Weekend trips from Delhi

The Ganga aarti city — gateway to Uttarakhand's pilgrimage circuit.

The Taj at sunrise — and two more Mughal masterpieces most people skip.

Yoga capital on the Ganga — rafting, cliff cafés and quiet ashrams.

India's first national park — tiger country on the Ramganga.

Doon-valley caves, cafés and the gateway to Mussoorie.

The Queen of Hills — Doon valley views and waterfall walks.

Pine forests, adventure park and starry nights near Dhanaulti.

The Pink City — hilltop forts, bazaar streets and Rajasthan's best-known food.

Desert forts, royal palaces and old bazaars across Rajasthan.

Kumaon's lake town — boat rides, ropeway views and quiet peaks nearby.

Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake and Le Corbusier's planned city.

Cedar woods, quiet walks and starry nights near Shimla.

The colonial hill capital — Mall Road, toy train and cedar forests.

A high Himalayan Jyotirlinga reached by the Gaurikund trek.

Tiger safaris below a clifftop fort in Rajasthan's wild east.

Riverside cafés, forest treks and slow days in Himachal.

A quiet Himachal meadow village deep in Tirthan Valley.

Parvati Valley's backpacker base — riverside cafés, treks and hot springs.

The Golden Temple, the border ceremony and Punjab's best food.

Himachal's all-season mountain base — snow, treks and the Atal Tunnel to Lahaul.

A cold desert beyond the Himalaya — monasteries, fossils and the world's highest villages.

Tibetan monasteries, ridge cafés and McLeod Ganj — Himachal's calm side.

Nawabi monuments, Awadhi kebabs and Hazratganj evenings.

Colonial churches, pine walks and Dhauladhar views in Chamba.

A hill fort with one of the world's longest walls in Rajasthan.

Sacred Sarayu ghats and temples in India's Ram nagari.

Rajasthan's lake city — palaces on the water and rooftop dinners.

Temple-town devotion near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.

High-altitude desert, monasteries and the great Indian road trip.

Rajasthan's cool Aravalli lake town of viewpoints and sunsets.

Dal Lake, Mughal gardens and shikara mornings in Kashmir.

Street food, temples and old palaces in MP's food capital.

India's oldest living city — ghats, aartis and dawn on the Ganga.

Satpura waterfalls, caves and forest viewpoints in Madhya Pradesh.