Five nights suits the valleys: Shimla's colonial ridge, an orchard house in Kullu, and the Kangra tea slopes under the Dhauladhar. Nine nights gets Spiti, which is a serious drive and the reason to come for guests who want distance rather than comfort.

Where you sleep matters more than usual. A handful of owner-run orchard and forest houses here are as good as anything in India; the hill-station hotels are mostly not, and we will steer you firmly.

The Spiti circuit is open roughly June to October. Outside that, the valleys still work - April brings the blossom and the passes stay shut until the snow clears.