By: Akshaya Holidays Travel Expert Team | Experience: 25+ Years Planning Hill Station Tours from Chennai Last Updated: July 2026 

Introduction

Ten days is enough time to cover multiple hill stations in India — but only if you plan the route correctly. The most common mistake travellers make is picking destinations that look close on a map but involve long road journeys or backtracking that eats up half the trip. A well-planned 10-day hill station itinerary moves in a logical direction, keeps travel days short, and gives each destination enough time to actually experience rather than just pass through.

India's hill stations fall into four natural geographic clusters — North India (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand), East India (Sikkim, West Bengal, and the Northeast), South India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka), and Central India (Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra). The best 10-day itineraries cover two to four destinations within a single cluster, rather than mixing regions and spending the whole trip on planes or buses.

This guide gives you three fully planned 10-day hill station routes — one for North India, one for South India, and one for East India — with specific day-by-day breakdowns, travel times, what to see at each stop, and the best time to run each route from Chennai.

Before You Plan — 3 Rules for a Multi Hill Station Trip

Rule 1 — Stay within one region. Mixing Shimla with Munnar in a 10-day trip is a logistical nightmare. Stick to one geographic cluster and move through it logically.

Rule 2 — Keep road journeys under 4 hours per day. The most enjoyable hill station trips move at a pace where the journey is part of the experience, not an obstacle. Build your itinerary around 2 to 4 hour road segments, not 8-hour driving days.

Rule 3 — Give each destination at least 2 full days. Arriving at a hill station in the evening and leaving the next morning means you have barely seen it. Two full days at each stop is the minimum to feel like you have actually been somewhere.

Route 1 — North India: Shimla, Manali, and Kufri in 10 Days

This is the most popular North India hill station combination from Chennai and works best between April and October, with June to August being peak season for most travellers from South India.

Destinations covered: Shimla — Kufri — Manali — Solang Valley — Rohtang Pass (seasonal) Base airports: Fly Chennai to Chandigarh. Return from Chandigarh or Bhuntar (Kullu) to Chennai. Total road travel within the route: Chandigarh to Shimla (3.5 hours), Shimla to Manali (7 hours via Mandi — best done as an overnight journey or broken at Mandi).

Day-by-Day Plan — North India Route

Day 1: Fly Chennai to Chandigarh. Drive to Shimla (3.5 hours). Check in. Evening walk on Mall Road.

Day 2 — Shimla: Jakhu Hill and Hanuman Temple (cable car or trek). Viceregal Lodge and the Ridge. Christ Church. Lakkar Bazaar for local wooden handicrafts.

Day 3 — Shimla to Kufri: Day excursion to Kufri (16 km from Shimla). Himalayan Nature Park for wildlife including snow leopards, yaks, and deer. Chini Bungalow viewpoint. Return to Shimla for the evening.

Day 4 — Shimla to Manali: Long road day or overnight bus. The drive passes through the Kullu Valley — stop at Pandoh Dam and the Kullu market if time allows.

Day 5 — Manali: Hadimba Temple, a wooden temple built in 1553 surrounded by cedar forest. Vashisht village and its hot sulphur springs. Old Manali market for Himalayan handicrafts, dried fruits, and local woollens.

Day 6 — Solang Valley: Solang Valley, 14 km from Manali, for paragliding, zorbing, and snowboarding in season. Cable car to the upper valley viewpoint. River crossing and nature walk along the Beas River.

Day 7 — Rohtang Pass or Atal Tunnel: Rohtang Pass (3,978 metres) is accessible June to October and requires a permit booked online in advance. If travelling in shoulder season or if Rohtang is restricted, the Atal Tunnel to Sissu is an excellent alternative — the drive through the tunnel and into the Lahaul Valley on the other side takes you into a completely different landscape in under an hour.

Day 8 — Manali leisure day: Return to destinations you want more time at. Optional full-day rafting on the Beas River between Pirdi and Jhiri — a Grade II to III stretch well suited to first-time rafters.

Day 9 — Manali to Bhuntar or Chandigarh: Drive back for return flight.

Day 10: Fly Bhuntar or Chandigarh to Chennai.

Best time from Chennai: May to October. June and July are peak season with the most crowd and the most activity. September and October offer clearer skies and lower prices.

Akshaya package: Our Shimla Manali Group Tour covers this route in 6 days starting at Rs 36,900 per person. For a custom 10-day version with additional destinations, contact our team through our India destinations page.

Route 2 — South India: Munnar, Thekkady, Coorg, and Ooty in 10 Days

This is the ideal 10-day hill station route for travellers from Chennai who want to avoid flying long distances and prefer a road-based trip through South India's most scenic landscapes. All four destinations are within driving range of each other and move logically from east to west.

Destinations covered: Munnar — Thekkady — Coorg (Madikeri) — Ooty Starting point: Chennai by overnight train or flight to Cochin (Kochi). Return from Ooty by road to Coimbatore, then train or flight to Chennai. Total road travel within the route: Kochi to Munnar (3.5 hours), Munnar to Thekkady (2.5 hours), Thekkady to Coorg (4 hours), Coorg to Ooty (3.5 hours).

Day-by-Day Plan — South India Route

Day 1: Fly or take overnight train from Chennai to Kochi. Drive to Munnar (3.5 hours). Check in. Evening walk through the tea estates around the hotel.

Day 2 — Munnar: Eravikulam National Park for the Nilgiri Tahr (India's endangered mountain goat, found only in the Western Ghats). Pothamedu Viewpoint for panoramic views of tea, coffee, and cardamom plantations. Mattupetty Dam and Echo Point lake walk.

Day 3 — Munnar: Top Station (32 km from Munnar town) for views into Tamil Nadu and the Neelakurinji flowers (in bloom every 12 years — next bloom 2030). Cheeyappara and Valara Waterfalls on the Kochi–Madurai highway. Tata Tea Museum for the history of tea cultivation in the Nilgiris.

Day 4 — Munnar to Thekkady: Drive to Thekkady (2.5 hours). Periyar Lake boat ride in the late afternoon — the best time for elephant sightings at the water's edge. Spice Garden walk in the evening.

Day 5 — Thekkady: Periyar Tiger Reserve jungle walk (guided trek inside the reserve). Cardamom Hill visit and spice plantation tour. Bamboo rafting on Periyar Lake (advance booking required). Local Kumily market for spices, coffee, and tea.

Day 6 — Thekkady to Coorg: Drive to Madikeri in Coorg (4 hours). Check in. Evening at Raja's Seat for sunset over the Western Ghats.

Day 7 — Coorg: Abbey Falls through dense forest cover. Nagarhole National Park morning safari (November to May is the recommended window) for tigers, elephants, and leopards. Coffee plantation walk at one of the working estates near Siddapur or Virajpet.

Day 8 — Coorg to Ooty: Drive to Ooty (3.5 hours through Masinagudi and Mudumalai, which doubles as a wildlife corridor drive — elephant sightings are common on this stretch). Check in to Ooty. Evening at Ooty Lake.

Day 9 — Ooty: Nilgiri Mountain Railway toy train ride — the most popular single experience in Ooty, running between Ooty and Coonoor through tea estates and tunnels. Botanical Garden. Doddabetta Peak (2,637 metres), the highest point in the Nilgiris. Coonoor for Sim's Park and the Highfield Tea Estate.

Day 10: Drive from Ooty to Coimbatore (3 hours). Train or flight to Chennai.

Best time from Chennai: September to March. April and May are warm but manageable at altitude. June to August brings monsoon rain to Munnar and Thekkady, which makes the landscape beautiful but some roads difficult.

Akshaya packages: Explore our South India Tour Package covering Munnar, Thekkady, and Ooty, or our Tamil Nadu Tour package for a Tamil Nadu-focused hill station route. For a custom 10-day South India itinerary, contact our team through the India destinations page.

Route 3 — East India: Gangtok, Pelling, and Darjeeling in 10 Days

The East India hill station circuit is one of the most visually dramatic in the country. Gangtok and Sikkim have views of Kanchenjunga — the third highest mountain in the world — and the combination of Buddhist monasteries, high-altitude lakes, and rolling Himalayan ridgelines makes this route unlike anything in North or South India.

Destinations covered: Gangtok — Tsomgo Lake — Pelling — Darjeeling Base airports: Fly Chennai to Bagdogra (West Bengal). Return from Bagdogra to Chennai. Total road travel within the route: Bagdogra to Gangtok (4 hours), Gangtok to Pelling (3.5 hours), Pelling to Darjeeling (3.5 hours), Darjeeling to Bagdogra (3 hours).

Day-by-Day Plan — East India Route

Day 1: Fly Chennai to Bagdogra. Drive to Gangtok (4 hours through the Teesta River valley). Check in. Evening at MG Road, Gangtok's main pedestrian promenade.

Day 2 — Gangtok: Rumtek Monastery, the largest monastery in Sikkim. Namgyal Institute of Tibetology for Himalayan Buddhist manuscripts and artefacts. Do-Drul Chorten Stupa. Enchey Monastery with views over the Kanchenjunga range on clear days.

Day 3 — Tsomgo Lake and Nathula Pass: Day excursion to Tsomgo Lake (Changu Lake) at 3,753 metres — a glacial lake sacred to the local Sikkimese community. Continue to Nathula Pass at 4,310 metres on the India-China border if permits are available (book through your operator in advance). The drive back to Gangtok in the evening passes through spectacular mountain scenery.

Day 4 — Gangtok to Pelling: Drive to Pelling (3.5 hours). Pelling is a small hill town in West Sikkim with unobstructed views of Kanchenjunga from many guesthouses and hotels — book accommodation with a mountain-facing room for the best experience.

Day 5 — Pelling: Pemayangtse Monastery, one of the oldest and most important monasteries in Sikkim, dating to 1705. Rabdentse Ruins — the second capital of the former Kingdom of Sikkim. Kanchenjunga Falls. Skywalk at Pelling for a glass-floored bridge walkway over the valley.

Day 6 — Pelling: Khecheopalri Lake — a sacred lake considered the wish-fulfilling lake by Sikkimese Buddhists, surrounded by dense forest and prayer flags. Singshore Bridge, one of the highest suspension bridges in South Asia. Optional trek to Dzongri meadows for serious trekkers.

Day 7 — Pelling to Darjeeling: Drive to Darjeeling (3.5 hours through the tea garden roads of West Bengal). Check in. Afternoon at Chowrasta, Darjeeling's central promenade, for the first views of the Kanchenjunga range.

Day 8 — Darjeeling: Early morning (4 am departure) to Tiger Hill for sunrise over Kanchenjunga and, on clear days, Everest. Return for breakfast. Ghoom Monastery, the highest railway station in India. Batasia Loop on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.

Day 9 — Darjeeling: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway toy train ride — a UNESCO World Heritage site running on a narrow-gauge track through tea gardens since 1881. Happy Valley Tea Estate for a plantation visit and tasting. Japanese Temple and Peace Pagoda. Ropeway ride over the valley.

Day 10: Drive from Darjeeling to Bagdogra (3 hours). Flight back to Chennai.

Best time from Chennai: March to May for rhododendron blooms and clear Kanchenjunga views. September to November for crisp post-monsoon visibility. Avoid June to August for the clearest mountain views, though the landscape is lush and green.

Akshaya packages: Our Gangtok Group Tour covers Gangtok and Darjeeling, and the Gangtok, Darjeeling and Pelling Tour covers the full three-destination East India circuit described above. Contact our team through the India destinations page for a custom 10-day version.

How to Decide Which Route Is Right for You

General Tips for Covering Multiple Hill Stations in 10 Days

Book accommodation before you leave Chennai. Good hotels in Munnar, Manali, and Darjeeling fill up 3 to 6 weeks ahead during peak months. Do not leave accommodation booking until you are on the road.

Use overnight trains or early morning drives for long road segments. The Shimla to Manali stretch and the Bagdogra to Gangtok drive are both long enough to benefit from an early 6 am departure. This saves daylight hours at your destination.

Pack layers even for South India routes. Munnar, Ooty, and Coorg all have mornings and evenings where temperatures drop to 10 to 15°C, even in the warmer months. Carrying a light fleece or jacket is not optional.

Check permit requirements for high-altitude destinations. Rohtang Pass requires an online permit from the Himachal Pradesh government. Nathula Pass in Sikkim requires a Protected Area Permit organised through a registered operator. Both need to be arranged in advance, not on the day.

Keep one buffer day in your plan. Mountain weather, landslides, and road conditions can disrupt even well-planned itineraries. A buffer day — either at your midpoint or at the end — absorbs any delays without ruining the rest of the trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How many hill stations can you realistically cover in 10 days in India? Two to four hill stations is realistic in 10 days, depending on the region. South India's hill stations are closer together and easier to combine — four in 10 days is manageable. North India's distances are larger, so two to three works better. East India's route covers three destinations comfortably in 10 days.

Q2. Is it better to fly or take a train to reach the hill station region from Chennai? Flying saves the most time and is the most practical option for North India (Chandigarh) and East India (Bagdogra). For South India routes, an overnight train from Chennai to Kochi or Coimbatore is comfortable and avoids the early morning airport rush.

Q3. Which 10-day hill station route is best for families with young children? The South India route — Munnar, Thekkady, Coorg, Ooty — is the most family-friendly. The altitudes are manageable for children, the roads are well-maintained, and the mix of wildlife, tea estates, and a toy train ride gives children varied experiences throughout the trip.

Q4. Which route is best for first-time hill station travellers? The South India route again. The altitudes are lower, the climate transition from Chennai is gentler, the food culture is more familiar for South Indian travellers, and the destinations are well set up for first-time visitors.

Q5. Can I cover all three routes — North, South, and East India — in one India trip? Not comfortably in a single trip unless you have 25 to 30 days. Each region works best as its own dedicated 10-day trip. Many regular travellers from Chennai do one per year — South India in winter, North India in summer, and East India in spring or autumn.

Q6. What is the best month to start a 10-day hill station trip from Chennai? For the South India route, October to January is the best window. For the North India route, May to September. For the East India route, March to May or September to November.

Plan Your 10-Day Hill Station Trip with Akshaya Holidays

With over 25 years of experience planning hill station tours from Chennai, Akshaya Holidays designs itineraries around the actual road logistics, seasonal conditions, and permit requirements — not just a list of destinations on a map. Our team knows which roads are open in which months, which hotels book out earliest, and how to structure a 10-day route so you spend time at the destination rather than in the car.

Shimla Manali Group Tour — Rs 36,900 / 6 Days South India Tour Package Tamil Nadu Tour Package Gangtok Group Tour Gangtok, Darjeeling and Pelling Tour Browse all India Destinations Contact our team for a custom 10-day hill station itinerary

Phone: +91 4444117575 Email: info@akshayaholidays.com Address: A-1/3 Kushkumar Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai — 600034