You don’t have to base-jump in a wing suit, heli-ski mile-high slopes, or climb the ultimate trek to the peak of Everest to enjoy adventure in the Himalayas. Tamer outdoor activities are available to experience the roof of the world’s majesty, and they're just as exciting. If you’re planning to travel to a country in the region, an expedition or shorter adventure tour is an absolute must for any travel agenda.
As the Indian subcontinent crashed into the Eurasian plate, crumpling the earth into a series of ranges, the highest mountains in the world jutted into existence. The Himalayas stretch across Bhutan, India, Nepal, China (Tibet), Afghanistan and Pakistan, and tower, with Mount Everest, to 29,029 feet. The most popular and accessible starting points to explore the majesty are Nepal and Northern India, with a well-structured adventure tourism trade and more accessible bases of operation. If you prefer to go off the beaten path, travel to Pakistan, Bhutan or Tibet.
Go trekking for the classic Himalaya experience of mountain majesty and village tradition. Treks range from day tours to weeks-long expeditions, leisurely hikes to expert-level difficulty, and lower elevation valleys to Everest base camp destinations. Raft on tributaries of the Indus and Ganges rivers or paraglide over endless mountain expanses. Ski and snowboard gargantuan slopes when it’s cold, and go mountain biking when it’s warm. Climbing, mountaineering, canyoning, snow shoe trekking, even zorbing or taking it easy on jeep safaris and Himalaya flights -- all the popular adventure tours are possible.
Kathmandu is a colorful and lively adventure in itself and a perfect starting base for forays into the Himalayas. Head east through the lush Kathmandu Valley, trekking or biking your way toward Everest. Go west by way of the romantic lake landscapes of Pokhara, an ideal base to reach the Annapurna mountain circuit. If jungle adventure is more your style, head to the Chitwan National park region. No worries, mind-blowing panoramas of the majestic Himalayas are ever present just about anywhere in Nepal.
Travel to northern India’s main Himalayan regions of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand. Take an unforgettable train ride from Delhi to the Himachal Pradesh through Himalayan foothills to Shimla, a picturesque ski and trek town, then on to Manali by bus or car. Himalayan Extreme Center offers adventure tours around Manali. Browse the Uttaranchal tourism site for ideas in the Uttarakhand, like trekking or white-water rafting the lesser known outdoors of Kumaon. Eastward, nestled between Nepal and Bhutan in India’s Sikkim region, behold Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world.
Go to Pakistan’s Hindu Kush region for lesser traveled Himalayan adventures, but be advised of the U.S. State Department's Pakistan travel warning. Bhutan is a fascinating mix of untouched mountain scenery, village tradition and Buddhist spiritualism. High tourist taxes hinder mass tourism, and limited Himalaya mountaineering access make adventure trips more exclusive and comparatively expensive. Travel Tibet for the ultimate remote Himalaya adventure. Many tours take you trans-Tibet by way of Lhasa, Everest base camp and Kathmandu, Nepal.
