---
title: "Dharamkot in November 2026: Triund by Daylight, Tushita Before Winter"
description: "Triund timings for short November days, Tushita before its winter break, Bhagsu, McLeodganj and what is on in Dharamkot in November 2026."
canonical: https://onthehills.in/guides/things-to-do-in-dharamkot-november-2026
town: "Dharamkot"
author: "Ankur"
published: 2026-10-29
updated: 2026-10-29
---

# Dharamkot in November 2026: Triund by Daylight, Tushita Before Winter

Coming to Dharamkot in November? Give your first clear day to the Triund trek and start it earlier than you would in October, because the sun now sets at about 5:30pm and the round trip takes most of the daylight. Spend the rest of the trip between Bhagsu waterfall, a morning at Tushita and the walk down to the Dalai Lama's temple in McLeodganj. November is usually dry, the nights are cold, and it is Tushita's last month before it closes for the winter.

This guide covers **November 2026**, checked on **29 October 2026**. All times are IST. Fees and schedules change, so confirm anything you are building a day around. Last month's version is [things to do in Dharamkot in October](/guides/things-to-do-in-dharamkot-october-2026).

```facts Dharamkot in November at a glance
Daylight: sunrise 6:40–7:05am and sunset 5:35–5:20pm, from the start of the month to the end
Weather: Dharamshala, below the village, averages 22°C by day and 10°C at night in November, with about one rainy day; Dharamkot is colder, and Triund colder again
Triund entry: ₹100 per person per day, plus government ID, at the Gallu Devi forest checkpost; a tent for two is ₹550
Tushita drop-in meditation: 9am, Monday–Saturday, no registration, by donation; winter break from the end of November
Vipassana at Dhamma Sikhara: both November courses showed as full; nothing for first-timers again until 2027
Festival day: Lhabab Düchen, Sunday 1 November
Checked: 29 October 2026
Fees are the forest department's January 2024 revision. Confirm at the checkpost.
```

## Triund on a short day: through the checkpost by 9:30am

Triund is the ridge most people come to Dharamkot for: a grassy shoulder at about 2,850 m with the Dhauladhar range directly in front of you and the Kangra valley behind. The trail starts at **Gallu Devi temple**, a small shrine to the goddess Kali in the forest about 2 km above the village, which also serves as the forest department's checkpost.

From Gallu Devi it is roughly **7 km to the top**; sources that count from Dharamkot itself give up to 9 km. Plan **3–4 hours up and 2–3 hours down**, with a chai stop at Magic View Café partway up.

The trail hasn't changed since October. The sun's working day has, by most of an hour.

So do the sum before you set off. Three to four hours up, an hour on top and two to three hours down is six to eight hours, and the light goes at about 5:30pm. To walk down in daylight, be through the Gallu Devi checkpost by about 9:30am, earlier if you are slow on a descent. That also keeps you clear of the late-morning cut-off: day hikers have been reported being turned back at the checkpost from late morning.

Entry is **₹100 per person per day** with a government ID, the fee set in January 2024 when it was halved; we found no later change on 29 October. Numbers are capped at **400 trekkers a day**, and no more than **20 tents and 40 people** camping overnight on the meadow, at ₹550 for a tent for two.

Camping in November is a colder proposition than in October. Triund is about 1,400 m above Dharamshala, where November nights average 10°C, and air cools with height at roughly six or seven degrees a kilometre, which puts the ridge at around freezing on a clear night, colder in wind. That is an estimate, not a forecast.

Day hike or overnight? Camp if sunrise over the range is the point and you have a sleeping bag for a below-zero night; ask the operator what the tent comes with before you pay. Otherwise go as a day hike, which needs an early start, water, a warm layer and the ₹100.

## Bhagsu waterfall, low and cold, and Shiva Café above it

Bhagsu waterfall is a steep **20-minute walk down from Dharamkot**, or about 3 km from McLeodganj if you are coming the other way. Entry is free. On the way you pass **Bhagsunag temple**, an old Shiva temple with a spring-fed pool where devotees bathe. Dress and behave as you would at any working temple.

By November the fall is well past its monsoon peak, so there is less water and a drier path than in September. It is still one of the most visited sights around McLeodganj, so go in the morning if you want the path to yourself.

Above the falls, a short, steep climb leads to **Shiva Café**, a cliffside café and long-standing backpacker stop, which is why the walk takes most of a morning rather than an hour. People do swim in the pool at the base of the falls, but the rocks are slippery and in November the water is very cold. Stay on the path.

## A morning at Tushita, before the winter break

Tushita Meditation Centre sits in the forest just above Dharamkot. Its **guided meditation runs at 9am, Monday to Saturday**, lasts about an hour, needs no registration and is paid for by donation. There is no Sunday session, so Lhabab Düchen, which falls on Sunday 1 November, has no drop-in. Arrive a little early and follow the signs from reception to that day's room.

Plan Tushita into the first three weeks of the month. Its calendar says the annual winter break begins at the end of November 2026, with exact dates still to be published when we checked, and the centre is always closed through December and January.

November's calendar has these longer options, booked through [Tushita's calendar](https://tushita.info/program/calendar/):

- **Introduction to Buddhism, 3–12 November** and again **17–26 November**, led by Ven. Tenzin Thegchog
- **The Gelug Tradition of Mahamudra, 4–12 November**, with Glen Svensson, for intermediate and advanced students
- **Less Desire, Less Pain: The Art of Satisfaction, 14–15 November**, a weekend short course with Ven. Thubten Wangdu
- **Dharma Movie Day, Mondays and Fridays at 2pm**, drop-in

The ten-day courses take your whole stay, so treat them as the trip rather than a morning out.

## Vipassana at Dhamma Sikhara: November is full, so plan for 2027

Dhamma Sikhara, next to Dharamkot, teaches Vipassana, a meditation technique, in **10-day silent residential courses** on a donation basis: no fee, and you give at the end only if you want to.

Both November courses, **1–12 November and 15–26 November**, showed as full for men and women on 29 October, with a waiting list only for women applying to serve, meaning to cook and clean for a course as a past student. December's two courses are for people who have already sat a course, nothing is listed for January or February, and the 2027 schedule begins on 1 March. If a first Vipassana course is the reason for your trip, plan it for 2027 and apply through the [Dhamma Sikhara schedule](https://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/schsikhara) as soon as dates open.

## Down to the Dalai Lama's temple, and a kora before dinner

McLeodganj is about **2 km downhill**, a 20–45 minute walk depending on where in the village you start. The main reason to go is the **Tsuglagkhang complex**, the Dalai Lama's temple and Namgyal Monastery. Entry to the temple is free, and its opening hours vary between sources, so check at the gate. The **Tibet Museum** is not in the complex: it is on the second floor of the T-Building at the Central Tibetan Administration in Gangchen Kyishong, below McLeodganj on the road to Dharamshala. It opens 9am–5pm, closes 1–2pm for lunch, and is shut on Saturdays and gazetted holidays.

On **Lhabab Düchen, 1 November**, many people from the Tibetan community visit the temple and walk the kora, the walking circuit around the complex. Go early either way, to join them or to have the morning before the crowd.

On other days the kora takes about half an hour and is best in the early morning or around dusk. In November dusk comes at about 5:30pm, which turns the evening kora into a walk before dinner. Walk clockwise, as everyone else does, and take a taxi back up if you would rather not climb the 2 km. Our [McLeodganj to Dharamkot guide](/guides/mcleodganj-to-dharamkot) covers the walk and the taxi drop-off, and [things to do in McLeodganj in November](/guides/things-to-do-in-mcleodganj-november-2026) covers the rest of the town.

## Naddi for sunset by 5pm, and Dal Lake on the way

**Naddi**, about 3 km from Dharamkot, is a ridge-side village with a wide, open view of the Dhauladhar range. In November it is a sunset walk that has to start early: sunset moves from about 5:35pm to 5:20pm across the month, so be at Naddi by 5pm, and have a torch or a taxi for the way back.

**Dal Lake**, about a kilometre from Naddi, is small, and not to be confused with Srinagar's much larger lake of the same name. Treat it as a stop on the Naddi walk rather than a destination of its own.

## A slow day after Triund: cafés, yoga and a cooking class

Dharamkot's other attraction is simply staying put. The village has a dense cluster of cafés, many with valley views, serving Israeli, Tibetan and vegan food alongside Indian menus. Yoga schools run drop-in classes most days, and Indian cooking classes are on offer too.

In November the mornings are cold until the sun is properly up, so a late breakfast, a yoga class and a long lunch on a sunny terrace make a full and sensible day. Schedule it for the day after Triund, when two to three hours of downhill will have made the case for it better than we can.

## Beyond the usual list, as the trekking season ends

Once the standard list is done, these are worth the extra effort:

- **Beyond Triund to Snowline and Laka Got.** From the Triund ridge, it is another 1–2 hours up to the Snowline café, and about an hour more to the Laka Got meadow below the glacier. It needs an overnight stay and warmer kit than Triund, and in November more of both. Go with a registered local guide, and ask them whether the tea stalls and camps up there are still running so late in the season before you count on them.
- **Guna Devi temple.** A Kali temple in deodar forest at about 2,310 m, roughly **6 km and 3–3.5 hours** from Dharamkot via Gallu Devi. It is a quieter alternative to Triund that fits inside a short November day, and the temple keeps basic mattresses and blankets for pilgrims who stay.
- **The forest trail to Naddi.** Instead of the road, a quieter trail links Dharamkot and Naddi through forest and past small hamlets. Allow about three hours and ask your host for the start of the path. It comes out near the Vipassana centre, so you can take a taxi to Naddi and walk home; in November, start by 2pm.
- **A pottery session at Dharamkot Studio.** Small wheel-throwing and hand-building classes, Friday to Wednesday, 11am–1:30pm and 3–5:30pm, including black pottery. [Dharamkot Studio](https://www.dharamkotstudio.com/school).
- **Indrahar Pass.** At about 4,342 m, this is the serious version of Triund: 4–5 days over the Dhauladhar via Laka Got and the Lahesh caves. Its main autumn season runs from September to November, so November is the end of it. It needs a guide, acclimatisation and a good weather window.
- **Kareri Lake.** A high lake reached on a 3–4 day trek from Dharamkot via Kareri village, about 26–27 km in total. Sources disagree on the village-to-lake stage, so plan the days, and the cold nights, with a local guide.

## What's on in Dharamkot this November: mostly weekly regulars

Dharamkot has a small, steady programme of evenings and classes. Listed on On The Hills for November 2026:

- **Off the Record with KUSH, 1 November, 6pm–1am**, at EDM Hostel in Upper Dharamkot: a seven-hour DJ set. The same night is the last of [DIFFerent Week at Monkey](/dharamkot/events/different-week-a-week-of-music-at-monkey), a run of music evenings for the Dharamshala International Film Festival.

[[event slug="off-the-record-with-kush"]]

- **Open Mic with Gautam, Thursdays at 7pm**, at Sip and Social Cafe. Bring an instrument, or just come to listen.

[[event slug="open-mic-with-gautam"]]

- **At NomadGao:** Sip and Paint on Mondays, 5–7pm (₹400), and [karaoke](/dharamkot/events/karaoke-night-dharamkot-20260816) on Saturdays and Sundays at 7pm.

[[event slug="sip-and-paint-dharamkot-20260831"]]

- **Drop-in yoga at Third Eye Yoga School, daily**, ₹500–2,000. [Details](/dharamkot/workshops/drop-in-yoga-classes-dharamkot-20260908)
- **No fixed date:** [The Dharamkot/Bhagsu Experience](/dharamkot/experiences/the-dharamkotbhagsu-experience-dharamkot), one pass for four classes or sessions with studios around Dharamkot and Bhagsu, valid for 30 days.

Reconfirm recurring sessions with the host. The [Dharamshala International Film Festival](/dharamshala/events/dharamshala-international-film-festival-diff-2026-dharamshala-20261029) itself ends on 1 November in Dharamshala.

## Is anyone listing Dharamkot's events by date?

Hardly anyone lists what is on in Dharamkot by date: one local guide site says a live board is coming, and until then most classes are found by asking the studio. This is what each platform had on 29 October 2026. We publish On The Hills, so weigh our row accordingly.

| Platform | Good for | What to know |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [ThingsToDoInDharamkot.in](https://www.thingstodoindharamkot.in/) | Deciding what kind of stay you want: the village's classes, treks and cafés | Organised by topic rather than date. Its home page now says a live board of daily classes and events is coming, with a form for hosts to add one, but no listings were up yet. |
| [DharamshalaGuide.com](https://dharamshalaguide.com/things-to-do-in-mcleodganj/) | Finding a café or hotel, and long articles on the area | A directory with articles: it tells you where a place is, not what is happening there. |
| [Gigavent](https://www.gigavent.in/) | Gigs, workshops, hikes and house parties | Listings and booking are only in its iPhone and Android apps. On 29 October it had one nearby: a free Triund hike from McLeodganj on 31 October. |
| On The Hills | What's on in Dharamkot and the hill towns around it, each listing checked by a person | 8 listings for November: three dated nights at the turn of the month, four weekly sessions and a 30-day class pass. No app or login; you WhatsApp the host or use their booking link. |

Three came up empty and two we couldn't check: [AllEvents.in](https://allevents.in/dharamsala/all) showed no active events for Dharamsala and still sends a Dharamkot search to Dharampur, [Skillboxes](https://www.skillboxes.com/events) had nothing nearer than Chandigarh, and [SortMyScene](https://sortmyscene.com/events) had no McLeodganj option and nothing on its Dharamshala page, while [District](https://www.district.in/events/)'s city list wouldn't take us to Dharamshala and [Swiggy Scenes](https://www.swiggy.com/swiggy-scenes) showed nothing on the web without signing in to the Swiggy app.

For what is on while you are here, start with [Dharamkot this week](/dharamkot/this-week) or [this weekend](/dharamkot/this-weekend).

## A November checklist

- For a Triund day hike, be through the Gallu Devi checkpost by about 9:30am with ID, ₹100 and a warm layer.
- If you camp on Triund, pack for a night around freezing.
- Fit Tushita into the first three weeks of November, before its winter break.
- Dhamma Sikhara's November courses are full; a first Vipassana course there means 2027.
- Be at Naddi by 5pm for the sunset.
- Check what's on for your dates in the [full Dharamkot listings](/dharamkot).

For the journey, start with [how to reach Dharamkot](/guides/how-to-reach-dharamkot), or [McLeodganj to Dharamkot](/guides/mcleodganj-to-dharamkot) for the last 2 km. Bir is 65–70 km east, if you are going on: see [things to do in Bir in November](/guides/things-to-do-in-bir-november-2026).

---

Source: https://onthehills.in/guides/things-to-do-in-dharamkot-november-2026 — On The Hills, a curated guide to events and workshops in India's hill towns.