Apple Harvest Homestay w/ Home Meals, HP
Narkanda· 5.0 · 146 stays
Narkanda is a good base for exploring the Shimla side of Himachal, or as a stop on a larger circuit.
From the Manali hub, you can explore the Solang valley for adventure sports or drive through the Atal Tunnel, the 9km pass that now connects the Kullu valley to Lahaul year-round. In Manali itself, there is the Hadimba Devi temple, the lanes of Old Manali, and the Vashisht hot springs.
The road hub of Dharamshala and McLeodganj is the centre of Tibetan-Buddhist culture in India. You can visit the Tsuglagkhang complex, the Dalai Lama's monastery. For a rewarding walk, the Triund trek is a four-hour hike that opens up to a wall of Dhauladhar peaks.
For paragliding, Bir-Billing is known as the world's second-highest takeoff point. The peak season is from October to November, when the skies are clear and the thermals are strong.
For a more remote journey, the Spiti loop is accessible from Manali from June to October. This high-altitude desert circuit takes you through Kaza, the iconic Ki monastery, and villages like Kibber.
By Air: The nearest airport is in Shimla (SLV) at Jubbarhatti, but it has very limited, weather-dependent flights. The most reliable airport for this part of Himachal is Chandigarh (IXC). Other airports in the state are Bhuntar (KUU) for the Kullu-Manali valley and Gaggal (DHM) for the Dharamshala region.
By Rail: The most scenic way to approach the Shimla hills is via the UNESCO heritage Kalka-Shimla toy train. The nearest major railhead with connections across India is Chandigarh.
By Road: Narkanda is well-connected by road from Shimla. Be prepared for mountain driving; roads are often single-lane with hairpin bends, and a 100km journey can easily take 4-6 hours.
The best seasons are from March to June, when the snow melts and summer arrives, and again from September to November for clear skies and crisp mountain air. July and August are monsoon months, which can cause landslides on major highways like NH-3 and NH-21. The apple harvest season, a beautiful time in this region, is from late August through October. Heavy snow can be expected from December to February in the upper reaches around Narkanda and Shimla.
