestion would be to remain in the state of Himachal Pradesh or anything north from there. June is peak summers in India, and leisure travel gets difficult beyond the hills. The altitude in Leh takes acclimatization of a couple of days, so you'd have to take a call there.

McLeodGanj is practically next to Dharamsala, and is a good place to spend a week of slow travel. It's an extremely small place, so depending on the kind of traveller you are, you might find it either limiting or a great place to soak in the experience.

vp_singh

a. June will be a great time to arrive in Srinagar. The political whether has much improved and should not be a worry. Monsoons normally arrive by second week of July, with a few showers expected late June as well. From Srinagar, you can do Pahalgam, as an excursion, with excellent natural scenery to enjoy. Karan Mahal belonging to the Maharaja Kashmir is a beautiful property. It was a summer residence of the Maharaja.

b. About 35 mi from Dharamsala is Palampur with village Andretta. There are a couple of very good hotels in Palampur. Hyatt Regency & Adivaha to name a couple. Andretta is famous for the studios of the famed painter Sobha Singh and a school of pottery. Another beautiful place is the Lodge at Wah, part of a tea estate & Taragarh Palace.

c. There are several Homestays in this region, notably Darang Tea Estate. The Mirage belongs to an Australian gentleman. The services at The Mirage improve dramatically when he is around to supervise!

d. About 8 hours drive from there is the Kullu valley. At Raison there are some very nice properties on the river Beas. The Neeralaya is one such place.

Happy travels!