Almora

North Indian City Guide - Almora

Almora is a small town in Uttarakhand known for its rich cultural heritage, legacy, and serene surroundings. One of the oldest towns in the hills of Uttarakhand, there was a town here called Rajapur which dates back to the 16th century, well before the British developed most of the other hills stations in this part of the country.

Almora - City Guide

Located a bit more than 1600 metres above sea level and surrounded by the foothills of Himalayas, Almora is not quite the high-altitude refuge from the summer heat that places like Manali are, but this means it has a slightly longer tail-off into winter, and is quicker to warm up in late February/early March. Views of the Himalayas above and pine forested slopes all around make it a most scenic spot.

Almora is quite a small town with plenty of its original charm still intact. Sunrise is eye-catching from Bright End Corner, and Zero Point gives a panoramic view of the Himalayas when the skies are clear.

Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary is a place to explore the forest area, and it is uniquely pretty when the rhododendrons flower in around April. There are leopards, langur monkeys and barking deer here, as well as a variety of birds.Within Binsar you’ll also find Kasar Devi Temple, which is reached via a somewhat adventurous walk along a steep-sided ridge. There is another temples here, Katarmal Sun Temple which is around 800 years old and closely resembles the Sun Temple at Konark in Odisha.

Almora, as a hill station, showcases its art and craft through the local markets, like the 200-year-old Lala Bazaar, which is known for its ethnic jewelry and clothes, as well as the Karkhana Bazaar, which has all sorts of antiques and crafts.

Climatic Condition

Summer temperatures from late March to June are between 20 and 34C, and from December to early February, it gets to freezing point. The monsoon months (July/August, early September) are not preferable as rainfall and road closures can make for difficult travel. The best months are October and November, has generally clear skies and temperatures between 14 and 24C.