North East tour packages

• Duration: 4 to 18 days; most travellers take 6 or 7.
• Price: from ₹19,239 per person, stays, local travel and the sightseeing listed on each trip page.
• Places: Guwahati and the Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park, Shillong, Cherrapunji, the Nongriat root bridge, Mawlynnong and Dawki in Meghalaya, Sela Pass and Tawang in Arunachal, Ziro, Majuli and Kohima on the longest trip, and Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake, North Sikkim and Darjeeling.
• Travel: Every trip is private and starts with a pick-up in your own cab: the Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal and Nagaland trips start and end in Guwahati, and the Sikkim and Darjeeling trips start and end at Bagdogra airport or NJP (New Jalpaiguri) railway station near Siliguri. Flights and trains to Guwahati or Bagdogra are not part of the package.
• Stay: homestays, B&Bs and 3-star hotels on the Standard tier, or resorts and 4-star stays on the Deluxe tier, in Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki, Kaziranga and Guwahati; hotels in Gangtok, Darjeeling, Pelling and Kalimpong with simpler stays and meals included in Lachen and Lachung; and hotels in Tezpur, Bomdila, Dirang, Tawang, Itanagar, Jorhat and Kohima on the long circuits.
• Best time: October to April is the best time for most of North East India, with dry roads, clear mountain views and the Kaziranga safari season, which usually runs from about November to April or May.
• Weather: North East India runs from the Brahmaputra plains at Guwahati, at about 55 m, to Himalayan passes above 4,000 m, so the weather depends on where you are.
• Trip type: private trips planned around your dates and your group.

6 Days Meghalaya Cherrapunji Dawki Bliss6D/5N · ₹19,2396 Days Darjeeling Gangtok Kalimpong Getaway6D/5N · ₹19,3455 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Escape5D/4N · ₹20,0005 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat5D/4N · ₹20,499

Four or five days covers one area: Shillong and Cherrapunji with Dawki or the Nongriat trek, or Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake and Darjeeling. Six or seven days adds Kaziranga to Meghalaya, or North Sikkim or Kalimpong to Gangtok and Darjeeling; eight days adds Pelling or the Jaintia Hills. Ten days and more cross into Arunachal for Tawang, and twelve to eighteen days join Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal and, on the longest, Ziro, Majuli and Nagaland.

4 days / 3 nights, from ₹25,999 per person: 4 Days Meghalaya Shillong Cherrapunji Bliss (4D/3N, from ₹25,999); 4 Days Meghalaya with Dawki Bliss (4D/3N, from ₹25,999).

5 days / 4 nights, from ₹20,000 per person: 5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Escape (5D/4N, from ₹20,000); 5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat (5D/4N, from ₹20,499); 5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Getaway (5D/4N, from ₹20,499).

6 days / 5 nights, from ₹19,239 per person: 6 Days Meghalaya Cherrapunji Dawki Bliss (6D/5N, from ₹19,239); 6 Days Darjeeling Gangtok Kalimpong Getaway (6D/5N, from ₹19,345); 6 Days Meghalaya with Mawryngkhang Trek (6D/5N, from ₹22,495).

7 days / 6 nights, from ₹26,499 per person: 7 Days Gangtok Gurudongmar Darjeeling Adventure (7D/6N, from ₹26,499); 7 Days Gangtok Kalimpong Darjeeling Bliss (7D/6N, from ₹28,999); 7 Days Sikkim Darjeeling Yumthang Escape (7D/6N, from ₹32,230).

8 days / 7 nights, from ₹23,999 per person: 8 Days Gangtok Pelling Darjeeling Bliss (8D/7N, from ₹23,999); 8 Days Pelling Gangtok North Sikkim Retreat (8D/7N, from ₹33,999); 8 Days Sikkim Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat (8D/7N, from ₹39,999).

9 days and longer, from ₹42,304: 10 Days Assam Meghalaya Arunachal Grand Circuit (10D/9N, from ₹42,304); 12 Days North East Seniors Special (12D/11N, from ₹91,000); 18 Days North East 4 States Grand Trip (18D/17N, from ₹1,30,000).

4 Days Meghalaya Shillong Cherrapunji Bliss4D/3N · ₹25,9994 Days Meghalaya with Dawki Bliss4D/3N · ₹25,9995 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Escape5D/4N · ₹20,0005 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat5D/4N · ₹20,4996 Days Meghalaya Cherrapunji Dawki Bliss6D/5N · ₹19,2396 Days Darjeeling Gangtok Kalimpong Getaway6D/5N · ₹19,3457 Days Gangtok Gurudongmar Darjeeling Adventure7D/6N · ₹26,4997 Days Gangtok Kalimpong Darjeeling Bliss7D/6N · ₹28,9998 Days Gangtok Pelling Darjeeling Bliss8D/7N · ₹23,9998 Days Pelling Gangtok North Sikkim Retreat8D/7N · ₹33,999

4 days / 3 nights from ₹25,999 per person. Four or five days covers one area: Shillong and Cherrapunji with Dawki or the Nongriat trek, or Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake and Darjeeling. Six or seven days adds Kaziranga to Meghalaya, or North Sikkim or Kalimpong to Gangtok and Darjeeling; eight days adds Pelling or the Jaintia Hills. Ten days and more cross into Arunachal for Tawang, and twelve to eighteen days join Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal and, on the longest, Ziro, Majuli and Nagaland.

2 plans: 4 Days Meghalaya Shillong Cherrapunji Bliss (4D/3N, from ₹25,999); 4 Days Meghalaya with Dawki Bliss (4D/3N, from ₹25,999).

4 Days Meghalaya Shillong Cherrapunji Bliss4D/3N · ₹25,9994 Days Meghalaya with Dawki Bliss4D/3N · ₹25,999

5 days / 4 nights from ₹20,000 per person. Four or five days covers one area: Shillong and Cherrapunji with Dawki or the Nongriat trek, or Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake and Darjeeling. Six or seven days adds Kaziranga to Meghalaya, or North Sikkim or Kalimpong to Gangtok and Darjeeling; eight days adds Pelling or the Jaintia Hills. Ten days and more cross into Arunachal for Tawang, and twelve to eighteen days join Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal and, on the longest, Ziro, Majuli and Nagaland.

7 plans: 5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Escape (5D/4N, from ₹20,000); 5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat (5D/4N, from ₹20,499); 5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Getaway (5D/4N, from ₹20,499); 5 Days Meghalaya Honeymoon (5D/4N, from ₹27,470).

5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Escape5D/4N · ₹20,0005 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat5D/4N · ₹20,4995 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Getaway5D/4N · ₹20,4995 Days Meghalaya Honeymoon5D/4N · ₹27,470

6 days / 5 nights from ₹19,239 per person. Four or five days covers one area: Shillong and Cherrapunji with Dawki or the Nongriat trek, or Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake and Darjeeling. Six or seven days adds Kaziranga to Meghalaya, or North Sikkim or Kalimpong to Gangtok and Darjeeling; eight days adds Pelling or the Jaintia Hills. Ten days and more cross into Arunachal for Tawang, and twelve to eighteen days join Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal and, on the longest, Ziro, Majuli and Nagaland.

9 plans: 6 Days Meghalaya Cherrapunji Dawki Bliss (6D/5N, from ₹19,239); 6 Days Darjeeling Gangtok Kalimpong Getaway (6D/5N, from ₹19,345); 6 Days Meghalaya with Mawryngkhang Trek (6D/5N, from ₹22,495); 6 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Escape (6D/5N, from ₹24,282).

6 Days Meghalaya Cherrapunji Dawki Bliss6D/5N · ₹19,2396 Days Darjeeling Gangtok Kalimpong Getaway6D/5N · ₹19,3456 Days Meghalaya with Mawryngkhang Trek6D/5N · ₹22,4956 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Escape6D/5N · ₹24,282

7 days / 6 nights from ₹26,499 per person. Four or five days covers one area: Shillong and Cherrapunji with Dawki or the Nongriat trek, or Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake and Darjeeling. Six or seven days adds Kaziranga to Meghalaya, or North Sikkim or Kalimpong to Gangtok and Darjeeling; eight days adds Pelling or the Jaintia Hills. Ten days and more cross into Arunachal for Tawang, and twelve to eighteen days join Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal and, on the longest, Ziro, Majuli and Nagaland.

5 plans: 7 Days Gangtok Gurudongmar Darjeeling Adventure (7D/6N, from ₹26,499); 7 Days Gangtok Kalimpong Darjeeling Bliss (7D/6N, from ₹28,999); 7 Days Sikkim Darjeeling Yumthang Escape (7D/6N, from ₹32,230); 7 Days Meghalaya Kaziranga Wildlife Escape (7D/6N, from ₹45,999).

7 Days Gangtok Gurudongmar Darjeeling Adventure7D/6N · ₹26,4997 Days Gangtok Kalimpong Darjeeling Bliss7D/6N · ₹28,9997 Days Sikkim Darjeeling Yumthang Escape7D/6N · ₹32,2307 Days Meghalaya Kaziranga Wildlife Escape7D/6N · ₹45,999

8 days / 7 nights from ₹23,999 per person. Four or five days covers one area: Shillong and Cherrapunji with Dawki or the Nongriat trek, or Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake and Darjeeling. Six or seven days adds Kaziranga to Meghalaya, or North Sikkim or Kalimpong to Gangtok and Darjeeling; eight days adds Pelling or the Jaintia Hills. Ten days and more cross into Arunachal for Tawang, and twelve to eighteen days join Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal and, on the longest, Ziro, Majuli and Nagaland.

4 plans: 8 Days Gangtok Pelling Darjeeling Bliss (8D/7N, from ₹23,999); 8 Days Pelling Gangtok North Sikkim Retreat (8D/7N, from ₹33,999); 8 Days Sikkim Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat (8D/7N, from ₹39,999); 8 Days Meghalaya Shillong Jowai Cherrapunji Bliss (8D/7N, from ₹75,000).

8 Days Gangtok Pelling Darjeeling Bliss8D/7N · ₹23,9998 Days Pelling Gangtok North Sikkim Retreat8D/7N · ₹33,9998 Days Sikkim Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat8D/7N · ₹39,9998 Days Meghalaya Shillong Jowai Cherrapunji Bliss8D/7N · ₹75,000

These are the places North East India trips are built from. Each trip page lists exactly which of them it covers, and a private trip can swap one for another.

• Guwahati: Kamakhya Temple and the Brahmaputra: The start of most trips: Kamakhya, one of the Shakti Peethas, on the Nilachal hill, the river ropeway over the Brahmaputra with views of Umananda on Peacock Island, and an evening river cruise on the longer plans.
• Kaziranga National Park: The UNESCO-listed park on the Brahmaputra plains, home to most of the world's one-horned rhinos, seen on a morning jeep safari; about four and a half hours from Guwahati, and usually open from about November to April or May.
• Shillong and Umiam Lake: Meghalaya's hill capital at about 1,500 m, with Ward's Lake, Police Bazaar, Elephant Falls and Shillong Peak, and the wide Umiam reservoir on the road up from Guwahati.
• Cherrapunji and the Nongriat root bridge: Nohkalikai and Seven Sisters falls, Mawsmai Cave and the Mawkdok valley, and about 3,500 steps down from Tyrna to the double-decker living root bridge at Nongriat for strong walkers.
• Mawlynnong and Dawki: The flower-lined village often called Asia's cleanest with its Riwai root bridge, and the Umngot river at Dawki on the Bangladesh border, so clear in the dry months that the boats seem to float on air.
• Sela Pass and Tawang: Over the Sela Pass at about 4,170 m (13,700 ft) and its lake to Tawang at about 3,000 m: the Tawang Monastery, the largest in India, the war memorial, and Nuranang Falls at Jang on the way back.
• Bum La and the Tawang lakes: The pass on the India–China border at about 4,600 m (15,200 ft), with Peng Teng Tso and Shungatser (Madhuri) Lake on the way; open to Indian citizens only, with army permission and fair weather on the day.
• Dirang and Bomdila: The valley town of Dirang and hilltop Bomdila with their monasteries, where the Tawang trips break the long drive up from the plains.
• Ziro Valley and Majuli: Ziro's rice fields and the villages of the Apatani people in Arunachal, and Majuli in Assam, one of the largest river islands in the world, reached by ferry for its satras and mask-making; both on the 18 day trip.
• Kohima, Khonoma and Kisama: Nagaland's capital with the Second World War cemetery and the State Museum, Khonoma, known as a green village, and Kisama, the heritage village where the Hornbill Festival is held in early December.
• Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake and North Sikkim: Sikkim's capital at about 1,650 m and MG Marg, the glacial Tsomgo Lake at about 3,750 m with Baba Mandir, and up north the Yumthang Valley above Lachung and Gurudongmar Lake at about 5,400 m.
• Darjeeling and Kalimpong: In West Bengal next door: the Tiger Hill sunrise over Kanchenjunga, the toy train at Batasia Loop, Ghoom Monastery and the tea gardens, and the quieter monasteries and viewpoints of Kalimpong.

Every trip is private, so the plan below is a starting point: the days, the hotels and the pace are set around you.

• Day 1: pick-up at Guwahati airport or station and the drive of about four and a half hours to Kaziranga; the evening free.
• Day 2: a morning jeep safari in Kaziranga for the one-horned rhino, then the drive of about six hours to Shillong with a stop at Umiam Lake.
• Day 3: to Cherrapunji: the Mawkdok viewpoint, the Garden of Caves, Nohkalikai and Seven Sisters falls and Mawsmai Cave; night in Cherrapunji.
• Day 4: Mawlynnong village, its Sky View and the Riwai root bridge, then along the border to Dawki and the Umngot river; night at Dawki.
• Day 5: Shnongpdeng in the morning, Krang Suri Falls and the Laitlum Canyon ridge on the way back to Shillong.
• Day 6: down to Guwahati, with the Kamakhya Temple if you wish, for the journey home.

North East India packages start at ₹19,239 per person: ₹25,999 for 4 days, ₹20,000 for 5 days, ₹19,239 for 6 days, ₹26,499 for 7 days and ₹23,999 for 8 days. That covers the stays, the private cab from Guwahati, Bagdogra or NJP and back, the sightseeing and the meals each trip page lists, and the permits where the trip page includes them. Flights and trains to the start point are not included; you book them yourself.

What moves the price is the number of nights and states, the stay tier (homestays and 3-star hotels, or resorts and 4-star stays), the size of the car for your group (a sedan or hatchback, an SUV or a tempo traveller) and the season. October to early December, the April to June holidays and the Christmas and New Year weeks cost the most; the June to September monsoon costs the least. Most trips include breakfast only, while the nights in Lachen and Lachung and several of the longer Assam, Arunachal and Nagaland circuits include all meals; each trip page says which. Flights or trains to the start point, entry tickets on most trips, the Nathula and Zero Point add-ons in Sikkim, the Shnongpdeng water sports and anything not named on the trip page stay out of the fare, and 5% GST is added to the price shown.

The most-booked part of the North East: Shillong, the Cherrapunji waterfalls and caves, the living root bridges at Nongriat and Mawlynnong and the clear Umngot at Dawki, Guwahati to Guwahati in four to eight days.

18 trips on this page, from ₹19,239 per person: 6 Days Meghalaya Cherrapunji Dawki Bliss (6D/5N, from ₹19,239); 6 Days Meghalaya with Mawryngkhang Trek (6D/5N, from ₹22,495); 4 Days Meghalaya Shillong Cherrapunji Bliss (4D/3N, from ₹25,999); 4 Days Meghalaya with Dawki Bliss (4D/3N, from ₹25,999).

6 Days Meghalaya Cherrapunji Dawki Bliss6D/5N · ₹19,2396 Days Meghalaya with Mawryngkhang Trek6D/5N · ₹22,4954 Days Meghalaya Shillong Cherrapunji Bliss4D/3N · ₹25,9994 Days Meghalaya with Dawki Bliss4D/3N · ₹25,999

Gangtok and the Tsomgo Lake day, Darjeeling's Tiger Hill sunrise and tea gardens, and on the longer trips North Sikkim for Yumthang or Gurudongmar Lake, Kalimpong or Pelling, from Bagdogra or NJP in five to eight days.

12 trips on this page, from ₹19,345 per person: 6 Days Darjeeling Gangtok Kalimpong Getaway (6D/5N, from ₹19,345); 5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Escape (5D/4N, from ₹20,000); 5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat (5D/4N, from ₹20,499); 5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Getaway (5D/4N, from ₹20,499).

6 Days Darjeeling Gangtok Kalimpong Getaway6D/5N · ₹19,3455 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Escape5D/4N · ₹20,0005 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat5D/4N · ₹20,4995 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Getaway5D/4N · ₹20,499

A night or two at Kaziranga, about four and a half hours from Guwahati, for a jeep safari among the one-horned rhinos, joined to Meghalaya over six or seven days or to Tawang and Shillong on the 12 and 18 day circuits. The park's safaris usually stop in the monsoon months.

5 trips on this page, from ₹39,499 per person: 6 Days Assam Meghalaya Wildlife Escape (6D/5N, from ₹39,499); 7 Days Meghalaya Kaziranga Wildlife Escape (7D/6N, from ₹45,999); 7 Days Assam Meghalaya Wildlife Escape (7D/6N, from ₹60,000); 12 Days North East Seniors Special (12D/11N, from ₹91,000).

6 Days Assam Meghalaya Wildlife Escape6D/5N · ₹39,4997 Days Meghalaya Kaziranga Wildlife Escape7D/6N · ₹45,9997 Days Assam Meghalaya Wildlife Escape7D/6N · ₹60,00012 Days North East Seniors Special12D/11N · ₹91,000

The long circuits from Guwahati over the Sela Pass to the Tawang monastery, with nights in Dirang and Bomdila and Bum La on the day when the army allows it, over ten to eighteen days with the Inner Line Permit included or arranged; the 18 day trip adds Ziro, Majuli and Kohima in Nagaland.

3 trips on this page, from ₹42,304 per person: 10 Days Assam Meghalaya Arunachal Grand Circuit (10D/9N, from ₹42,304); 12 Days North East Seniors Special (12D/11N, from ₹91,000); 18 Days North East 4 States Grand Trip (18D/17N, from ₹1,30,000).

10 Days Assam Meghalaya Arunachal Grand Circuit10D/9N · ₹42,30412 Days North East Seniors Special12D/11N · ₹91,00018 Days North East 4 States Grand Trip18D/17N · ₹1,30,000

Couples: 6 plans with the quieter stays and private transfers, from ₹20,499: 5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat (5D/4N, from ₹20,499); 6 Days Sikkim Honeymoon Escape (6D/5N, from ₹25,403); 5 Days Meghalaya Honeymoon (5D/4N, from ₹27,470).

Families and couples take the private trips: the same places at your own pace, with the room category and the car chosen for your group.

5 Days Gangtok Darjeeling Honeymoon Retreat5D/4N · ₹20,4996 Days Sikkim Honeymoon Escape6D/5N · ₹25,403

Best time

October to April is the best time for most of North East India, with dry roads, clear mountain views and the Kaziranga safari season, which usually runs from about November to April or May. October, November and March to May are the most comfortable months everywhere; December to February is cold, with snow at Tawang, Tsomgo Lake and in North Sikkim and freezing nights up high. June to September is the monsoon, when Meghalaya's waterfalls are at their fullest but landslides can close the hill roads in Sikkim and Arunachal and Kaziranga is shut.

• October to November, 8 to 26°C: The best all-round weeks: clear Kanchenjunga and Tawang views, the Meghalaya waterfalls still full and the Umngot at Dawki turning clear. The Durga Puja and Diwali weeks are busy in Sikkim and Darjeeling, and Kaziranga's safari season usually opens from about November.
• December to February, -5 to 20°C: Cold, dry and clear: snow at Sela Pass and Tawang, Tsomgo Lake and Lachung, and freezing nights up high, while Shillong and Guwahati are cool and pleasant. Heavy snow can hold the Tawang and North Sikkim roads for a day, so keep a spare day. Christmas and New Year are the busiest weeks.
• March to May, 10 to 30°C: Spring: rhododendrons in the Yumthang Valley and on the Arunachal passes, mild days in the hills and the last weeks of the Kaziranga season. Pre-monsoon showers start in Meghalaya in April and May, and Guwahati warms up.
• June to September, 15 to 33°C: The monsoon: Meghalaya is one of the wettest places on earth and its waterfalls are at their fullest, but landslides can close the hill roads in Sikkim and Arunachal, the Umngot turns murky and Kaziranga is shut, so plans need spare days.

What to pack

Pack for the highest place on your trip. For Meghalaya and Assam, light layers and a fleece, a rain jacket or umbrella in every month, shoes with a good grip for the root-bridge steps, and sandals and quick-dry clothes for Dawki and Krang Suri. For Tawang, Sikkim and Darjeeling, add thermals, a down or padded jacket, gloves and a woollen cap, warmest from November to March, and sunglasses and sunscreen for the high lakes. Everywhere: a government photo ID (several copies for the permits), passport-size photos for the Sikkim and Arunachal permits, motion-sickness tablets for the hill roads, a power bank, and some cash, because ATMs and phone signal thin out between the towns.

Getting there

From Hyderabad, fly to Guwahati for the Meghalaya, Assam and Arunachal trips, non-stop or with one stop through Kolkata or Delhi depending on the day, or to Bagdogra for the Sikkim and Darjeeling trips: as of September 2026 there are two daily non-stops to Bagdogra of about 2 hours 15 to 30 minutes. Your private cab meets you at the airport or at Guwahati or NJP railway station; Shillong is about three hours from Guwahati and Gangtok about four to five hours from Bagdogra. The train takes well over a day, so most travellers fly.

From Bengaluru, fly to Guwahati, non-stop or through Kolkata or Delhi depending on the day, for the Meghalaya, Assam and Arunachal trips, or to Bagdogra for Sikkim and Darjeeling: as of September 2026 there is one early-morning non-stop of about 2 hours 50 minutes, and the other options connect. The trip starts at the airport or station with your private cab; trains to Guwahati take more than two days.

From Chennai, fly to Guwahati, directly or through Kolkata, Delhi or Bengaluru depending on the day, for the Meghalaya, Assam and Arunachal trips. For Sikkim and Darjeeling, fly to Bagdogra through Kolkata or Hyderabad; as of September 2026 booking sites showed no non-stop. Every trip starts at the airport or railway station with a private cab.

Permits and fees

Indian citizens need no permit for Assam or Meghalaya, or to enter Sikkim; carry a government photo ID. Arunachal Pradesh needs an Inner Line Permit for Indian visitors, issued online through the state's eILP portal (eilp.arunachal.gov.in), and the Arunachal trips on this page include it or help you apply. Nagaland usually asks Indian visitors from outside the state for an Inner Line Permit as well, applied for online, and the 18 day trip covers the permits for its Nagaland days. In Sikkim, Tsomgo Lake, Nathula and North Sikkim are protected areas whose permits are usually issued only through a registered tour operator, and the trips that go there arrange them. Bum La near Tawang needs army permission and fair weather on the day and is open to Indian citizens only. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit for Arunachal and a Restricted Area Permit for Sikkim, and some high areas stay closed to them; tell the planner before booking. Rules change, so confirm before you book.

North East India or Himachal? North East India is the greener, wetter and quieter trip: the living root bridges and waterfalls of Meghalaya, rhinos in Kaziranga, the monasteries and high passes of Tawang and Sikkim, and tribal villages at Ziro and Khonoma, reached by flying to Guwahati or Bagdogra. Himachal is the easier trip from North India: Shimla, Manali, Kasol and Dharamshala, an overnight drive from Delhi, with a well-known snow season in Manali and Solang. Pick the North East for nature, culture and fewer crowds; pick Himachal if Delhi is your start and you want familiar hill towns.

North East India or Bhutan? North East India needs no passport and no daily fee: Sikkim's high lakes and North Sikkim valleys, Darjeeling, Meghalaya and Tawang are all domestic trips, with permits only for the protected areas. Bhutan is a different country: Indians enter with a passport or Voter ID, pay a Sustainable Development Fee for every night and travel with a licensed guide, for the Tiger's Nest above Paro and the dzongs of Thimphu and Punakha. Pick the North East for the variety and the value; pick Bhutan for a country of its own. Sikkim and Bhutan are both reached through Bagdogra, so one longer trip can do both.