Himachal Pradesh
The five-minute cable car ride supposedly climbs to 3200m (though our GPS suggested more like 3000m). At the top there's a small cafe and selfie point…
Himachal Pradesh
The five-minute cable car ride supposedly climbs to 3200m (though our GPS suggested more like 3000m). At the top there's a small cafe and selfie point…
Dharamsala
From Bhagsu's Shiva temple pools, a well-paved 1km path leads up the streamside to Bhagsu waterfall, most impressive during the monsoon.
Shimla
This 1840s square-towered church would turn few heads in an English market town but in Shimla it's a treasured landmark, prominent at The Ridge's east end.
Himachal Pradesh
Across the Beas River from Panchvaktra Mandir is this matching Shiva temple, dating from 1520 and similarly carved from bare stone with considerable…
Himachal Pradesh
On the northeast side of the lake, this gold-domed Sikh temple was built in the 1930s but commemorates the 10th guru's month-long stay here in 1701 during…
Mcleod Ganj
At the base of a long flight of steps off of Nowrojee Rd, this peaceful gompa was built in 1987 to replace the original Dip Tse Chokling Gompa in Tibet,…
Mcleod Ganj
Ringed by colourful prayer wheels, this recently built temple between Temple and Jogiwara Rds is generally known as the Chorten (Tibetan for stupa), since…
Himachal Pradesh
This typical collection of Kinnauri-style temple buldings lies behind Kalpa Fort. It's primarily dedicated to Durga, with naïve sculptures of tigers (one…
Himachal Pradesh
The sprawling Paonta Sahib Gurdwara is set on the banks of the Yamuna River where, according to legend, Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh guru, dismounted…
Dharamsala
Small but awesomely kitsch: inside Vashnu Mata Temple you climb into the very claustrophobic inner grotto through a concrete lion's mouth and emerge…
Himachal Pradesh
This ancient sikhara-type temple was built in the 10th century by Raja Sahil Varman in honour of his daughter Champavati, who is worshipped locally as an…
Himachal Pradesh
The sikhara-style Rama temple, up a few steps from the Vashisht Mandir, has old stone carvings on its exterior and a wooden canopy above.
Mcleod Ganj
Downstairs behind the government-in-exile building, the colourful Nechung Gompa is seat of the Tibetan state oracle, a monk named Thupten Ngodup.
Manali
This woodland of magnificent towering deodars (cedars) offers the nicest walking route between the centre and Old Manali, though is not recommended for a…
Shimla
Gorton Castle (1904), a massive and austere grey-stone edifice with neo-Gothic touches, was formerly the colonial government secretariat. Repairs are…
Manali
Gatothkach, the warrior son of the Pandava Bhima and his demon wife Hadimba, is worshipped in the form of a sacred tree 200m southwest of the Hadimba…
Himachal Pradesh
Though not open to the public, it's worth the short stroll, around three minutes southwest from the temple, to get a better view of this fabulous mansion…
Himachal Pradesh
At the lake's southwest corner, this monastery is not Rewalsar's most outwardly attractive, but the prayer hall has artful murals, and at the waterfront…
Dharamsala
The focal point of the institute is this very colourful temple containing a giant thanka and a 4m-high gilded statue of the historical Buddha, Sakyamuni …
Himalayan Nyinmapa Buddhist Temple
Manali
This temple, containing a two-storey statue of the historical Buddha, was built in 1957. The land was donated to commemorate the death of the Wazir of…
Shimla
The distinctive, 1897 Railway Board Building has red and cream corner spires and has survived the years thanks to a fire-resistant cast-iron and steel…
Himachal Pradesh
The classic view of old Nako seen across this small sacred lake is now marred by three modern buildings, but the waters still add serenity to the setting,…
Dalhousie
From the main viewpoint at Dhainkund, a beautiful ridgeline walk leads to the Jai Pohlani Mata Temple in around 1km, where there's a teahouse and great…
Himachal Pradesh
From near the Jakhani Temple in Dugh, a good 2.5km walking trail takes you ever upwards to this small, whitewashed shrine whose main attraction is the…
Himachal Pradesh
Built about AD 700, this squat temple just inside the entrance to the Chaurasi compound features a weathered but wildly carved wooden doorway and more…
Himachal Pradesh
The handsome three-storey pagoda-style temple beside Prashar Lake was built in the 14th century in honour of the sage Prashar Rishi, who is believed to…
Manali
Rebuilt in 1991, this towered temple sits near the top of Old Manali on a site where, legend says, the Noah-like figure of Manu landed his ark after the…
Himachal Pradesh
Built in the 16th century and dedicated to Krishna, this temple has a small collection of carved panels from other area temples in its courtyard.
Mcleod Ganj
Through a gallery-cafe and film screenings, this organisation tells the tales of individual Tibetan lives as a way to illustrate Tibet's plight.
Manali
This small Tibetan monastery has an atmospheric prayer room crammed with statues of bodhisattvas (enlightened beings) and revered lamas.
Dalhousie
Half a kilometre southeast of Khajjiar meadow towards Chamba, a 25m-high statue of Shiva makes a photogenic landmark near the roadside.
Himachal Pradesh
Tucked into a mostly residential area, this photogenic little 17th-century sikhara temple is dedicated to Rama.
Himachal Pradesh
Dedicated to the local god Mathi, Mohatmin Mandir temple has some excellent old and new carvings in wood and stone.
Himachal Pradesh
This 11th-century temple sacred to Vishnu stands right beside Gandhi Gate just off the north end of the Chowgan.
Himachal Pradesh
Up on the hillside above the Chowgan, the rusty-coloured 18th-century Rang Mahal looks like a Victorian prison but was originally the royal granary and…
Mcleod Ganj
Just a short hop from the underwhelming Dal Lake, 3km northwest of McLeod, the Tibetan Children’s Village provides free education for nearly 2000 refugee…
Kinnaur Kalachakra Celestial Palace
Himachal Pradesh
Kinnaur Kalachakra Celestial Palace, a monastic structure in peaceful, prayer-flag-strewn gardens, was built for the Dalai Lama's 1992 visit. From the…
Shimla
On the way up to the Jakhu temple, you can peep through the gates to see the glass verandas of this 19th-century mansion that was built for colonial…
Dalhousie
The bowl-shaped, pine-ringed meadow at Khajjiar is a major tourist draw, 22km down the Chamba road from Dalhousie. It's touted as a 'mini-Switzerland' and…