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Guides

Guides to India's hill towns

Thoughtful local notes for slow weekends, good meals, and knowing what is actually worth leaving the house for.

Triund Trek from Dharamkot
Seasonal guide

Things to Do in Dharamkot in October 2026: Triund, Bhagsu and Tushita

Triund, Bhagsu and a morning at Tushita come first. Then the quieter trails, and the classes and evenings listed in Dharamkot this October.

Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh in October
Seasonal guide

Things to Do in Bir in October 2026: Paragliding, Monasteries and Ektara

Fly from Billing on the first clear morning, then fill the rest with monasteries, tea gardens and Baijnath. Plus the quieter corners and what's on in October.

The majestic snow-ladden Dhauladhar peaks
Event guide

Festivals and annual events in the Dhauladhar, month by month

Losar, Tibetan opera in spring, the Dalai Lama's birthday on 6 July, Bir's flying season and DIFF in autumn. The Dhauladhar year, with fixed dates and moving programmes kept distinct.

Pathankot Railway Station - the nearest working station to Dharamshala and McLeodganj
First-timer's guide

By train to McLeodganj and Dharamshala

The nearest railway station to McLeodganj and Dharamshala is Pathankot, about 90 km and 2.5 hours by road. Which trains, which of Pathankot's two stations, and how to do the last 90 km without losing the day.

The road to Dharamkot among the pines on the forested slope
First-timer's guide

McLeodganj to Dharamkot: the last 2 km

Dharamkot is 2 km above McLeodganj: a 20–45 minute walk uphill, or 10–15 minutes and about ₹150 by taxi. The road ends before the village does, and that is the part worth knowing before you arrive.

Tandem paragliders under an orange-and-blue sky on landing site at Bir
First-timer's guide

How to reach Bir, Himachal Pradesh

Getting to Bir is straightforward. Knowing where to get off is the part that trips people up — "Bir Road" is a highway junction, not the town, and the place you actually want is Chaugan.

Dharamshala's buildings and stadium spread across the hillside with the Dhauladhar range rising behind
First-timer's guide

How to reach Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh

Dharamshala is the transport hub of the Dhauladhar corridor — the closest town to Kangra Airport and where the long-distance buses terminate. Here is every way in, and which one is worth your money.

McLeodganj's main market square
First-timer's guide

How to reach McLeodganj, Himachal Pradesh

McLeodganj sits 6 km above Dharamshala on the Dhauladhar slope. Almost every route in passes through Dharamshala first — except the overnight buses from Delhi, which come all the way up.

Aerial view of a cloud-ladden Dharamkot village
First-timer's guide

How to reach Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh

There is no direct way to Dharamkot. You get to McLeodganj first, then cover the last 2 km on foot or by taxi — and the road gives out before the village does.