Dharamshala — Events & things to do

Dharamshala is the lower town in the corridor — the practical base, where Kotwali Bazaar's markets do the daily business that McLeodganj's cafés don't. Things to do in Dharamshala include watching a match at the HPCA cricket stadium, one of the highest-altitude international grounds in the country, and taking in the Kangra valley views that open up as the road climbs out of town.

The town's museums and Tibetan institutions sit a short drive from McLeodganj, and Dharamshala itself hosts gigs and cultural events through the year, drawing on both the lower town's residents and the hill above. It's less photographed than McLeodganj but does more of the actual living — this is where you'll find a bank, a proper market and a bus stand, alongside its own calendar of listings.