Top 5 Scenic Drives in India

• The Garhwal Jeep Safari

Garhwal, a places famous for its snow clad mountains, step farms, cold weather and some of the best scenic locations in India. The entire valley of Garhwal offers you a great escape from the busy city lives. A Jeep ride to one of the famous Hindu Shrines, Badrinath, is an awspiring experience. Drive through the white blanket that covers the upper part of Garhwal valley to another famous tourist spot named Auli. It is very popular as a winter sport destination. The cable cars in Auli will give an aerial view of the whole valley covered in snow.

• Harsil
  

Harsil is a small village and a cantonment area in Uttaranchal. Located on the banks of Bhagirathi River on the way to Hindu pilgrimage, Gangotri, in Uttarkashi district of Indian state of Uttarakhand. Apart from being a beautiful scenic tourist spot, Harsil is also a popular Apple cultivating land. Situated at a height of 2800m above the sea level, it is merely 25 km away from Gangotri, the birthplace of the great Ganges. A drive through the mountains and valley along Bhagirathi rive is amazing.

• Shimla - Narkanda

Shimla, popularly referred as "Queen of Hills" is known for its New Year snowfalls. Narkanda is a town in Himachal Pardesh known as the fruit basket as various fruits like apple, pear, and cherry are grown here. You easily spot baskets and crates of fruits all along the route. The Himalayan evenings are mesmerizing in its full grandeur with the sun diffusing the hues of red, crimson, orange, and violet over the horizon. The best time to drive to this place is between May and June. It is approximately 440 kms away from Delhi.

• Manali – Leh Highway

Another scenic drive is from Manali to Leh. The Leh Highway gives travelers a thrill of serene adventure and blissfulness. The road goes through five high altitude passes. The places is heavenly and full of natural beauty and landscapes that surround the valley. The 13,000 ft. high road is open from the month of June to mid-October.

• Lahaul - Spiti – Kinnaur

Lahaul and Spiti are two remote Himalayan Valleys of H.P. lying on the Indo-Tibet border. It is a vast area of high mountains and narrow valleys bounded by Ladakh to the north, Tibet to the east, Kinnaur to the southeast and the Kullu valley to the south. The Lahaul - Spiti route makes for a pleasant drive. Lahaul is situated amidst a mass of high mountains and cascading glaciers. Chandra and Bhaga rivers originate at Baralacha La and flow through the valleys named after them. This place is located at the crossroads of Manali-Leh and Lahaul - Spiti. The valley is perched at an altitude of 2,745-metre. You can expend your vacations as summer is cool and pleasant here. The best time to visit the valleys is from July to September.