Photo: Rickard Törnblad / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Best for a first solo trip

Easy to reach, easy to meet people, and easy to leave if it isn't for you.

Himachal Pradesh

McLeod Ganj

Tibetan culture, cafés and cedar-lined trails above Dharamshala.

Best: Mar–Jun, Sep–NovFrom ₹1,200/day

MountainsPeace & calmTrekking

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Uttarakhand

Rishikesh

Yoga, the Ganga, river rafting and a long weekend's worth of ghats and cafés.

Best: Feb–Apr, Sep–NovFrom ₹1,200/day

Peace & calmAdventureSpiritual

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Karnataka

Hampi

Ruined Vijayanagara capital among boulder hills and banana fields, best explored slowly on foot, cycle or scooter.

Best: Jan, Feb, Oct–DecFrom ₹1,500/day

BackpackingPeace & calmTrekking

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Karnataka

Gokarna

A temple town on the Uttara Kannada coast, with a cliff-and-forest beach trek and quiet coves a short walk apart.

Best: Jan–Mar, Oct–DecFrom ₹1,200/day

BackpackingBeachesPeace & calm

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Uttar Pradesh

Varanasi

One of the world's oldest living cities, centred on the ghats of the Ganga.

Best: Jan–Mar, Oct–DecFrom ₹1,200/day

Food trailsSpiritualHeritage

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