New Delhi: A severe heatwave across several parts of India has triggered a huge tourist rush towards popular hill stations, leaving roads packed and tourist spots
overcrowded. Places like Manali, Mussoorie, Shimla and Kodaikanal are witnessing long traffic jams as people escape the scorching temperatures in cities.
What was expected to be a relaxing summer getaway has instead turned into hours of waiting on mountain roads. The videos shared online over the past few days show vehicles lined up for kilometres with tourists stranded for long hours trying to reach these destinations.
According to News18, Manali saw one of the heaviest tourist inflows this season, especially after fresh snowfall near Rohtang Pass attracted visitors. Roads in and around the town remained congested till late night as tourists continued arriving in large numbers.
हिमाचल प्रदेश के मनाली में लगा लंबा जाम ,
गाड़ियों की लगी लंबी लंबी कतारे। pic.twitter.com/QwMWGLfbNY
— Mishti (@Mishtibishnoi) May 25, 2026
Mussoorie and Shimla also witness massive tourist inflow
Shimla too faced heavy congestion, forcing authorities to deploy additional traffic police and volunteers to manage vehicle movement. Similar scenes were reported from Mussoorie in Uttarakhand, where roads remained crowded with tourists from Delhi-NCR and nearby states.
The recently opened Delhi-Dehradun Expressway has also made travel to Mussoorie quicker and easier, increasing the number of weekend travellers.
Locals raise concerns over overtourism
The situation is not limited to North India even Tamil Nadu‘s Kodaikanal is also struggling with long vehicle queues and overcrowded roads. Locals say the hill town’s narrow roads and infrastructure are unable to handle such heavy tourist traffic.
At the same time, residents in several hill stations are raising concerns about irresponsible tourist behaviour, littering and environmental damage. Many believe overtourism is putting pressure on local ecosystems and creating waste management problems in these sensitive mountain regions.
Even routes leading to Kedarnath during the Char Dham Yatra season are witnessing unusually high crowds, adding to concerns over infrastructure and safety management.
