Sacred Peaks.Silent Lakes.One Perfect Drive.

Kedarnath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and a highlight of the Char Dham Yatra, stands at the head of the Mandakini valley beneath the towering Kedarnath range. The final approach is a pilgrim trek from Gaurikund, and the sight of the temple against the snow wall at dawn is one of the Himalaya's most moving experiences.

Badrinath, the seat of Lord Vishnu on the banks of the Alaknanda, sits in a dramatic ampitheatre between the Nar and Narayan peaks. Pilgrims take a dip at Tapt Kund before darshan, and the town's painted facades glow at sunrise.

The 'Queen of the Hills' rides a great ridge above the Doon valley, wrapped in oak and deodar with the snow range visible on clear winter days. Mall Road, Landour lanes and hill viewpoints make it the most loved weekend hill station near Dehradun.

Rishikesh, the yoga capital on the Ganga, strings ashrams, suspension bridges and white-water rapids beneath forested hills. Evenings at Triveni Ghat and mornings on the river make it Uttarakhand's most versatile stop.

Har Ki Pauri is the beating heart of Haridwar — the ghat where the Ganga leaves the mountains and the evening aarti pours light across the water. Thousands of diyas float downstream every night.

Nainital curves around the emerald Naini Lake beneath the eyeshaped peaks of Kumaon. Boating, Mallital bazaars and viewpoint hikes make it the classic lake-and-ridge holiday of the Kumaon hills.

Auli, India's finest ski meadow, rolls beneath the twin summits of Nanda Devi and Trishul. The Joshimath ropeway, winter skiing and summer grasslands make it a year-round mountain playground.

Chopta, the 'Mini Switzerland' of Garhwal, is a high meadow camp under the Tungnath ridge — bugyal grass, rhododendron thickets and some of the easiest grand-view treks in the Himalaya.

The Valley of Flowers, a UNESCO World Heritage site, blooms with hundreds of high-altitude wildflower species beneath the Ratban Parbat walls — a meadow so bright it changed botanical history. entry is strictly regulated to protect it.

Jim Corbett, India's oldest national park, folds sal forest, grassland and the Ramganga reservoir into the best tiger habitat on earth. Dawn jeep safaris from Dhikala and Bijrani are the stuff of lifelong memories.

Tehri Lake, the emerald reservoir behind one of the world's tallest dams, has become Uttarakhand's water-sports playground — jet-ski circuits, banana boats and a lakeside festival each winter.

Munsiyari is the end-of-the-road Johari valley town that stares straight up at the five fins of Panchachuli. Homestays, Johari crafts and the trailhead of the Milam and Nanda Devi routes make it Kumaon's grand frontier.