Summer in India
Summer vacation places in India for families
For an April to June family holiday in India, the hill stations are the usual answer, and the useful facts are how you get there and what you must arrange first. This guide gives the access details and permit rules that official pages state for five summer destinations, and says which places we could not confirm.
Sourced 22 October 2026. We read each official page linked below on 22 October 2026. We do not give room prices, and we give an altitude only where an official page states it. Rules, quotas and fees change, so confirm on the official page before you book.
What IMD says about summer heat
The India Meteorological Department's outlook for April to June 2026, issued on 31 March 2026, expected an above-normal number of heatwave days over some parts of east, central and northwest India and the southeast peninsula. It also noted that heatwave conditions carry health risks for vulnerable groups, naming the elderly, children and outdoor workers (IMD press release, sourced 22 October 2026).
That is a forecast for one year, not a rule for every summer. IMD's outlook gives no temperatures for individual hill stations, so we cannot tell you how hot a given town will be. Check the IMD outlook for the year you travel.
How to choose a summer destination with kids
- Getting there. A hill station far from a station or airport means a long road leg at the end. The table gives the distances the official pages state.
- Permits. Some summer favourites, such as Rohtang Pass and the high areas around Leh, need a permit you must arrange before you go.
- Altitude. Leh asks every tourist to acclimatise first. That matters most with young children.
- Your own pace. Pick the town that suits your youngest child's nap and meal times, and count the hours in the car.
Summer places in India: access and permits from official pages
One row per place. Every fact comes from the linked page, read on 22 October 2026.
| Place | Official facts | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nainital, Uttarakhand | The nearest railhead is Kathgodam, about 34 km away. The nearest airport is Pantnagar, about 65 km away | Incredible India, Nainital district site, sourced 22 October 2026 |
| Mussoorie, Uttarakhand | Gun Hill is about 2,122 m, the second-highest peak in Mussoorie. This is a peak, not the town. The page lists Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, and Dehradun Railway Station | Incredible India, Gun Hill, sourced 22 October 2026 |
| Darjeeling, West Bengal | Darjeeling is at 2,042 m (6,700 ft). Bagdogra is the nearest airport, 90 km via NH 110. The road runs via Siliguri, 77 km via NH 55. The two closest stations are Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri | Darjeeling district site, sourced 22 October 2026 |
| Munnar, Kerala | The town is about 1,600 m above sea level. The nearest airport is Cochin International, about 119 km away. The nearest railhead is Ernakulam Junction, about 120 km away | Kerala Tourism, sourced 22 October 2026 |
| Leh-Ladakh | All tourists arriving in Leh must acclimatise for at least 48 hours before going to higher places such as Khardung La and Pangong Lake, and may visit nearby areas of Leh town meanwhile. Pangong, Nubra (spelled Nobra on the portal), Khardung La and Tso Moriri are named as protected or restricted areas, handled through the Leh district tourist permit portal. The fee includes the green fee, Red Cross Fund and wildlife fee and can be paid online | Leh district, Leh permit portal, Ladakh green fee notice (10 August 2021), sourced 22 October 2026 |
Notes on the table
The Leh permit page we read mentions protected area permits for specific areas and lists the portal, and the green fee notice is dated 2021, so use the portal for the current rules and fees.
Leh-Ladakh with young children
The 48-hour acclimatisation rule applies to every tourist arriving in Leh. In our view, that makes Leh a harder first choice for a family with a baby or toddler than the other places here, because the first two days are spent resting near town before the high passes. That is our judgement, not an official statement, so ask your doctor about altitude and young children.
Rohtang Pass from Manali
Himachal Pradesh runs a Rohtang permit portal, which lists permits to visit Rohtang Pass for tourism and for private vehicles (rohtangpermits.hp.gov.in, sourced 22 October 2026). We could not read the portal's quota, fee or closure rules, so we state none. Read its FAQ and terms before you plan a Rohtang day.
Places we could not confirm
We left out Shimla, Manali and Kullu, and Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La, because the official pages for them would not load for us or did not state what we needed on 22 October 2026. We also give no altitude for Nainital, Shimla, Manali or Gangtok, because we could not confirm one on an official page. We will add them when we have read the pages.
Plan the trip
- Total flights, rooms and food with the family trip budget calculator.
- Pack with the family packing list generator.
- For a short trip with a small child, read how to plan a weekend trip with a toddler.
- Going east instead? See the best time to visit North East India with kids.
Ula, your AI travel companion, plans and books trips with your OK and remembers how you travel. It is in early access, and you can join the waitlist. The calculator and the packing list work without it.
What we left out
We left out room prices, a ranking of the places, any claim about how hot a given town is, and Rohtang quotas and fees. We also left out the Himachal Pradesh heat outlook, which we could not read on the official page.
Sources
- IMD press release, 31 March 2026: internal.imd.gov.in, sourced 22 October 2026
- Incredible India, Nainital: incredibleindia.gov.in, sourced 22 October 2026
- Nainital district, Naini Lake: nainital.nic.in, sourced 22 October 2026
- Incredible India, Gun Hill: incredibleindia.gov.in, sourced 22 October 2026
- Darjeeling district, how to reach: darjeeling.gov.in, sourced 22 October 2026
- Kerala Tourism, Munnar: keralatourism.org, sourced 22 October 2026
- Leh district, acclimatisation: leh.nic.in, sourced 22 October 2026
- Leh district tourist permit portal: lahdclehpermit.in, sourced 22 October 2026
- Leh district, green fee notice: leh.nic.in, sourced 22 October 2026
- Rohtang permit portal: rohtangpermits.hp.gov.in, sourced 22 October 2026
Questions
Which are the best summer vacation places in India for families?
We do not rank them. This guide gives official access and permit facts for Nainital, Mussoorie, Darjeeling, Munnar and Leh-Ladakh, and you can choose by how far each is from the nearest station or airport. Sourced 22 October 2026.
How far is Nainital from the nearest railway station?
Incredible India and the Nainital district site both give about 34 km from Kathgodam, the nearest railhead. The nearest airport is Pantnagar, about 65 km away. Sourced 22 October 2026.
Do I need a permit for Ladakh?
The Leh district permit portal names Pangong, Nubra (spelled Nobra on the portal), Khardung La and Tso Moriri as protected or restricted areas handled through its portal. Use the portal for the current rules, and note that every tourist arriving in Leh must acclimatise for at least 48 hours first. Sourced 22 October 2026.
How high is Darjeeling?
The Darjeeling district site gives 2,042 m (6,700 ft). Bagdogra is the nearest airport, 90 km via NH 110. Sourced 22 October 2026.
Was summer 2026 hotter than usual?
IMD's outlook issued on 31 March 2026 expected above-normal heatwave days over some parts of east, central and northwest India and the southeast peninsula for April to June. That was a forecast, and we give no station temperatures for hill stations.