Best Adventure Sporting Destinations in India

Diverse geographical landforms and seasonal weather in India makes it an adventure tourism hotspot. Mighty mountains, majestic rivers and glaciers, desertland, wildlife flora and fauna, plateaus and tablelands, vast coastlines and island territories provide ample opportunities for the development and conduct of various types of adventure sports in India. The governments at Centre and state levels realise the importance of tapping into this opportunity and have, therefore, facilitated the development of adventure spots in different parts of the country in a scientific manner. Presently, a number of destinations around the country have been developed for adventure tourism. A number of professional experts provide their service to the tourists. This is supplemented by a number of tour companies that offer adventure tour packages.

Types of Adventure Sports

The adventure sports can be categorized broadly into Air, Land or Water-based activities.

Air-based activities are Paragliding, Skydiving, Hot Air Ballooning, Zipline and Bungee Jumping.
Land-based activities are Skiing, Trekking, Cycling, Wild-life, Mountaineering, Camping, Caving, Horse Safari, Camel Safari and Rock Climbing.
Water-based activities are Rafting, Snorkelling, Kayaking, Surfing, Scuba Diving and Angling.

Listed below are some of the most popular destinations for each of the sporting activities. Before venturing out to do these activities, it is important to be under the guidance of an expert and/or undertake courses for the same, which not only help in developing skills but also in learning about the materials and procedures.

Air-based	Popular Destinations
Paragliding	Bir Billing – Himachal Pradesh Bhimtal – Uttarakhand Jodhpur – Rajasthan Kamshet – Maharashtra Vagamon – Kerala Solang Valley- Himachal Pradesh Yelagiri, Tamil Nadu Mussoorie, Uttarakhand Arambol, Goa Nandi Hills, Karnataka Pavana Lake, Maharashtra Kunjapuri, Uttarakhand Bedni Bugyal, Uttarakhand Gangtok, Sikkim Panchgani, Maharashtra Ranikhet, Uttarakhand Shillong, Meghalaya Sanasar, Jammu and Batote, Jammu and Kashmir Lahaul and Spiti
Skydiving	Mysore – Karnataka Deesa – Gujarat Pondicherry – Tamil Nadu Aamby Valley – Maharashtra Dhana – Madhya Pradesh Hyderabad – Telangana Aligarh – Uttar Pradesh Narnaul – Haryana Bir Billing – Himachal Pradesh
Hot Air Ballooning	Lonavala, Maharashtra Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh Chandore, South Goa Hampi, Karnataka Pushkar, Rajasthan Jaipur, Rajasthan Manali, Himachal Pradesh BanBanjara In Jakkur Aerodrome, Bangalore, Karnataka Assolda Football Ground, Goa Rishikesh Darjeeling Bhopal
Zipline	Rishikesh Kolad Manali: Solang Valley, Naggar Neemrana Fort Munnar Goa Buranskhanda, Uttarakhand Kikar Lodge, Punjab Kerwa Dam, Bhopal Dawki, Meghalaya Borra Caves in Araku Valley Patnitop, Jammu and Kashmir Mawkdok Valley, Cherrapunji
Bungee Jumping	Jumping Heights, Mohan Chatti village, Rishikesh Della adventures, Koregaon, Lonavala Ozone Adventures, Bangalore Wanderlust Camps & Resorts, GK II, Delhi Gravity Adventure Zone, Anjuna Beach, Goa Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh

Water-based	Popular Destinations
Rafting	River Ganga at Rishikesh Teesta River at Sikkim and Darjeeling Indus River at Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir Barapole River at Coorg Kundalika River at Kolad, Maharashtra Brahmaputra River (Lohit River) at Arunachal Pradesh Yamuna River - Uttarakhand Spiti River - Himachal Pradesh Kameng River - Arunachal Pradesh Zanskar River - Ladakh Alaknanda River - Uttarakhand Dandeli - Karnataka Beas River - Kullu Manali Lohit River - Arunachal Pradesh Bhagirathi River - Uttarakhand Tons River at Uttarakhand Kullu Manali at Uttarakhand
Snorkelling	Andaman And Nicobar Island Havelock Island Red Skin Island Jolly Buoy Island Cinque Island Lakshadweep-Minicoy-Amindivi Islands Kavaratti Island Agatti Island Bangaram Atoll Kadmat Island Kalpeni Island Minicoy Island Grand Island, Goa Aravind’s Wall, Puducherry Netrani Island Tarkarli, Malvan
Kayaking	Zanskar River, Leh Nagin Lake, Srinagar The Ganges, Rishikesh Mandovi, Goa Alleppey Backwaters, Kerala Teesta River, Sikkim Brahmaputra River, Arunachal Pradesh Kali River, Karnataka Paradise Beach, Pondicherry Havelock Island, Andaman Dawki, Meghalaya Pandoh Dam, Manali Kunti River, Maharashtra Cauvery River, Karnataka Periyar Lake, Kerala
Surfing	Kollam, Tamil Nadu Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu Auroville, Pondicherry Varkala, Kerala Kovalam Beach, Kerala Goa Mulki, Karnataka Gokarna, Karnataka Little Andaman, Andaman Islands Murudeshwar, Karnataka Kapu Beach Lighthouse, Karnataka Ten Thousand Peaks, Maravanthe, Karnataka Alwars, Manapad Point, Tamil Nadu Cliffs, Bhatkal Kanyakumari Rameshawaram Tiruchendur Mahe Krishna River Big Rock, Chennai, Tamil Nadu Vizag Dwarka Jagannatha Puri Gokarna Ramchandi Beach, Orissa
Scuba Diving	Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Neil Island, Andaman and Nicobar Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Cinque Island, Andaman and Nicobar Corruption Rock, Andaman and Nicobar Grand Island, Goa Kovalam, Kerala Coral Sharks Reef, Pondicherry The Aravind wall, Pondicherry 4 Corners, Pondicherry The Hole, Pondicherry Kadmat Island, Lakshadweep Bangaram Islands, Lakshadweep Netrani Island, Karnataka Tarkarli, Maharashtra Dwarka
Angling	Ramganga River, Jim Corbett National Park Pabbar Valley, Himachal Pradesh Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh Bheemeshwari, Karnataka Andaman & Nicobar Islands Lakshadweep Island Pancheshwar, Mahakali River, Uttarakhand Munnar, Kerala Jia Bhoroli River, Assam Lohit River, Arunachal Pradesh Kaveri River, Karnataka Elephant Lake, Kerala Ronikor, Meghalaya Kokernag Lake, Jammu and Kashmir

Land-based	Popular Destinations
Skiing & Snowboarding	Gulmarg Auli Solang Valley, Manali Kufri, Shimla Rohtang Pass Narkanda Yumthang, North Sikkim Munsiyari, Uttarakhand Mundali, Dehradun, Uttarakhand Aru, Pahalgam Pulwama, Kashmir Fagu, Himachal Pradesh Dayara Bugyal, Uttarakhand Patnitop, Jammu and Kashmir Phuni Valley, Sikkim Kheer Ganga, Parvati Valley Panga Teng Tso Lake, Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh Yumthang, Sikkim
Trekking	Kanchenjunga Base Camp The Grand Indrahar Pass, Himachal Pradesh Trekking in Manali, Himachal Pradesh Seven Sisters Trek, Himachal Pradesh Markha Valley Trek Hampta Pass Trek, Manali Offbeat Kedarkantha Trekking, Uttarakhand Gomukh Tapovan Trek Kuari Pass Trek from Joshimath Nanda Devi East BC and Milam Glacier Doon Valley Trek, Garhwal, Uttarakhand Valley of Flowers Trek Clouds End Trek, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand Nag Tibba Trek with Camping, Uttarakhand Adi Kailash Trek Dodi tal Trek Snow Trek to Deoria Tal and Chandrashila Peak, Uttarakhand Har Ki Doon Trek Via Jaundhar Glacier, Uttarakhand Tso Moriri Trek Roopkund Trek in Uttarakhand Tiger Hill, Darjeeling, West Bengal Pangarchulla Trek Brahmatal Trek Singhalia Ridge Trail, Darjeeling, West Bengal Darjeeling to Kurseong Trek via Old Military Road, West Bengal Bali Pass Trek Chadar Trek, Ladakh - Frozen River Trek Nagalapuram Trek, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh Araku Valley Trek, Andhra Pradesh
Cycling	Chennai To Pondicherry- East Coast Road Chennai to Kochi Kochi To Backwater Mumbai To Daman Somnath To Diu Rameshwaram Mangalore to Goa Via NH-17 Coorg to Munnar Cycling in Goa The Highways In Rajasthan Udupi Trail – Mumbai to Trivandrum Leh to Khardung La Shillong to Cherrapunji Gangtok to Nathulapass Kalimpong to Zuluk Bhalukpong to Tawang Manali to Spiti Valley Zanskar Trail Manali to Leh via Rohtang Pass
Wild-life	Jim Corbett National Park – Uttarakhand Ranthambore National Park – Rajasthan Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park, Karnataka Kaziranga National Park, Assam Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh Hemis National Park, Jammu And Kashmir Periyar National Park – Kerala Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, Tamil Nadu Bandhavgarh National Park – Madhya Pradesh Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Andaman Islands Gir National Park – Gujarat Bannerghatta Biological Park – Karnataka Tadoba – Maharashtra Nanda Devi – Uttarakhand Khangchendzonga – Sikkim Panna National Park – Madhya Pradesh Bera – Rajasthan Bhitarkanika National Park – Odisha Jhalana Reserve Forest – Rajasthan Sunderbans National Park – West Bengal Manas National Park – Assam Dibru-Saikhowa National Park Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary
Mountaineering	Mount Nun-Kun Peak, Zanskar Mount Nanda Devi Peak Mount Shivling Peak, Uttarakhand Mount Kamet Peak, Uttarakhand Mount Satopanth Peak, Uttarakhand Mount Trishul Peak, Chamoli Mount Bhagirathi, Uttarakhand Kang Yatse Peak, Ladakh Mount Chaukhamba Peak, Uttarakhand Mount Bandarpunch, Uttarakhand Mount Friendship, Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh Chandra Bhaga peak, Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh Mount Nanda Kot, Uttarakhand Matho Kangri Peak, Ladakh Stok Kangri Peak, Ladakh
Camping	Tso Moriri Lake, Ladakh Rishikesh Spiti Valley Jaisalmer Sonamarg Mussoorie Kasol Chandratal Lake Solang Valley Kaudiyala Kanatal Lonavala Alibaug Nainital Manali Wayanad Jodhpur Dharamsala Pushkar Munnar Dawki River Ranthambore Sangla Hodka, Bhuj Beach-side Camping Revdanda Gokarna Mantra Beach Anjarle Beach Anjuna Beach Jungle Camping Jim Corbett National Park Tadoba National Park Kaziranga Pench Sariska Desert Camping Osian, outskirts of Jodhpur Sam Sand Dunes Khuri Sand Dunes, Jaisalmer
Caving	Garo, Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya
Horse Safari	Sonemarg and Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh Yumthang Valley, Sikkim Shillong, Meghalaya Matheran, Maharashtra Digha, West Bengal Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra Kumbhalgarh, Jodhpur, Pushkar, Shekhawati and Udaipur, Rajasthan Solang Valley, Himachal Pradesh Mysore Rann Of Kutch, Gujarat
Camel Safari	Jaisalmer Spiti Valley Rann of Kutch Pushkar Jodhpur Nubra Valley Bikaner
Rock Climbing	Hampi, Karnataka Shey Rock, Leh Badami, Karnataka Miyar Valley, Himachal Pradesh Parvati Valley, Himachal Pradesh Lado Sarai, Delhi Savandurga Hill, Karnataka Chandra Valley, Manali Suru Valley, Srinagar

If you want to add more destinations to any of these activities, please do let us know. Do check out our tour packages to these destinations.