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Delhi is once again wrapped in its annual grey haze - a suffocating mix of smog, construction dust, and winter stagnation that sends AQI levels soaring beyond 400 in many neighbourhoods. With protests on the streets, disappearing morning walks and just a yellow tint all around, people are rightfully worried about how this impacts their lungs, and lives. The best option is to escape Delhi-NCR for a few days, and if you can cash in on this options, there are beautiful hill towns in Himachal and Uttarakhand that are currently reporting AQI under 100, some as low as 30. And many are less than 6–10 hours from Delhi by road! Kullu Kullu sits in a wide valley where the river winds through apple orchards and small villages, which helps the air stay lighter and cleaner than the plains. Mornings here start slow with mist rising over the Beas River and sunlight slipping across open fields. It’s great for families who want easy scenic drives, riverside cafés, and gentle outdoor time without steep climbs. Even a few days here gives your lungs a chance to recover from Delhi’s dense air. Manali Yes, Manali can get busym but the trick is to stay in Old Manali, Naggar, or Vashisht, where the pine cover is thick and the air feels clearer. Kids love the open meadows, hot springs, and playful cafés here. Parents love the wide, starry skies and slow evenings. For the cleanest air, choose stays away from the main Mall Road; go a little up the slopes where the breeze stays fresh and quiet. If you want snow play or forest walks, Manali works beautifully this season. Shimla Shimla town centre gets crowded, which naturally affects air quality. But the forests just outside, especially Mashobra, Craignano, and Fagu, are where the air becomes noticeably lighter and the silence returns. Choose your stay a few minutes outside the core and you suddenly get forests, sunlit trails, and that classic cedar scent. Kids can walk, run, explore without the dust, smoke, and traffic they’re forced to breathe in the city. Lansdowne Lansdowne is a quiet-air destination, truly. Surrounded by thick pine forests and very little construction, you can actually smell the trees here. It’s calm, slow, and ideal for families who just want warmth, sunlight, forest walks, and quiet dinners. Sunset at Tip-in-Top, a boat ride at Bhulla Lake, and slow hillside strolls make this one of the simplest escapes from Delhi’s smog-heavy winter. Nainital Nainital town itself gets busy but it still boasts clean air, which makes it worth the drive. Pangot, Naukuchiatal, and Bhimtal have clean AQI, open skies, and beautiful birdlife. Wake up to forests full of sound, take short trails shaded by oak trees, and let the kids actually play outdoors without dust masks. Choose a stay slightly above or below the main lake and you’ll feel the difference within a day. Travel News - Find latest news and tips based on Indian and World travel including top 10 travel destination, tourism information, how to reach visit and more at Times Now.
