Dharamshala, the principal township of Kangra, is perched on the high slopes of the upper reaches of the Kangra valley. Dense pine and deodar forests, numerous streams, cool healthy air, attractive surroundings and the nearby snowline add to the charm of Dharamshala with its elegant bungalows nestling in thick conifer forests. Covering a wide area in the form of a twin settlement - lower Dharamshala (1380 meters), a busy commercial centre, and upper Dharamshala (1830 meters) - the town retains a British flavour and colonial lifestyle, with suburbs still called McLeod Ganj and Forsyth Ganj. A large Tibetan community has made Dharamshala their home. It is the headquarters of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader. The colourful temples and gompas which reflect the culture of Tibet are added attractions for the tourists. Several institutes which have been established to preserve the Tibetan art, cultures and traditions. The charming church of St. John in the wilderness is situated here and this was the final resting place of Lord Elgin, a British Viceroy of India in the 19th Century. Numerous ancient temples like Jwalamukhi, Brijeshwari and Chamunda also lie on the plains below Dharamsala. Dharamsala is essentially a busy bazaar town. The Kotwali Bazaar provides all the colour and idiosyncrasies of a small town which is mixed with a simple life style. The Kangra museum is worth a visit as it gives an overview of the rich past of the region.

Lahaul is a part of Lahaul-Spiti, the largest district in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh. It is bordered by the Zaskar range and Tibet (known as the roof of the world since it is the highest plateau) on the east, while to its south-east lies the Kinnaur Valley and to its south the Kullu Valley. High altitude glaciers are a regular feature around Lahaul - the Bara Shigri glacier,10 km long and 1 km wide, one of the longest in the Himalayas, is situated close to it.

The main crops grown in the valley are barley, wheat, peas, potatoes and hops (a climbing plant with flowers that grow in bunches). One of the most traversed trekking route kicks off from Manali, passes through Lahaul and ends at Zanskar (in Kashmir). The Leh-Manali highway is the main passage for tourists into Lahaul and further on to Leh. This route usually open from July to September.

Spiti has four distinct regions and its main valleys are the Spiti valley, the Lingti valley and the Pin valley. The Spiti subdivision of the Lahaul-Spiti district is rougher in its terrain and is thus more difficult to traverse. The beauty of the forbidding Spiti is on show for only four months - for the rest of the year, it is hidden under snow. Winters are usually spent by the locals in spinning and weaving the layers of cloth and woollens worn by locals to trap body heat. The rock faces found here are information banks on the geological history of the Himalaya while some of the valleys are helpful in the study of the creation of this lofty mountain range. Spiti shales or ammonites are pretty well known in the field of geology. These were once living creatures that got extinct almost a hundred million years ago and are now found in the form of fossils. Spiti invites both scores of climbers and trekkers as well as scholars to come and discover her unconquered terrain.

Kinnaur is a breathtakingly scenic and sparsely populated valley. This thousand feet deep lower valley of Spiti and the Sutlej gorge is carved out by the icy waters of the Sutlej river. The landscape varies from the lush green orchards of the Sangla valley to the barren beauty of the Hangrang valley. The Kinner-Kailash massif, considered as the abode of Lord Shiva, dominates the valley. A giant rock lingam on a spur at about 5,000 mt attracts local pilgrims every year. Along the Baspa valley, villages are precariously perched on the higher reaches and the houses cling to the hill-sides in rows. Nearby are thin strips of terraced fields. The larger land holdings of the village are at a higher level, where the hill-side rolls out to open meadows. In spring, these meadows are filled with iris and other wild flowers alongwith shrubs of rhododendrons in varying hues of pink. Kinnaur is most suited for growing fruits. Besides it is also famous chilgozas (pine nut), Kinnaur also produces some of the best apples, almonds, walnut, peaches and apricots in the country. Nevertheless Kinnaur is more famous for it's local wine.

Chamba, situated on the banks of the river Ravi, lies in a valley at an altitude of 926 meters. For over 1000 years, this region formed the princely state of Chamba, the most ancient state in northern India. The valley is renowned for its Shikara temples. The Lakshmi Narayan temple, Manimahesh, Harirai, Bajreshwari Devi temple, etc. are excellent examples of temple architecture. These temples draw a number of devotees who come to this beautiful town on a pilgrimage. Chamba is also famous for its traditional craft, executed by its women for over a 1000 years. One can also find the irresistible, elaborately decorated, Chamba shawls here.

This ancient town of Kangra lies overlooking the gushing torrents of the Banganga River, a tributary of the Beas rising from the southern slopes of the milky Dhauladhars. But saying simply that Kangra is an ancient town is not enough; it has the distinction of being the site of the oldest recorded war in human history. It even finds a mention in Alexander's (around 326 BC) war records. The great Indian epic Mahabharata cites Kangra as Trigarta. Today Kangra is also known as Bhawan or Nagarkot. Bhawan because of the Bajreshwari Devi Temple, and Nagarkot because of the fort Nagarkot. Kangra School of Painting: Various schools of miniature painting, collectively called Pahari, flourished between the 17th and 19th centuries in the sub-Himalayan states. The hilly region, then divided into 22 princely states, was ruled by Rajput kings or chieftains who were all great connoisseurs of art, with most of them maintaining ateliers. The focal points of their lives were war, hunting, lineage, and the zenana. Partial to love themes, especially the legends of Radha and Krishna, the Rajputs liked them depicted in their paintings.