Plan your trip

When to visit

There is no single best season for the whole north. The mountains, the plains and the desert peak at different times, and the monsoon brings landslide risk on hill roads.

• Climate & seasons in North India: our month-by-month comparison of the mountains, plains and desert.
• Check forecasts close to your dates with the India Meteorological Department (opens in a new tab).

Getting around

• Trains link most of the plains and foothills. Book Indian Railways tickets on the official IRCTC (Indian Railways bookings) (opens in a new tab) site. Ladakh has no railway.
• Jammu–Srinagar by rail: Vande Bharat services now run through to Jammu Tawi on the line to Srinagar (News On AIR / Northern Railway, 24 Feb 2026 (opens in a new tab)). Check current timetables before you book.
• Kangra Valley Railway: passenger services on the full Pathankot–Joginder Nagar narrow-gauge line resumed on 2 June 2026 after flood damage in 2022 (Outlook Traveller, on the Kangra Valley Railway (opens in a new tab); District Kangra, Kangra Valley Rail (opens in a new tab)). See our Kangra Valley story.
• Mountain roads can close for snow in winter and for landslides in the monsoon. Build in a spare day on any hill route.
• Kashmir taxis: local taxi unions run many routes out of Srinagar. See the practical notes in our Kashmir Valley guide.

Travel notes

• Ladakh permits: Indian visitors to protected areas such as Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri apply online through the official LAHDC Leh permit portal (opens in a new tab); foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit for these areas. Details and altitude advice are in our Ladakh guide.
• Altitude: Leh is at about 3,500 m. Plan rest days on arrival and ascend gradually.
• Mobile networks in Jammu & Kashmir: prepaid SIMs from outside the territory often do not work there. Airtel’s prepaid terms exclude roaming benefits in Jammu & Kashmir, while postpaid connections usually work; confirm with your operator before you travel (Travel Coffee, 15 Oct 2026 (quoting Airtel prepaid terms) (opens in a new tab)).
• Current access in Kashmir: some tourist places remain closed by district order. See current access in the Kashmir Valley before planning a route.
• Official advice: international readers should check their own government’s advice. The UK currently advises against all travel to Jammu & Kashmir except Jammu city and flights into it (GOV.UK FCDO travel advice (opens in a new tab), checked 22 October 2026). Make sure your travel insurance applies.

Build your itinerary

Pair neighbouring regions rather than crossing the whole north in one trip, and give each base at least two nights. Start with how to plan a North India trip, then use our day-by-day plans:

• Planning a Ladakh trip: seasons, roads, acclimatisation and permits
• Five days in Kashmir: a practical itinerary
• A Jaipur weekend for first-timers
• A walk through Old Delhi
• A first visit to Varanasi
• A day in Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh
• Two slow days in the Tirthan Valley
• Three days in the Kangra Valley
• Browse by travel mood to find more.