Explore Himalayas

The Himalaya are a range of mountains in Asia, most correctly defined as stretching from the Indus river in Pakistan, through India, Nepal, Bhutan, and ending at the Bramaputra River in India. This is often extended to include the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush, and other minor ranges extending from the Pamir Knot, as these mountains are continuous with the Himalaya proper, and the geographical difference makes no difference for the traveller, we follow this convention here. This region includes the 14 highest mountains in the world, and over 100 peaks over 7200m.

Most parts of the Himalaya are connected to the plains to the south, by bus and airplane.

The Himalaya are a home to a diverse number of people, languages, and religions. Generally speaking Islam is prevalent in the west, Hinduism in the southern ranges of the eastern Himalaya, and Buddhism in the northern ranges of the western Himalaya. While there are numerous languages spoken, Hindi/Urdu (when written, they are two totally different languages, when spoken they are nearly interchangeable) will take you very far, as it is understood by the majority in the Pakistani, and Indian Himalaya. In Nepal it's not very useful, but it does have significant overlap with Nepali, and as such gives you a head start with that.

The northern Areas of Pakistan offers some of the most visually stunning parts of the Himalaya. The trekking in Northern areas is arduous, seldom without glacier crossings, and not for the inexperienced, or unprepared. Local law, and good sense, prohibit trekking without a local guide on most routes. As such it is one of the more costly parts of the Himalaya for trekking. The people in this area, while being almost entirely mulslim, are diverse, with numerous languages, and different types of Islam followed--some highly conservative, some noticeably liberal.

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state in India and an area with picturesque forested mountains. Jammu is the winter capital of state. It is famous for its temples. For Kashmir Valley some people say it's Heaven on Earth; friendly people, beautiful gardens, vast lakes and pristine streams and stunning landscapes.

This area was a popular destination with travelers until the conflict escalation between Pakistan and India. While Srinagar is reasonable safe, don't spend time in the country-side. Ladakh is the important exception to this and it should not to be missed. With truly amazing landscapes high up in the Himalayas, Ladakh is popular for trekking and with those on a search for the most serene place in the world.