Chopta: The Alpine Jewel of the Garhwal Himalayas
At 2,680 meters (8,790 ft) of elevation, deep inside Uttarakhand's Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Chopta sits pretty. People call it the "Mini Switzerland of India," and yeah, the nickname fits once you see those rolling meadows for yourself.
Thing is, the meadows aren't just pretty. They're the starting point for two treks you won't forget. First there's Tungnath Mahadev (12,073 ft), the highest Shiva temple on Earth and one of the five Panch Kedar shrines, perched above the tree line. Then, if your legs still work, you push on to Chandrashila Peak (13,123 ft) for sunrise that makes you forget what cold feels like.