Thirteen districts in Uttarakhand, twelve in Himachal Pradesh, and the hill belt of Jammu & Kashmir — each with its own geography, dialect, and story to tell.
Formed as India's 27th state on 9 November 2000, carved out of Uttar Pradesh. The state capital is Dehradun, in the Garhwal division. Uttarakhand recorded 6.03 crore tourists and pilgrims in 2025 — the first time crossing 6 crore since the state was formed.
Formed as a full state on 25 January 1971. Himachal welcomed 1.80 crore domestic tourists in 2024, its highest figure in five years, with tourism contributing roughly 7% of the state's GSDP.
Distinct from the Kashmir valley, the hill districts of the Jammu region — along the Chenab river and the Pir Panjal range — share dialects and customs closer to Himachal than to Kashmiri-speaking areas. Jammu & Kashmir logged 7.85 crore total visitors between 2023 and 2025, though tourism has been affected in parts of the Kashmir division following the 2025 Pahalgam attack.