Perched high in India’s northern reaches, on the very cusp of the Hindu Kush, this far-flung mountain retreat first rose to prominence when it was chosen as the site of the Tibetan government in exile in 1959. Since hosting the Dalai Lama Dharamsala has become a hub for sympathetic foreigners and followers of Buddhism, and is now considered one of the nation’s northernmost backpacker havens.

For visitors, the action here centres on McLeod Ganj, the upper section of Dharamsala, where a conglomeration of hostels, hotels, bubbling cafés, hole-in-the-wall food joints serving Tibetan fare, and Hindu and Buddhist religious sites assemble below the snow-topped summits of the Himalayan Dhauladhars. Here, be sure to explore the Tsuglagkhang complex and Tibet Museum, some of the most visceral sites relating to the political struggles gripping the Tibetan Plateau.

And if those looming mountain ridges prove too tempting, then ask your Dharamshala tour guide about making the hike to the gushing Bhagsu Waterfall, the iconic Triund Hill, or along the various other trekking trails that lead away deep into the Kangra Valley.