Where to Stay

Families: Taj Ganj area — walk to Taj

Backpackers: Taj Ganj budget guesthouses

Peace: Fatehabad Road — upscale hotels

Families: Near Dargah area — walkable

Backpackers: Near Dargah — budget lodges

Peace: Ana Sagar Lake side

Families: Ranikhet — flatter, more scenic

Backpackers: Almora bazaar area

Peace: Almora — Kasar Devi ridge

Families: Near City Palace area

Backpackers: Main bazaar area

Peace: Siliserh Lake — 15km out

Families: Near Golden Temple — walkable to everything

Backpackers: Golden Temple area — cheap, Langar is free food

Peace: Ram Bagh area

Families: Near Kesgarh Sahib gurdwara

Backpackers: Gurdwara langar + budget stays

Peace: Outskirts towards Naina Devi

Families: GMVN ski resort area

Backpackers: GMVN dorm or Joshimath base

Peace: Auli itself is quiet

Families: Near Ram Mandir area

Backpackers: Budget lodges near temple

Peace: Ghats along Saryu river

Families: Near temple — GMVN guesthouse

Backpackers: Dharamshalas near main bazaar

Peace: Upper Badrinath road

Families: Not ideal for families

Backpackers: Homestays in Bangus

Peace: Entire valley is quiet

Families: Station Road area

Backpackers: Near fort area

Peace: Desert camps outside town

Families: Near Barot dam area

Backpackers: Campsites along river

Peace: Upper Barot village

Families: Main town area

Backpackers: Budget hotels in town

Peace: Jai Valley side

Families: Near Keoladeo park entrance

Backpackers: Bharatpur town budget stays

Peace: Deeg — smaller, less touristy

Families: Near Junagarh Fort

Backpackers: Old city havelis

Peace: Outskirts near Karni Mata temple road

Families: KMVN guest house area

Backpackers: KMVN dorms or Almora base

Peace: Entire place is quiet

Families: Bir village — flat, walkable

Backpackers: Bir Colony — cheapest

Peace: Upper Bir or Billing road

Families: Near Taragarh Fort

Backpackers: Old town havelis

Peace: Nawal Sagar lake side

Families: Near Chail Palace area

Backpackers: Budget hotels on main road

Peace: Entire place is quiet

Families: GMVN rest house — only reliable option

Backpackers: Homestays with Jaunsar-Bawar families

Peace: Everywhere — entire area is quiet

Families: Dalhousie — Gandhi Chowk area

Backpackers: Dalhousie budget stays near bus stand

Peace: Chamba town — less touristy

Families: Near Baleshwar temple

Backpackers: KMVN or budget lodges

Peace: Entire town is quiet

Families: Sector 17-22 — central, parks

Backpackers: Sector 22 market area

Peace: Sectors near Sukhna Lake

Families: Resort stays with Himalayan views

Backpackers: Homestays

Peace: Entire area is quiet

Families: Sangla village — more facilities

Backpackers: Chitkul homestays

Peace: Chitkul — last village on Indo-Tibet border

Families: Near Ram Ghat area

Backpackers: Ashram stays

Peace: Sati Anusuya ashram area

Families: Kumbhalgarh — quieter, great fort

Backpackers: Chittorgarh town budget stays

Peace: Kumbhalgarh over Chittorgarh

Families: Chopta base — skip Tungnath trek with toddlers

Backpackers: Tents and basic dhabas at Chopta

Peace: Chopta meadow

Families: Hotels on Mall Road — walkable to attractions

Backpackers: Homestays in Jorebungalow area

Peace: Tea estate stays — Glenburn, Makaibari

Families: South Delhi — Hauz Khas, GK

Backpackers: Paharganj — budget, near station

Peace: Lutyens/New Delhi area

Families: Near confluence point

Backpackers: GMVN or ashram stays

Peace: Entire town is quiet

Families: Eco parks and resorts

Backpackers: Campsites

Peace: Entire area is quiet

Families: McLeodGanj main square area

Backpackers: Bhagsu — cheaper, more backpacker vibe

Peace: Dharamkot or Naddi

Families: Near meadow area

Backpackers: Basic stays near meadow

Peace: Entire place is quiet

Families: Dudhwa rest house or nearby resorts

Backpackers: Palia town — basic budget stays

Peace: Inside park — forest lodges

Families: Near Gaib Sagar lake

Backpackers: Town center budget stays

Peace: Lake area

Families: Stay in Agra — day trip

Backpackers: Budget hotels near bus stand

Peace: Govardhan side

Families: GMVN rest house

Backpackers: Dharamshalas near temple

Peace: All of Gangotri is quiet

Families: Hotels on MG Marg or Tibet Road

Backpackers: Homestays on Development Area road

Peace: Rumtek side — monastery area

Families: Near Gopinath temple

Backpackers: GMVN guesthouse

Peace: Entire town is quiet

Families: Main Gulmarg town — hotels with heating

Backpackers: Tangmarg (base town) is cheaper

Peace: Outer ring of Gulmarg

Families: Main town area

Backpackers: Dharamshalas

Peace: Outskirts

Families: Not ideal — very remote

Backpackers: Homestays in Dawar village

Peace: Entire valley is untouched

Families: Not suitable for families

Backpackers: Hanle homestays

Peace: Hanle monastery area

Families: Hotels near Har Ki Pauri

Backpackers: Ashrams — many offer free stay with spiritual programs

Peace: Across the river or towards Rishikesh road

Families: MI Road or C-Scheme — safe, well-connected

Backpackers: Near Hawa Mahal — cheap, central

Peace: Nahargarh Road area

Families: Fort area — heritage havelis inside the fort

Backpackers: Inside the fort — cheapest heritage stays in India

Peace: Sam Sand Dunes camps (30km out)

Families: Jibhi village — treehouse stays are magical

Backpackers: Backpacker hostels and homestays

Peace: Upper Jibhi or Shoja

Families: Dhikala zone — best wildlife experience

Backpackers: Ramnagar town — budget stays outside park

Peace: Bijrani zone

Families: Near clock tower — walkable

Backpackers: Blue city guesthouses — rooftop views of Mehrangarh

Peace: Umaid Bhawan Palace area

Families: Main market area — more facilities

Backpackers: Budget stays near bus stand

Peace: Tapovan area

Families: Kalpa village — apple orchards, Kinner Kailash views

Backpackers: Reckong Peo — more budget options

Peace: Kalpa over Reckong Peo

Families: Kanatal resorts — adventure activities for kids

Backpackers: Campsites

Peace: Entire area is quiet

Families: Kargil town — more facilities

Backpackers: Kargil town budget stays

Peace: Drass side

Families: Mall Road area

Backpackers: Budget stays near bus stand

Peace: Upper Kasauli

Families: Jari or Kasol main village

Backpackers: Chalal — across the river, hippie trail

Peace: Grahan village or Tosh upper

Families: Kausani town — Himalayan panorama from every hotel

Backpackers: Budget guesthouses

Peace: Entire town is quiet

Families: Guptkashi or Sonprayag as base

Backpackers: Sonprayag dharamshalas

Peace: Triyuginarayan village

Families: Keylong town — district HQ, more facilities

Backpackers: Budget stays in Keylong

Peace: Entire area is quiet

Families: Hotels near Western Group — walkable

Backpackers: Guesthouses in village

Peace: Hotels on Jain temple side

Families: Kishtwar town — basic facilities

Backpackers: Basic town stays

Peace: Entire area is remote

Families: Kufri main area — horse rides for kids

Backpackers: Stay in Shimla instead — better value

Peace: Green Valley side

Families: Hotels on NH near Akhara Bazaar

Backpackers: Guesthouses in town

Peace: Naggar side — across the valley

Families: Near Brahma Sarovar

Backpackers: Budget stays near bus stand

Peace: Jyotisar area

Families: Near Mahaparinirvana temple

Backpackers: Monastery guesthouses

Peace: Entire town is peaceful

Families: Alchi — lowest altitude, more comfortable

Backpackers: Monastery guesthouses

Peace: Lamayuru — dramatic landscape

Families: Tip N Top area — views

Backpackers: Budget stays near bus stand

Peace: Entire town is quiet

Families: Changspa Road — quiet, close to town

Backpackers: Fort Road and Old Town guesthouses

Peace: Upper Changspa or Stok village

Families: Hazratganj — central, walkable, safe

Backpackers: Charbagh area — near station, budget

Peace: Gomti Nagar — modern, quieter

Families: Mall Road area — hotels with heating, close to shops

Backpackers: Old Manali — hostels, cafes, river views

Peace: Naggar or Sethan — away from main town chaos

Families: Near Sunken Garden or Rewalsar

Backpackers: Budget stays near bus stand

Peace: Rewalsar Lake — 25km

Families: Near gurudwara — clean facilities

Backpackers: Kasol — backpacker capital

Peace: Kasol is 4km away for more options

Families: Tikkar Taal lake resorts

Backpackers: Day trip from Chandigarh better

Peace: Morni village

Families: Nakki Lake area — boating for kids

Backpackers: Main market budget stays

Peace: Sunset Point road

Families: Mukteshwar — panoramic views, orchards

Backpackers: Homestays

Peace: Entire area is quiet

Families: Munsiyari town — Panchachuli views

Backpackers: KMVN or local homestays

Peace: Entire area is remote and quiet

Families: Mall Road area

Backpackers: Library area — cheaper

Peace: Landour — Ruskin Bond territory, no traffic

Families: Mall Road or Tallital — close to lake

Backpackers: Mallital area — cheaper

Peace: Bhimtal or Sattal — much quieter lakes

Families: Nako village — lakeside

Backpackers: Homestays

Peace: Entire village is quiet

Families: Neemrana Fort Palace — zipline, pool

Backpackers: Not a budget destination — skip or day trip

Peace: Fort itself

Families: Hunder — sand dunes, double-hump camels

Backpackers: Diskit — more options

Peace: Panamik — hot springs

Families: MP Tourism Sheesh Mahal — stay inside a palace

Backpackers: Guesthouses in village

Peace: River-side properties

Families: Near temples

Backpackers: Day trip from Jodhpur better

Peace: Desert camps

Families: Main town along Lidder River

Backpackers: Aru Valley homestays

Peace: Aru or Betaab Valley area

Families: Tea estate stays — educational for kids

Backpackers: Homestays in town

Peace: Andretta side — arts village

Families: Merak or Lukung — organized camps

Backpackers: Lukung homestays

Peace: Merak village side — fewer tourists

Families: Near Qila Mubarak

Backpackers: Budget stays near railway station

Peace: Outskirts

Families: Main Patnitop area — cable car, snow

Backpackers: Budget stays near bus stand

Peace: Sanasar — 20km away

Families: Hotels on Upper Pelling — Kanchenjunga view rooms

Backpackers: Homestays in Lower Pelling

Peace: All of Pelling is quiet

Families: Day trip from Chandigarh — gardens are great for kids

Backpackers: Day trip — stay in Chandigarh

Peace: Gardens themselves are peaceful

Families: Pithoragarh town — more facilities

Backpackers: KMVN rest house

Peace: Chandak hilltop

Families: Civil Lines — cleaner, quieter

Backpackers: Near sangam — budget dharamshalas

Peace: Civil Lines area

Families: Near Pushkar Lake — clean, walkable

Backpackers: Baba Chai Wala area — cheapest

Peace: Savitri Temple side

Families: KMVN rest houses — reliable, clean

Backpackers: Budget hotels near Mall Road

Peace: Chaubatia side — orchard area

Families: Zone 3-5 resorts — family-friendly

Backpackers: Sawai Madhopur town — budget stays

Peace: Khandar side — less touristy

Families: Tapovan area — quieter, river views

Backpackers: Laxman Jhula area — hostels, cafes, yoga

Peace: Neelkanth Road or beyond Ram Jhula

Families: NOT recommended — serious high-altitude trek

Backpackers: Trek operator groups — best value and safest

Peace: Entire trek is wilderness

Families: Near Sangam point

Backpackers: GMVN guesthouse

Peace: Entire town is quiet

Families: Near Bhimakali temple

Backpackers: HPTDC or budget stays

Peace: Entire village is quiet

Families: Stay in Varanasi — half-day trip

Backpackers: Monastery guesthouses offer clean budget stays

Peace: Sarnath itself is very quiet

Families: Mandawa or Nawalgarh — most painted havelis

Backpackers: Mandawa heritage stays

Peace: Fatehpur — less touristy

Families: The Ridge area — walkable, safe

Backpackers: Lower Bazaar area

Peace: Mashobra or Kufri side

Families: Not suitable — pass crossing only

Backpackers: Basic tents at top

Peace: N/A — transit point

Families: Sissu village — waterfall, lake

Backpackers: Campsites near Sissu waterfall

Peace: Entire Lahaul valley is quiet

Families: Near Mall Road area

Backpackers: Budget stays near bus stand

Peace: Outskirts towards Kasauli

Families: Sonamarg town — pony rides to Thajiwas glacier

Backpackers: Budget hotels in town

Peace: Camps beyond town

Families: Kaza main town — best infrastructure

Backpackers: Kaza and Langza homestays

Peace: Langza, Komic, or Hikkim villages

Families: Near Jetavana ruins

Backpackers: Dharamshalas

Peace: Entire town is peaceful

Families: Boulevard Road houseboats or Dal Gate hotels

Backpackers: Nagin Lake area — quieter, cheaper houseboats

Peace: Nagin Lake or Nigeen area

Families: Hotels in Tawang town — near monastery

Backpackers: Monastery guesthouse for basic but authentic stay

Peace: All of Tawang is peaceful

Families: Tehri Lake resorts — water sports for kids

Backpackers: New Tehri budget stays

Peace: Less crowded side of lake

Families: Gushaini area — riverside, safe

Backpackers: Jibhi and Gushaini homestays

Peace: Upper Banjar or Shoja

Families: Day trip from Srinagar — meadow walk OK for older kids

Backpackers: Tents

Peace: Entire meadow is quiet

Families: Not suitable for families

Backpackers: Korzok village homestays

Peace: Entire area is untouched wilderness

Families: Stay at Chopta — do trek as day trip

Backpackers: Camps at Chopta — cheapest Himalayan trek base

Peace: All of Chopta is quiet

Families: Lake Pichola area — views, walkable

Backpackers: Lal Ghat — budget stays with lake views

Peace: Fateh Sagar lake side

Families: GMVN guesthouse or hotels near bus stand

Backpackers: Budget hotels near bazaar

Peace: River-side properties

Families: Ghangaria base — but trek is demanding

Backpackers: Ghangaria lodges

Peace: Inside the valley — pristine

Families: Assi Ghat area — calmer, cleaner

Backpackers: Meer Ghat to Assi Ghat stretch

Peace: Lanka area or BHU campus side

Families: Verinag spring — gardens for kids

Backpackers: Budget stays at any of the three

Peace: Kokernag — quietest of the three

Families: Mathura — better infrastructure than Vrindavan

Backpackers: Ashrams in Vrindavan — free/donation stays

Peace: Vrindavan outskirts — Nidhivan area

Families: Stay at Janki Chatti — skip trek if kids are young

Backpackers: Dharamshalas at Janki Chatti

Peace: Entire area is peaceful

Families: Yusmarg meadow area — pony rides for kids

Backpackers: JKTDC huts

Peace: Entire area is quiet

Families: Not suitable — extremely remote

Backpackers: Padum homestays

Peace: Entire valley is untouched