Dharamshala is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, at about 1,457 m in the Kangra Valley under the Dhauladhar range. Most visitors stay in McLeod Ganj, the upper town, for the Tsuglagkhang temple, the Lingkor kora and Tibetan kitchens, then hike to Triund or drive down the valley to Norbulingka and Kangra Fort.
Dharamshala is two towns on one hillside. Below sits the Kangra district seat, with its bazaar and offices; up the ridge, McLeod Ganj has been home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile since 1960. Come for the monasteries, stay for the Dhauladhar.
The Dalai Lama's temple and Namgyal Monastery share one hilltop complex, and its courtyard is where the exile community gathers for prayers and public teachings. Check the teachings calendar before you plan: on those days McLeod Ganj fills and rooms go early.
The pilgrims' circuit loops the Tsuglagkhang hill through pines, prayer wheels and carved mani stones, with the Kangra Valley opening below. Walk it clockwise, as Tibetans do, and early, when the elderly circle with their beads.
About 9 km from McLeod Ganj and roughly 1,000 m of climbing put you on a grassy ridge near 2,850 m, face to face with the Dhauladhar wall. Start from Galu Devi to shorten the walk, and carry water and a warm layer: the ridge turns cold fast after sunset.
The Central Tibetan Administration's museum left McLeod Ganj for a new building here in 2022, and tells the story of occupation and exile through archives, photographs and testimony. Pair it with the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives on the same campus.
Thangka painters, woodcarvers and metal sculptors work in open studios set in Japanese-influenced gardens, a deliberate effort to keep Tibetan crafts alive in exile. Leave time for the temple at the top of the grounds, and take a taxi: it sits in Sidhpur, below the town.
A stone church of 1852 in the deodar forest between the two towns, with Belgian stained glass given by Lady Elgin. The 1905 earthquake took its spire, and the Viceroy Lord Elgin, who died in 1863, lies in the churchyard.
A Shiva temple with spring-fed pools sits about 2 km east of McLeod Ganj, and a short path climbs past it to the Bhagsu waterfall. The fall is fullest in the monsoon, July to September; in the dry months it thins out and the walk is the point.
Opened in January 2022, the 1.8 km gondola links the lower town to McLeod Ganj in about five minutes, against a slow climb by road. Ride it up for the valley view, and check the weather first: it stops running in storms and high wind.
A cricket ground at about 1,457 m, with the snow of the Dhauladhar behind the sightscreen. It hosted its first men's Test, India against Australia, in March 2017. Visits on non-match days depend on the fixture list, so check the association's site first.
About 21 km south, the ridge-top fort of the Katoch kings was wrecked by the 1905 earthquake and is all the more striking for it. The Maharaja Sansar Chand Museum beside it keeps the carvings and sculptures that survived.
A small monastery down a steep lane, refounded here in 1992 after its original in Tibet was destroyed.
The small temple where the Triund trail leaves the road, a quieter start than McLeod Ganj.
A small lake ringed by deodars on the road to Naddi; the walk matters more than the water.
The 4,342 m crossing beyond Triund into Chamba, a multi-day trek for the fit and acclimatised.
One of the 51 Shakti Peethas, flattened in 1905 and rebuilt by 1920 in the heart of Kangra town.
A flame issues from the rock in the sanctum and is worshipped as the goddess, about 55 km away.
Monolithic temples carved from one sandstone ridge around the 8th century, about 40 km away.
A stone Shiva temple built in 1204 by two merchants, and still standing after the 1905 earthquake.
Kangra-school miniatures, temple carvings and textiles in the lower town, opened in 1990.
The Tibetan upper town of temples, bookshops and kitchens, and the base for most visitors.
A quiet village above McLeod Ganj, home to the Tushita meditation centre and Triund walkers.
The government-in-exile campus halfway down, with the library, museum and Men-Tsee-Khang.
Tea estates and a quieter hill town to the east; Kangra tea has held Indian GI status since 2005.
India's best-known paragliding site: launch at Billing, land at Bir, 14 km below. About 65 km away.
A Ramsar wetland since 2002 and a winter stop for migratory birds, about 55 km away.
Tibetan New Year, with prayers at Tsuglagkhang and feasting across the upper town.
Night-long worship at the Shiva temples and a state fair at Baijnath.
Speeches at Tsuglagkhang, then a march down toward the lower town.
The holiest Buddhist month, marking the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death.
A community holiday, with celebrations at the main temple.
Nine nights of the goddess, and crowds at Chamunda Devi and Bajreshwari.
Independent cinema over four days; the 2026 edition runs 29 October to 1 November.
Lamps in the lower town's bazaars and the valley's temples.
At Gaggal, about 13 km from Dharamshala, with small-aircraft flights from Delhi and a few other cities. Seats are few, so book early.
Long-distance trains stop at Pathankot. The narrow-gauge Kangra Valley line runs from there, but floods and landslides have cut it in recent years.
The 1.8 km gondola links the lower town and McLeod Ganj in about five minutes, and stops in bad weather.
HRTC runs overnight buses from Delhi and Chandigarh. Locally, taxis and shared jeeps cover the steep roads between the settlements.
Steamed dumplings of meat or vegetables, sold all over the upper town.
Hand-pulled noodle soup, thicker and heartier than thukpa.
Steamed, folded Tibetan bread, served with curries and stews.
Cold starch noodles in chilli and garlic, sold from street stalls.
Fried pastry filled with spiced minced meat or cabbage.
Butter tea: salted tea churned with butter. Worth one cup.
Chickpeas in a spiced yoghurt gravy, the centre of a Kangri dham feast.
The valley's own green and black tea, milder than Darjeeling.
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