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

Coming to Dharamkot in October? Most people give the first full day to the Triund trek, then 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. October suits all of it: the monsoon has gone, the skies are usually clear, and the evenings are cold enough that you will want a proper jacket.

This guide covers October 2026, checked on 25 September 2026. All times are IST. Fees and schedules change, so confirm anything you are building a day around.

Walk up to Triund

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, which is the same walk with the village lane added on. Plan 3–4 hours up and 2–3 hours down. The path is stony and steady rather than technical, and there is a chai stop at Magic View Café partway up, which is where most people discover how fit they actually are.

Entry is ₹100 per person per day with a government ID, after the fee was halved in January 2024. Numbers are capped under a 2023 High Court order: 400 trekkers a day, and no more than 20 tents and 40 people camping overnight on the meadow, at ₹550 for two. Start early, because day hikers have been reported being turned back at the checkpost from late morning.

October is one of the better months for it. The monsoon mud has dried and the views are at their clearest. It is also cold on top once the sun drops, so if you are staying overnight, pack for near-freezing even when the village feels like a warm afternoon.

Day hike or overnight? Camp if the point is sunset and sunrise over the range, and book early, because only 40 people can stay on the meadow each night. Otherwise go as a day hike, which needs nothing more than an early start, water and the ₹100.

Bhagsu waterfall, the temple and Shiva Café

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.

Above the falls, a short, steep climb leads to Shiva Café, a cliffside café and long-standing backpacker stop. It is the reason the walk takes most of an afternoon instead of an hour.

It is one of the most visited sights around McLeodganj, so go early if you want the path to yourself. People do swim in the pool at the base of the falls, but the rocks are slippery and the water is very cold. Stay on the path.

A morning at Tushita

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. Arrive a little early and follow the signs from reception to that day's room.

If one hour leaves you wanting more, Tushita's October calendar has several longer options:

• Introduction to Buddhism, 30 September–9 October and again 14–23 October — residential, registration required
• A Boundless Mind, 10–11 October — a weekend short course
• How to Meditate, 24–25 October — a weekend short course

The residential courses involve silence and staying on site for the full dates. They are the trip, not an activity inside it. Tushita's calendar.

Vipassana at Dhamma Sikhara

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 October 2026 courses (1–12 October and 15–26 October) showed as full when we checked, which is normal. Courses here fill one to two months ahead, so if Vipassana is the reason for your trip, apply through the Dhamma Sikhara schedule before you book anything else.

Walk down to McLeodganj and the Dalai Lama's temple

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; the Tibet Museum in the same complex charges a small fee and is closed on Mondays. Opening hours vary between sources, so check at the gate.

The kora, the walking circuit around the complex, takes about half an hour and is best in the early morning or around dusk, when people from the Tibetan community walk it with prayer beads. Walk clockwise, as everyone else does. Then stay for lunch in McLeodganj. Going down takes twenty minutes; coming back is the same 2 km with a very different opinion of it, so take a taxi up if lunch was large. Our McLeodganj to Dharamkot guide covers the walk and the taxi drop-off.

Naddi viewpoint and Dal Lake

Naddi, about 3 km from Dharamkot, is a ridge-side village with a wide, open view of the Dhauladhar range. It is a good late-afternoon walk. 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.

Cafés, a cooking class and a yoga 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.

A slow morning with a class and a long breakfast is a legitimate plan, and on a trip that includes Triund your legs will vote for it. Walk between cafés rather than settling on the first one; the village is small enough that the next one is always a few minutes away.

Off the usual list

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. This needs an overnight stay and warmer kit than Triund. Go with a registered local guide if you have not trekked at altitude before.
• 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, 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.
• A pottery session at Dharamkot Studio. Small wheel-throwing and hand-building classes, from Friday to Wednesday, 11am–1:30pm and 3–5:30pm, including black pottery. Dharamkot Studio.
• 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. It needs a guide, acclimatisation and a good weather window; September to November is its main autumn season.
• 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 with a local guide.

What's on in Dharamkot this October

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

• A Transformative 6-Day Retreat (women only), 1–7 October. Details

• Open Talk on Bach Flower Remedies, 2 October, 12:15pm — pay what you wish. Details

• Drop-in yoga at Third Eye Yoga School, daily — ₹500 a class. Details

• At NomadGao: Sip and Paint on Mondays, 5–7pm (₹400), and karaoke on Saturdays and Sundays at 7pm.

Reconfirm recurring sessions with the host. At the end of the month, the Dharamshala International Film Festival runs 29 October–1 November in Dharamshala.

Where do you find what's on in Dharamkot?

Plenty of sites will tell you what Dharamkot is like. Very few list what is on there by date. This is what each platform had on 25 September 2026. We publish On The Hills, so weigh our row accordingly.

Three came up empty. SortMyScene has no page for Dharamkot, McLeodganj or Dharamshala, District will book you a table in Dharamshala but lists no events there, and Swiggy Scenes had nothing anywhere in Himachal.

For what is on while you are here, start with Dharamkot this week or this weekend.

Before you go

• Give Triund its own day, start early and carry ID and ₹100 for the checkpost.
• Go to Bhagsu early for a quieter path, and stay out of the pool.
• Tushita's 9am drop-in needs no booking; its residential courses and Dhamma Sikhara's do.
• Save a slow day for cafés, a yoga class or the walk to Naddi.
• Check what's on for your dates in the full Dharamkot listings.

For the journey, start with how to reach Dharamkot.