Self-Launched Hiking & Yoga in the Indian Himalayas

Land at Indira Gandhi International Airport and make your own way into the city — the Delhi Airport Express (Orange Line) to New Delhi station takes ~20 min for around £2, or a pre-paid taxi/Uber is roughly £6-9. Check into a budget guesthouse in Paharganj or Karol Bagh (single rooms from ~£12-18). Rest up, then head out to Connaught Place for dinner. Sort your essentials today: pick up a local SIM (Airtel/Jio, ~£3-4 with data), withdraw rupees, and if you plan on a lot of train travel consider signing up to IRCTC online to book Indian Railways tickets in advance.

🚌Delhi Airport Express (~£2) or pre-paid taxi (~£7)

🛏Budget guesthouse, Paharganj or Karol Bagh (single/double room, ~£14)

• →Airport Express or taxi transfer to city
• →SIM card and cash setup
• →Evening wander in Connaught Place
• →Welcome dinner at a Paharganj eatery

Catch an early New Delhi–Kalka Shatabdi Express (AC chair car, ~£6-8, book on IRCTC). From Kalka, either take the UNESCO-listed narrow-gauge Kalka–Shimla 'Toy Train' (a scenic ~5 hr ride, ~£2-4, book early) or board a HRTC/local bus up the winding mountain road to Shimla (~£3, 4 hrs). Shimla sits at 7,218 ft and was British India's summer capital — wander the Mall and Ridge, see Christ Church and the Victorian architecture, then take a shared taxi or local bus up to quieter Mashobra (~£2-3) as your hiking base for the next few days.

🚌Shatabdi Express (~£7) + Toy Train/bus to Shimla (~£4) + shared taxi to Mashobra (~£3)

🛏Family guesthouse or homestay in Mashobra (~£15-20)

• →Shatabdi Express to Kalka
• →Kalka–Shimla Toy Train or bus climb
• →Shimla Mall Road, Ridge and Christ Church
• →Transfer to Mashobra

Start with a morning drop-in yoga class — many Mashobra/Shimla guesthouses and studios run daily sessions (~£4-6), or arrange directly with a local instructor. Then set off on foot from your guesthouse through pine forest past towering deodar (Himalayan cedar) trees down to Sipur village, home to cedar-built temples reflecting the region's old Kingdom of Nepal links. Walk back up or hop a shared taxi (~£2) to Mashobra. Explore the small local market in the afternoon. Packed lunch from a village teahouse (~£2).

🚌On foot; optional shared taxi back (~£2)

🛏Family guesthouse or homestay in Mashobra (~£15-20)

• →Morning yoga session
• →Self-guided hike to Sipur village (~4 hrs)
• →Cedar temples and local market
• →Optional shared taxi return

Take a local bus or shared taxi to Narkanda (~1.5 hrs, £3-5), your trailhead for the moderate 9-mile ascent of Hatu Peak. The route climbs through conifer, oak and maple forest to the sacred Hatu Mata shrine at 11,155 ft, with panoramic snow-capped Himalayan views. Lunch at a Narkanda teahouse or bring a packed lunch. Descend past a small lake, then catch the return bus/shared taxi to Mashobra. You may prefer to hire a local guide in Narkanda for the day (~£15-20 split between a few hikers).

🚌Local bus/shared taxi to Narkanda and back (~£8)

🛏Family guesthouse or homestay in Mashobra (~£15-20)

• →Bus/shared taxi to Narkanda
• →Hatu Peak hike (~6-7 hrs, 11,155 ft)
• →Hatu Mata temple and viewpoints
• →Optional local guide

Start with a final early yoga session in Mashobra, then take a public HRTC bus (or shared taxi) from Shimla to Dharamshala — around 7-8 hrs through Himachal hill villages (~£7-10). Break the journey at Mandi or Palampur for lunch if you like. Arrive late afternoon in McLeod Ganj, the Tibetan government-in-exile and home of the Dalai Lama, and check into a budget guesthouse (~£12-18). Stretch your legs around Bhagsu Road and the main square before dinner.

🚌HRTC bus Shimla–Dharamshala (~£9)

🛏Budget guesthouse in McLeod Ganj (~£14)

• →Morning yoga session
• →Scenic HRTC bus Shimla–Dharamshala
• →Arrival wander in McLeod Ganj

Today's the big one. Take a short shared taxi or walk to the trailhead at Dharamkot (~£2), then hike up through rhododendron and pine forest past Galu temple and the 'Magic View Cafe' halfway point (stop for chai, ~£1). The trail steepens onto a rocky spur up to the alpine meadow of Triund, with epic views of the Kangra Valley and the Dhauladhar range. Return downhill to Bhagsu village and your guesthouse. If you want an easier day, turn back at Magic View Cafe. A seasonal teahouse on the ridge offers basic overnight stays if you'd rather sleep up top (~£8-12).

🚌Shared taxi to Dharamkot (~£2)

🛏Budget guesthouse in McLeod Ganj (~£14)

• →Shared taxi to Dharamkot trailhead
• →Triund hike (~7-8 hrs)
• →Chai stop at Magic View Cafe
• →Kangra Valley and Dhauladhar viewpoints

Rise early for a rooftop or studio yoga session (~£4-6). Spend the day exploring the Tibetan sights at your own pace: the Tsuglagkhang Complex (largest Tibetan temple outside Tibet, in front of the Dalai Lama's residence), the Norbulingka Institute preserving Tibetan arts and crafts, and the hilltop Tse Chokling Gompa with valley views. Wander the McLeod Ganj markets and grab momos or thukpa for lunch. Shared taxis between sights are ~£1-2 each; most temple entry is free or by small donation.

🚌Shared taxis between sights (~£5)

🛏Budget guesthouse in McLeod Ganj (~£14)

• →Morning yoga session
• →Tsuglagkhang Complex
• →Norbulingka Institute
• →Tse Chokling Gompa
• →McLeod Ganj markets

Do a sunrise yoga session on a guesthouse rooftop or at a local studio (~£5). Then hike toward the mountaintop Guna Devi temple: a gentle trail through small villages leads to Galu, followed by a steep climb and roughly an hour's gradual ascent to the temple, which has sweeping forest and Himalayan views. Return via Naddi, famous for its sunset viewpoints — grab a lemon tea or well-earned drink and watch the light fade over the Dhauladhar range before walking or taking a shared taxi home.

🚌On foot; optional shared taxi back (~£2)

🛏Budget guesthouse in McLeod Ganj (~£14)

• →Sunrise yoga session
• →Guna Devi temple hike (~5-6 hrs)
• →Teahouse stop in Galu
• →Naddi sunset viewpoint

Take a shared taxi ~45 min to Kandi village (~£3) where the trail begins through Kangra Valley forest and tea gardens. A steep two-hour climb leads past the villages of Kharipatti and Bangotu to a ridgeline, then descends to Leta village and down to Bhagsu Waterfall (no bathing for safety reasons). Pass through the Tibetan market and the Bhagsu Nag temple complex with its 5,000-year-old shrine and healing pools (ritual bathing for men only in the designated pool). Finish at your guesthouse, then join an early evening drop-in yoga class (~£5).

🚌Shared taxi to Kandi (~£3)

🛏Budget guesthouse in McLeod Ganj (~£14)

• →Shared taxi to Kandi trailhead
• →Leta village hike (~5-6 hrs)
• →Bhagsu Waterfall and Bhagsu Nag temple complex
• →Evening yoga session

Fit in a final morning yoga session, then take a bus or shared taxi down to Pathankot/Ambala-bound station (~3 hrs, ~£4). Board an overnight or evening Indian Railways train to Delhi (sleeper/AC class, ~£5-10, book ahead on IRCTC). Arrive late evening and check into a budget guesthouse in Paharganj (~£14) for your last night.

🚌Bus (~£4) + overnight/evening train to Delhi (~£8)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Paharganj, Delhi (~£14)

• →Final morning yoga session
• →Bus to Pathankot/Amb
• →Indian Railways train to Delhi

After breakfast, make your own way to Indira Gandhi International Airport via the Airport Express (~£2) or a taxi (~£7), leaving plenty of buffer for traffic. If your flight is later, you may have time for a last wander around Connaught Place or Delhi's markets. Safe travels!

🚌Airport Express (~£2) or taxi (~£7)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Airport transfer
• →Optional final Delhi sightseeing