Delhi: Over the last seven years, Delhi has transformed itself from a staid political capital into the social and cultural centre of India. The glitterati throng to Delhi for fashion shows, celebrity book launches, rock shows and raves. Culture vultures know this is the place to catch the best dance, music and theatre. Swanky American-style shopping malls complete with eateries, bars and multiplex cinemas keep popping up everywhere.

Jaipur: Jaipur is named after its founder the warrior and astronomer sovereign Sawai Jai Singh II (ruled 1688 to 1744). The decision to move out of his hilltop capital Amer was also compelled by reasons of growing population and paucity of water. Moreover in the early seventh century the power of the great Mughals was dwindling with its aging Monarch Aurangzeb and after several centuries of invasions the north was now quite and the wealth of the kingdom had become greater than before.

Agra: Agra was possibly named for the Indian city where the Taj Mahal is located. There are other versions for the source of the name, however, one being that the town was named after the daughter of an official of the Rock Island Railroad, perhaps one of the daughters of President Low of the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railroad that ran through the town at that time.

Varanasi: The holy city of Varanasi, known as the city of temples and learning , is a place of great historical and cultural importance. This religious capital of India is situated on the banks of the holy river Ganges and is presided over by Lord Shiva. It is the heart of India and an epitome of the synthesis of cultures, religions and races. The river-front of the city is decorated by hundreds of well built ghats which is a unique feature. The holy Buddhist place, Sarnath is in its precincts . Varanasi is the premiere most place of oriental learning.

Kathmandu: a fabled capital of convivial pilgrims and carved rose-brick temples, and a frenetic sprawl of modern towers, mobbed by beggars and monkeys and smothered in diesel fumes. In December and January, the views are crystal clear, but it can be chilly in the evenings: few of the cheaper hotels in Kathmandu have any heating and most travellers stay out in the warmth of Thamel's bars and restaurants until late and then rush home and dive under the blankets

Nagarkot: Nagarkot is 32 kilometres east of Kathmandu, on the northeast edge of the Valley at an elevation of 2,175m. It is best to view the mountains in the early morning because it is more likely to be clear. There is a viewing tower next to the Club Himalaya Resort, where you get good views that has a coffee shop where you can sit inside. Many of the hotels also have good views.

Zhangmu: Zhangmu Town lies in the southern piedmont of the median Himalayas, about 776 km. (482 mi.) away from the capital of Tibet Lhasa. It also borders Nepal to the south; Sino-Nepal Friendship Bridge is only 10 more km. (6 miles) away and another 100 km. (62 miles)'s drive will lead you into the capital of Nepal, Katmandu. After the drudgery of the Sino-Nepal Road, Zhangmu Town is a most welcome sight both for tourists and traders alike.

Shigatse: Shigatse is one of the world's highest cities with beautiful high plateau scenery. It is also a hot spot for Chinese tourism. The average elevation here is in a range of 3840 meters (about 12598.4 feet) - 4464 meters (about 14645.7 feet), which endows cool and even cold weather to the area. In the high plateau, the climate is not very pleasant due to the frequent wind and dry atmosphere. However, it is not bad a place for summering.

Lhasa: As the beautiful capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), Lhasa is situated in the South Central part of the region, on the North bank of the Kyichu River (Lhasa River) in a mountain-fringed valley. This ancient sprawling city, settled 1,300 years ago, covers 30,000 square kilometers (11,583 square miles), with a population of 400,000, of which 87 percent are Tibetans. The urban population is 180,000.