Explore the beauty of India's mountain ranges right now! From the Himalayas to Western Ghats, discover your ideal getaway.
Ideal escapes from daily monotony are the mighty mountains. Mysterious trails, enigmatic forests, wonderful people, and delectable local cuisine promise you an adventurous vacation. Every time I return from the mountains, I come back more educated and creatively refreshed.
Mountain ranges India offers are places of solace to a solo traveler, a romantic backdrop to couples looking for together time, fun-filled things to do for a family group, a sense of adventure to the biker group on a trip, scenic grandeur to the photographer looking to click away – essentially something for everyone.
Here is a list of 5 mountain ranges in India that should be a part of your next vacation plans. The longest, oldest, wildest, rainiest, and most spectacular ranges are included here. We have included gateway cities, places to stay, experiences not to miss, and the best time to visit.
THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN RANGE
A crescent of mountains stretching over 2400 km from the Indus River in Pakistan to the Brahmaputra in Northeast India forms the Mighty Himalayas.
The Himalayas, meaning ‘Abode of Snow’, is a perfect confluence of mystery and magnanimity. She contains within her wildlife pockets which house many endangered spices. She presents the most spectacular holiday destinations. She is also the sacred keeper of the spiritual odyssey of an entire civilization.
The Himalayas consist of 3 distinct sub-ranges – Outer Himalayas (Shivalik range), the Greater Himalayas, and the Lesser Himalayas.
3 out of the world’s top 6 highest peaks are found in the Himalayan Mountain range.
The world’s highest – Mt Everest, the Kanchenjunga, and Nanda Devi peak offer adventure found nowhere else on the planet.
The Himalayas are life-giving. The densely populated plains are fed by rivers that originate from the 1500 or so glaciers in this mountain range and flow down with names such as the Ganges, Indus, Saraswathi, Yamuna, Yangtze, Ganga-Brahmaputra, Yarlung, and Nujiang.
Activities to do in the Himalayas: Mountaineering, exploring famous hill stations, adventurous activities like wildlife tracking and rafting, spiritual journeys to the likes of Rishikesh, hunting for the snow leopard in Hemis, exploring cold flatlands on a bike, live like the locals in the quaintest of homestays, trekking the various routes that crisscross the mountains, and yes, maybe film a yeti!
Gateway cities: New Delhi, Leh, Shimla, Nainital, Gangtok, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Siliguri, Jorhat among others.
Places to Stay: choose among luxury options closer to popular hill stations, camping in rural settings, or try out the remote homestays that take you up close and personal with the mountains.
Experience not to miss – Explore the Spiti valley, trek the Kanchenjunga and eat the local cuisine in the remote parts of the Himalayas near Bomdila
THE WESTERN GHATS
The divine caller of the monsoons, the Western Ghats start as the Cardamom Hills in Kerala, rise high as the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, continue as nurturing biodiversity hotspots in Karnataka and Goa, being ultimately crowned as the Sahiyadris in Maharashtra. Through its entire stretch, the Western Ghats mountain range of India separates the Deccan plateau from the coastal plains of the Malabar and the Konkan.
Spanning over 1600 km from south to north, the mountain range houses over 70 peaks out of which Anaimudi, or elephant head, the peak is the highest at 2695m above sea level. From the western ghats, nature gifts the plains the Godavari, Kaveri, Krishna, Thamiraparani, and Tungabhadra rivers systems which keep the farmers busy, and the nation nourished.
The most remarkable fact about the Western Ghats is her remarkable appetite to host biodiversity. The mountain range is home to about 30 percent of India’s flora and fauna species. The Western Ghats are also a mountain range in India that is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot by the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The national parks and wildlife sanctuaries are probably the best ways to experience the western ghats. These include – Nilgiri thars at the Eravikulam National park in Kerala, tigers, and leopards at the Mudumalai and Bandipur tiger reserves in Karnataka, Agumbe in Karnataka, Mollem in Goa, Radhanagri in Maharasthra. There are other magnificent national parks in the Western Ghats that one should visit as this mountain range is very accessible from big cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, and Pune. Kabini in Karnataka is a favorite western ghats paradise of ours. Do check out our list of things to do in Kabini.
Activities to do in the Western Ghats: Wildlife safaris, trekking, rock climbing, sustainable tourism, white water rafting, cave exploration among others.
Gateway cities: Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, Trivandrum, Pune, Kolhapur, Panaji,
Places to Stay: World-class safari lodges, hill station resorts, waterside chalets, quaint homestays, and estate getaways, and rural lodging.
Experience not to miss – The Coffee estates of Coorg in the Western Ghats offer a unique mix of wildlife and coffee holidays.
THE VINDHYA RANGE
Rising steeply, overlooking the Narmada in Jobat, Gujarat the Vindhya Range looks over the Narmada and extends for 1200 km all the way to Sasaram in Bihar. The Vindhyas are characterized by steep ascents, ridges, and high-altitude plateaus. They are historical homes of the many tribal communities that are indigenous to this ancient mountain range.
The elevation of the Vindhyas range from 980 to around 2100 ft above sea level with the Sad Bhawana (goodwill) peak being the highest peak at 2467 ft above sea level and is found in Also known as the Kalumar peak or Kalumbe peak, it lies near Singrampur in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh, in the area known as Bhanrer or Panna hills close to pristine wilderness.
Vindhyas appear prominently in the Indian mythological tales as a dangerous or violent place. This is because this area, till today, is covered by virgin forests which are not as well promoted as some national parks in the Country. It is also because the tribes that live here are fiercely protective of their motherland. In ancient texts like the Ramayana, Vindhyas are described as the unknown territory infested with cannibals and demons later also described as the haunt of goddess Kali who lived there since slaying the demons. The Mahabharata mentions the Vindhyas as the “eternal abode” of Kali.
Several rivers originate from this mountain range and feed into the great Ganges river system. The most important of these are – the Chambal, Betwa, Dhasan, Ken, Tamsa, Kali Sindh, and Parbati.
Activities to do in the Vindhyas: wildlife, nature photography, local culture, food
Gateway cities: Indore, Bhopal, Chattarpur, Chitrakot
Places to Stay: Hill station resorts, safari lodges, rural tourism
Experience not to miss – Visit the Panna National Park
THE SATPURA RANGE
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus,
Stretching on the southern side of the Narmada, spread across 900km of beautiful wilderness is the Satpura Range. It rises near the Rajpipla Hills in Gujarat and extends until the Maikala Hills in Chhattisgarh.
The Satpura Range has the only hill station in Madhya Pradesh, Pachmarhi located in the Satpura Tiger Reserve, an excellent wildlife sanctuary that is due a lot more attention than it gets. These hills also have extensive cave systems, ridges, and plateaus which offer a host of activities to fill a memorable itinerary.
Activities to do in the Vindhyas: wildlife, nature photography, local culture, food
Gateway cities: Hoshangabad
Places to Stay: Hill station resorts, safari lodges, rural tourism
Experience not to miss – Wildlife at the Satpura Tiger Reserve.
THE EASTERN GHATS
Stretching from Southeastern Karnataka near its border with Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and extending into Odisha, the Eastern Ghats are around 500 km in length. It is characterized by divisions all along caused by mighty rivers hurrying to reach the Bay of Bengal. The Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri all create fertile valleys along this mountain range.
Mallapa Konda on the Andhra Karnataka Border is the first remarkable landform in this range. The range peaks in the Maliya Range of Odisha to around 3300 ft above sea level. The highest peak is the Jindhagada Peak in Andhra Pradesh, with an elevation of 5,545 feet.
At Gandikota in Andhra, the Ghats present the Indian version of the Grand canyon. The gorges here provide a rare spectacle and is a quick getaway from Bangalore.
The Satkosia tiger reserve, Simplipal tiger reserve and India’s Largest tiger reserve the Nagarjunasagar – srisailam tiger reserve abound these mountains.
The Araku Valley and Borra Caves are other places to be on your to do list.
IN CONCLUSION
These 5 Mountain Ranges are just the beginning of a list that we are curating to promote the amazing mountain ranges our country has to offer. Tourism in these ecosystems supports the local communities in many ways.
These destinations are overflowing with spectacular landforms, wildlife, culture, local food, and history. They make for unique and memorable itineraries.
Leave us your email and we will send you a personalized itinerary to any of these destinations.
What are some good sites and blogs for affordable fashion for adults?