McLeodganj to Dharamkot: the last 2 km

You are in McLeodganj, or about to be, and your stay is in Dharamkot. You want to know how far it is, whether to walk, and what a taxi costs. Here is the whole answer, then the details that make the difference with a bag.

Dharamkot is 2 km above McLeodganj. On foot it is 20 to 45 minutes uphill depending on your pace and your luggage. By taxi it is 10 to 15 minutes for around ₹150. There is no bus. The road gives out before the village does, so the last few minutes to an upper-Dharamkot stay are on foot whatever you chose.

How far is Dharamkot from McLeodganj?

Two kilometres by the road, and it is all climb. From McLeodganj's main square the road leaves the top of the bazaar, passes the turn for Bhagsu, and winds up through the deodar forest to the lower end of Dharamkot. Most people who arrive without much luggage walk it, because the road is the pleasant kind of steep and the forest starts almost immediately.

Forty-five minutes is the honest upper bound. Twenty is a fit person with a daypack who does not stop to photograph the monkeys. The monkeys will be photographed.

Is there a bus?

No. Local buses run between Dharamshala and McLeodganj, and that is where they stop. Dharamkot is taxis and feet.

How much is a taxi, and where do I get one?

Around ₹150 from the stand by the main square, 10 to 15 minutes. There is no ride-hailing anywhere in this corridor, so the stand is the option, and the drivers know exactly where the road ends. Agree the fare before you get in, because a quote can vary and the stand's rate is the fair one.

Tell the driver the name of your stay rather than "Dharamkot". Lower Dharamkot is on the road and a taxi delivers you to the door. Upper Dharamkot is not.

What "the road ends" actually means

Past a certain point the access road narrows into a footpath and no vehicle continues. If your stay is above that point, it is another 10 to 15 minutes on narrow paths where your suitcase's wheels become decorative. This is the part that catches people out: the taxi is not the end of the journey, only the end of the road.

With a heavy bag, take a taxi to the road head and walk the rest. Ask your accommodation, before you arrive, how far past the road head they are and whether there is a porter arrangement. It is a normal question here and they will have an answer. Packing lighter for this leg is worth more than any transport hack.

Is it walkable at night?

The road is walkable after dark with a torch and is used that way, but it is unlit forest for most of the 2 km. If you are arriving late off an overnight bus, take the taxi up and walk in daylight on another day. The walk is nicer in the morning anyway.

Walking back down

Twenty minutes, easy, and the way most people do it for an evening in McLeodganj. The last taxi back up is whenever the stand empties, which in season is late and off season is not, so check before you plan a late night around it.

The short version

• 2 km, all uphill: 20–45 minutes on foot, 10–15 minutes and about ₹150 by taxi, no bus.
• The road ends before the village. Upper Dharamkot is a further 10–15 minutes on foot from the road head.
• With luggage: taxi to the road head, then walk. Ask your stay about porters before you arrive.
• Arriving late: taxi up, walk down another day.

Once you are up, see what's on in Dharamkot this week. For the long-distance part of the journey, read How to reach McLeodganj, and for the rest of the village, How to reach Dharamkot.