By road
~475-530 km from Delhi
North India · Himachal Pradesh
Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh
Little Lhasa in the Dhauladhars · ~475-530 km from Delhi
Getting there
By rail
Kangra, ~20-35 km, on a narrow-gauge line; Pathankot (~85-100 km) has the nearest broad-gauge connections
By air
Gaggal (Kangra) Airport, ~10-30 km, with regular Delhi flights
Best time to visit
March to June and September to November
Don't miss
Tsuglagkhang (Dalai Lama Temple)
Bhagsu Falls
Norbulingka Institute
St. John in the Wilderness
Things to do
Triund trek
Tibetan cooking classes
Bhagsu waterfall café crawl
Where to eat
Sources: open-meteo, wikimedia, Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0
What to pack
Trekking shoes for Triund, layers, respect-wear for the temple
A quieter corner
Early-morning kora circuit around the Dalai Lama temple with the locals
Before you go
Seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile and of the Dalai Lama; teachings are announced on his office's website. Also the base for the Kangra devi temples.
About Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj
- Mountains
Where it is
Dharamshala is a town in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, on the slopes of the Dhauladhar range above the Kangra Valley, and McLeod Ganj sits on the ridge above it at about 2,000 m.
History
The area was part of the Kangra kingdom before the British set up a cantonment and hill station here in the 19th century; McLeod Ganj was named after Sir Donald McLeod, a Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab. The town declined after the Kangra earthquake of 1905, and from 1960 it became home to many Tibetan refugees and the headquarters of the Central Tibetan Administration.
People
Dharamshala's people speak Hindi and Kangri, a Pahari language, while McLeod Ganj has a large Tibetan community whose monasteries, schools and craft centres keep Tibetan language, Buddhism and arts alive. Gaddi shepherds graze their flocks on the high slopes of the Dhauladhar.
Known for
- The Tsuglagkhang temple complex
- The Triund trek
- Tibetan food, crafts and monasteries
- Bhagsu waterfall and temple
- The Norbulingka Institute
Did you know?
Lord Elgin, a Viceroy of India who died on tour in 1863, is buried in the churchyard of St John in the Wilderness, between Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj.
Shrines and sites
- Tsuglagkhang Complex
- Namgyal Monastery
- Gyuto Monastery
- Norbulingka Institute
Traditions
- Buddhist
- Hindu
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.