Winter Snow Destinations in North India: Travel Guide 2026

Snow in North India is a matter of height and of months, and the places worth travelling for are the ones where it is usual rather than lucky. This guide is about those places in the snow months - what each one is actually like between December and March, what stays open, what closes, and what to wear. The drive itself, the distances and what a winter cab costs belong to a separate piece, and we have kept them to one table here. Book your winter trip when the forecast for the week ahead is clear, not months out on a hope.

When the Snow Comes, and Where

December and January: the high ground gets it first and keeps it. Gulmarg, Auli, Solang and the Lahaul side of the Atal Tunnel are usually white; our best-time pages give December as the month snowfall starts in Manali and December to February for Shimla.

January and February: the deepest and most reliable stretch. Snow reaches the lower hill towns - Shimla, Manali town, Mussoorie, Nainital - and the higher resorts are at their best for skiing.

February and March: consolidated snow at height, thawing below it. Gulmarg's ski season runs to March; the lower towns are done by the end of February in most years.

The honest caveat: nothing here is a guarantee on a date. Snowfall follows Western Disturbances, the higher the place the more reliably it holds, and the week's forecast is what should decide which of these you book.

The snow calendar, by destination

The same five months and destinations as above, read across rather than down, from our own best-time and route pages for each place:

Gulmarg and Chopta are the two on this list our own pages carry into March; the other three are done by the end of February in a normal year. None of this is a promise for a specific week — it is what the months usually give, and the forecast for the week you are travelling is what should decide between them.

The Snow Destinations, One by One

1. Gulmarg, Kashmir

Snow months: December to March | Winter temperature on our best-time page: -10 to 5 degrees

The most reliable deep snow on this list, and the only one of the five that is a proper ski resort rather than a snowy hill town. Our best-time page calls the winter here world-class skiing and snowboarding on deep powder, with the Gondola running in two phases - up to Kongdoori first, then on towards Apharwat Peak at 13,780 ft, where the snow activities and the Himalayan panorama are. Alpather Lake above the meadow sits frozen at 4,390 m through the winter.

Open: the Gondola, the ski slopes and the hotels; this is peak season, not off season. Closed or reduced: the golf course and the flower meadows, which belong to April to June. Getting there: Gulmarg is 50 km and about an hour and a half from Srinagar by the Tangmarg road, which our route data bills as a half-day local run rather than an outstation trip. The long road approach from Delhi is 810 km and sixteen to eighteen hours, and our route notes warn that the Banihal section into the valley can close after heavy snowfall between December and February - so check road status before committing to the drive. Most winter visitors fly in and take a car from Srinagar. See the Gulmarg cab page and the Srinagar to Gulmarg route.

2. Auli, Uttarakhand

Snow months: December to February | Slopes at: around 2,900 m

India's best-known ski destination and the most reliable snow reachable by road from Delhi. The meadow slopes look straight at Nanda Devi, and the skiing is cheap by any international standard. The important practical point is that Auli is not the road-head: our cars go to Joshimath, and the last hop up is by the Joshimath to Auli ropeway, one of the longest cable cars in Asia, or by a short hill road in season. The ropeway ticket, the chairlift and the ski hire are arranged separately from the car.

Open: the slopes, the ropeway and the Joshimath hotels; December to February is exactly what our one-way page gives as the season for snow and skiing. Closed: the high trekking routes and the Valley of Flowers side, which is a summer proposition. Getting there: 520 km and thirteen to fourteen hours on NH-7 through Rishikesh, Devprayag and the Alaknanda confluences - a long day that our route page suggests splitting with a night at Rishikesh or Srinagar in Garhwal. Book the Delhi to Auli cab and say whether you want the halt.

3. Solang Valley, above Manali

Snow months: December to February | Altitude: 2,560 m, 13 km above Manali

The easiest snow day in the country, which is why it is also the busiest. Our Solang route notes call it Snow Point locally, and in winter it is a snow-sports ground: skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing on the slopes, with the Solang Gondola climbing above 3,000 m for views of the Pir Panjal. Snow gear is hired at Solang rather than carried up. Manali town itself gets its snowfall from December on our best-time page, and the winter temperature range there is -5 to 15 degrees.

Open: Solang, the Atal Tunnel to Sissu on the Lahaul side - often under snow when Manali town is clear - and Old Manali's cafes, which our best-time page describes as cosy in the winter months. Closed: Rohtang Pass, from December to April in a normal year; our route data gives May to October as its season. The winter snow day here is Solang and the tunnel, not the pass, and no permit is needed for what replaces it. Getting there: 530 km and twelve to thirteen hours on NH-44 and NH-21 through Chandigarh, Bilaspur, Mandi and Kullu. The Manali and Solang Valley tour packages the snow day.

4. Chopta, Uttarakhand

Snow months: December to March | Meadow at: around 2,700 m

The uncommercial one. Chopta is a high meadow hamlet in the alpine forest with the Chaukhamba and Kedarnath peaks on the horizon, and in winter it is a place to walk in snow rather than to ski on it. The car reaches Chopta or the nearby Sari village; Tungnath, about 4 km up on foot, and Chandrashila above it are a trek, which in these months is a snow walk and needs the right footwear and a sensible turnaround time.

Open: the road to Chopta in most conditions, and the tented camps and small guesthouses - our route notes are blunt that facilities here are basic and should be booked in advance rather than found on arrival. Can close: the last stretch. The Ukhimath to Chopta forest climb needs caution in snow, and our bus notes for the corridor say the road may be snow-blocked between December and February, so this is the one on the list to check before setting out. Getting there: 450 km and twelve to thirteen hours on NH-7 through Rishikesh, Devprayag and Rudraprayag, then the climb via Ukhimath - best split with a night at Rishikesh or Rudraprayag so the forest road is driven in daylight. Book the Delhi to Chopta cab.

5. Shimla, Kufri and Narkanda

Snow months: December to February | Shimla at: 2,205 m, Kufri at 8,600 ft

The town for people who want a winter holiday with the snow as a bonus rather than the whole point. Our best-time page gives Shimla a winter range of -2 to 15 degrees, calls the December to February snowfall magical and tells you to carry heavy woollens; the Ridge, the Mall and Christ Church do not need snow to be worth the trip. What matters is that the snow is more reliable the higher you go. Kufri, the small hill resort above the town, holds it more often than the Mall does, with the Himalayan Nature Park, the Mahasu Peak rides and the Green Valley viewpoints; Narkanda, further out on the Rampur road with Hatu Peak above it, has it as a matter of course.

Open: everything in town, and in a good year the open-air natural ice rink, which our Shimla page lists as hosting a skating carnival in December and January. Can close for a morning: the hill road after a fresh fall, and the shaded bends near the town ice over until midday. Getting there: 350 km and seven to eight hours on NH-44 and NH-5 via Karnal, Ambala, Pinjore and Solan. The Shimla and Kufri tour covers the snow-day run, and the best time to visit Shimla page goes through the months.

How Far Each One Is, and What the Cab Costs

Distances and drive times are the ones our own route pages publish. Fares are the published rate card worked on those distances - ₹11/km for a sedan, ₹15 for an Ertiga or SUV, ₹18 for an Innova Crysta and ₹23 for a 12-seater Tempo Traveller, on a 300 km per day minimum - with tolls, parking and the driver's night halt at actual. Srinagar to Gulmarg is short enough to be quoted from the published 4 hr / 40 km local package instead, which is why its figures sit on a different basis from the rest. For the drives themselves - the fog on the plains, the ice on the shaded bends, which corridor takes tolls and how a winter day is timed - read snowfall places near Delhi this winter, by road.

What to Wear

Layers

Base: thermal top and bottom in a moisture-wicking fabric. Cotton next to the skin is the classic mistake - it holds sweat and then chills you.

Middle: fleece or a wool sweater, something you can take off in the car and put back on outside.

Outer: a genuinely waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers. Snow play means sitting in snow, and a shower-resistant jacket is not the same thing.

The Rest of It

• A cap that covers the ears, and two pairs of waterproof gloves so one can dry
• Boots with grip, or sturdy shoes with waterproof covers hired at the snow point
• Sunscreen and sunglasses - snow reflects ultraviolet hard, and our Spiti and Auli notes say the same about high-altitude light
• A power bank, because cold drains batteries faster than the day does
• Heavy woollens for Shimla and Manali specifically, which is what our best-time pages for both towns tell visitors to pack

Frequently Asked Questions

Which destination has the most reliable snow?

Gulmarg, then Auli. Both are high enough that December to March snow is the normal condition rather than the lucky one, and both are ski destinations rather than towns that happen to get snow. Solang, above Manali, is the most reliable one within a day's drive of Delhi.

Is snowfall guaranteed anywhere in these months?

No. It follows Western Disturbances and no page on this site will promise it on a date. The higher the place, the more reliably the snow lies once it has fallen - which is the argument for Kufri over the Mall, Solang over Manali town, and Auli or Gulmarg over either.

What closes in winter?

Rohtang Pass, from December to April in a normal year - the Atal Tunnel and Solang replace it. The Ukhimath to Chopta forest road can be snow-blocked. The Banihal section on the road into Kashmir can close after heavy snowfall. Everything else on this list stays open, with the occasional morning lost to clearing after a fresh fall.

Which vehicle should I book for a snow trip?

An SUV or an Innova Crysta. Every hill page on this site recommends one for the climbs, and in winter the drivers prefer it without argument for the clearance on a snowed bend. Groups of eight or more take a 12-seater Tempo Traveller; chains are carried on the hill routes in these months.

Read next: Snowfall Places Near Delhi This Winter: Where the Snow Is and How Far It Is by Road