--- title: "Winter around Dharamshala: Snow, Triund, Christmas and the Marathon" description: "Winter in McLeodganj, Dharamkot and Dharamshala, December 2026 to February 2027: snow odds, Triund, the 27 December marathon, New Year crowds, what's on." canonical: https://onthehills.in/guides/winter-around-dharamshala town: "Dharamshala" author: "Ankur" published: 2026-11-04 updated: 2026-11-04 --- # Winter around Dharamshala: Snow, Triund, Christmas and the Marathon Thinking of Dharamshala, McLeodganj or Dharamkot this winter? Here is the answer first: yes, go, and pick your month by what you want. December is the clear, dry month, with the Dharamshala Marathon on 27 December and a crowded week from Christmas to New Year. January is the cold one, with the better odds of snow. Whichever you pick, the days are short, the nights are properly cold, and the Dalai Lama has no public events scheduled in December. The three towns are one hillside. Dharamshala sits at about 1,457 m, McLeodganj about 600 m above it, and Dharamkot above that, so "which town" is partly "how cold do you want to be after dark". This guide covers **December 2026 to February 2027**, checked on **3 November 2026**. All times are IST. Fees, hours and schedules change, so confirm anything you are building a day around. ```facts Winter around Dharamshala at a glance Daylight: sunrise about 7:08am and sunset about 5:21pm on 1 December; sunrise about 7:26am and sunset about 5:30pm on 31 December. Around 21–22 December there are about 10 hours of daylight. These are our calculations, not a published table Weather, Dharamshala: December averages 18.4°C by day and 7.1°C at night with about 2 rainy days; January averages 16.0°C and 5.9°C with about 4.5 (IMD 1991–2020) Weather, higher up: McLeodganj and Dharamkot are colder by height, roughly 4°C or more at night. Triund is colder again Snow: possible in the upper towns (McLeodganj, Bhagsu, Naddi, Dharamkot), likelier in January than December, never certain for a given week Dalai Lama: no public events on his official schedule for December 2026; the next listed is a long-life prayer at the main temple on 24 February 2027 Tushita: closed for its winter break from the end of November 2026 until sometime in February 2027 Dhamma Sikhara: December courses are for old students only; the next 10-day course for new students is 15–26 March 2027 Triund: ₹100 per person per day plus government ID at the Gallu Devi checkpost Dharamshala Marathon: Sunday 27 December, 4:30am start, Sports Authority of India stadium Checked: 3 November 2026 ``` ## Weather in Dharamshala, McLeodganj and Dharamkot in winter The measured numbers are for Dharamshala. The India Meteorological Department's 1991–2020 averages put December at **18.4°C by day and 7.1°C at night, with about 2 rainy days and 37 mm of rain**, one of the driest months of the year. January is colder and wetter, at 16.0°C and 5.9°C with 4.5 rainy days, and February wetter again, with 6.2. If clear skies are the goal, December beats both. Air cools by six or seven degrees a kilometre, so McLeodganj, 600 m up, is around 4°C colder: about 13–15°C by day and 2–5°C at night. Dharamkot is colder again after dark, and Triund, about 1,400 m above Dharamshala, should sit below freezing on a clear night. That last part is an estimate, not a forecast. The day is the other number that matters. On 1 December the sun sets at about 5:21pm, and by 31 December at about 5:30pm, with the shortest days around 21–22 December. Once the sun drops behind the ridge, lane temperatures fall with it. Finish anything outdoors by 4:30pm, and start anything out of town by 9am. Pack for two climates: a T-shirt at noon, a down jacket, hat and gloves from four o'clock until morning. ## Does it snow in McLeodganj, Dharamkot or Dharamshala in December? Sometimes, in the upper towns, and not on a schedule. Snow and sleet are common in winter in upper Dharamshala, meaning McLeodganj, Bhagsu Nag and Naddi, while the lower town gets little beyond hail. Snowfall runs from late December to February, and January is the stronger month. Nobody can promise it for a given week. When it comes, it follows the usual pattern: snow settles on Naddi, Dharamkot and Upper Bhagsu, the roads to them close first, and the town below may only get rain. The decision follows from your dates. If snow is the point of the trip, go in late December or January, book somewhere you can stay an extra night in case roads close, and use Dharamshala as the warm fallback. If you are travelling on fixed dates, plan for cold, clear weather and treat snow as a bonus. A fall also changes the rest of the trip: the taxi up to Dharamkot may not run, and the Triund trail may close. ## Triund in winter: open, snowy or closed? Triund is a grassy ridge at about 2,850 m, with the Dhauladhar range in front of you. From McLeodganj you walk up to Dharamkot, 2 km above the town, and on for about 2 km more to **Gallu Devi temple**, a small shrine that doubles as the forest department's checkpost. From there it is roughly **7 km to the top**, 3–4 hours up and 2–3 down in good conditions. Entry has been **₹100 per person per day** with a government ID, capped at 400 trekkers a day. Those are the forest department's 2024 figures, and we found no later change, so confirm both at the checkpost. A tent for two on the ridge was ₹550. December changes the trek more than any other detail. Heavy snow can close it in December, snow cover usually lasts from about December to March, and closures of weeks are likeliest in January and February. We found no dated forest department notice for this winter. The rule is therefore to ask at the checkpost, or at your guesthouse, on the day, and never to assume that a trail open last week is open now. Take microspikes, small metal grips that fit over a boot, for ice. The light is tight too. With sunset at about 5:20pm, a six-to-eight-hour round trip means being through the checkpost by about **9am**, and heading down by 1pm. So, three cases: - **Clear weather, early December.** Leave by 8am with ID and ₹100, turn round by 1pm, and carry a torch anyway. - **After a snowfall.** Ask at the checkpost whether the trail is open that day. If you do not have grippy boots or a guide, do not go up. - **Camping.** A below-freezing night on an exposed ridge needs a proper winter sleeping bag, and winter camping is for experienced, well-equipped trekkers only. We could not confirm the current camping rules or whether tents operate in winter. If you are not sure you are one of those trekkers, go up for the day and sleep in Dharamkot. For the start of the trail, see [McLeodganj to Dharamkot](/guides/mcleodganj-to-dharamkot). ## McLeodganj in December: the Tsuglagkhang and the kora The **Tsuglagkhang complex** is the reason most people come to McLeodganj. It holds the main Tibetan temple and Namgyal Monastery, next to the Dalai Lama's residence, which is not open to visitors. It is a short walk down Temple Road from the main square, and entry is free. Opening hours vary between sources, so go in the morning, the one time they all agree it is open. The **kora** is the walking circuit around the complex: about half an hour on a forest path lined with prayer wheels, prayer flags and stupas, the dome-shaped Buddhist shrines. Walk it clockwise, as everyone else does. Early morning is when Tibetan residents walk it with prayer beads, and in winter that means a cold start, so wear gloves. Most of the path is under trees, and in the late afternoon it is dark by the time you reach the far side. Carry a torch. The Dalai Lama's [official schedule](https://www.dalailama.com/schedule) listed no public events for December 2026 on 3 November; the next is a long-life prayer at the main temple on 24 February 2027. If a teaching is the reason for your trip, this is not the season, and the schedule is where any change would appear first. ## The Tibet Museum at Gangchen Kyishong The **Tibet Museum** is on the second floor of the T-Building at **Gangchen Kyishong**, the campus of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government in exile, on the road between McLeodganj and Dharamshala. It opens 9am–5pm with an hour off for lunch, 1–2pm, and is closed on Saturdays, not Mondays, and on gazetted holidays, according to the museum's [own site](https://www.tibetmuseum.org/). The site lists no entry fee, so check at the door. A museum is the right answer to a cold or wet afternoon, and winter has plenty of both. Go on a weekday, just after lunch. ## Bhagsunag and St John in the Wilderness **Bhagsunag** is about 3 km from McLeodganj's main square. The old Shiva temple has a spring-fed pool where devotees bathe, so dress and behave as at any working temple. The waterfall is a short walk beyond it. Entry is free. In winter the waterfall is at its thinnest, because the dry season has been running for weeks, so go for the temple and the walk. The path is in shade for much of the day and can stay slippery in the morning. The water at the base is very cold and the rocks are slippery, so stay out of it. The cafés on the Bhagsu road are the better winter reason: sit outside at midday and go in before four. **St John in the Wilderness** is an Anglican church built in 1852 in deodar forest at Forsyth Ganj, on the road down from McLeodganj to Dharamshala. Entry to the grounds is free. Its stained-glass windows are the main thing to see, and Lord Elgin, a Viceroy of India who died in Dharamshala in 1863, is buried in the churchyard. It survived the 1905 Kangra earthquake, though its tower did not. Go before mid-afternoon, while the light reaches the windows. ## Dharamkot in December: what is shut and what is open Dharamkot, the village in the forest above McLeodganj, is where the cold shows first, and in December two of its biggest draws are not available to newcomers. **Tushita Meditation Centre** closes for its annual winter break at the end of November. Its calendar says the break runs until sometime in February 2027, lists no courses for December or January, and had not published exact dates when we checked. Its drop-in meditation is listed on the same page without saying whether it runs during the break, so call before walking up to a closed gate. The reopening date will be on [Tushita's calendar](https://tushita.info/program/calendar/). **Dhamma Sikhara**, next to the village, teaches Vipassana, a meditation technique, in silent residential courses on a donation basis: no fee, and you give at the end only if you want to. Its December courses are not for first-timers. A Satipatthana Sutta course runs 1–9 December and a 3-day course runs 10–13 December, both for old students, meaning people who have already completed a 10-day course. The next course open to adults new to Vipassana is a **10-day course on 15–26 March 2027**, with applications accepted from 15 January. If a first Vipassana course is why you are coming, plan it for March and apply through the [Dhamma Sikhara schedule](https://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/schsikhara). What does work in winter is small. **Bhagsu** is a steep 20-minute walk down from Dharamkot, and the sun reaches that path earlier than the ridge behind. **Naddi**, about 3 km from Dharamkot, is a ridge-side village with one of the widest views of the Dhauladhar, and the small **Dal Lake** on the way is a stop, not a destination, and not the Srinagar one. Dry winter air is good for the view, and fresh snow on the range makes it better. Be there by 4:45pm with a torch, and agree the taxi fare and the ride back before you get in, so you are not looking for one on a hill road after dark. For Dharamkot's yoga schools and studios, check each school's own page or ask at the door, since we have not confirmed which run what in winter. If you want one pass across several studios, the Dharamkot/Bhagsu Experience is listed in the What's on section below. For the village itself and the walk up, see our [Dharamkot guide for November](/guides/things-to-do-in-dharamkot-november-2026), and [how to reach Dharamkot](/guides/how-to-reach-dharamkot). ## Dharamshala in December: the lower town The lower town is where you go when the hill above is wet or white. At about 1,450 m it has sunny middays and little rain in December, and everything below is open to you. **The HPCA stadium.** The home ground of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association sits at about 1,457 m with the Dhauladhar range rising behind the stands. It has hosted international matches and the IPL. The [district's page](https://hpkangra.nic.in/tourist-place/hpca-cricket-stadium/) says visitors are allowed on non-match days, typically 9:30am–5pm, for around ₹30. We could not confirm from HPCA's own site whether visits are open, so call the stadium office on 01892-229539 first. Go in the early afternoon, when it is warmest. **The Himachal Pradesh State War Memorial.** It stands at the entry to Dharamshala near GPG College, about 2 km from the bus stand, in pine forest. It remembers soldiers from Himachal killed in the wars since 1947 and in UN peacekeeping missions. Entry is ₹20, free for children under five, and the district lists it as open daily, 8am–8pm. The State War Museum next door has busts of gallantry award winners. The pines keep the memorial in shade, so it is colder than the road. Give it half an hour at midday. **Norbulingka Institute.** At Sidhpur, 7–8 km from Dharamshala, it was set up to keep traditional Tibetan arts alive, and you can watch them being made: thangka painting (Tibetan scroll painting), appliqué and woodcarving, in workshops you walk through. The temple has murals, and the Losel Doll Museum holds 160 dolls in regional and monastic dress. The district lists entry at about ₹50 for Indians and Tibetans and ₹110–200 for foreign visitors, open roughly 9am–5:30pm. Sources disagree on Sunday closing, so go on a weekday. **Kangra Fort and Masroor.** Kangra Fort, at Old Kangra about 18–20 km south of Dharamshala, was built by the Katoch kings and is described by the district as the largest fort in the Himalaya. It was taken by the Mughals, the Sikhs and the British in turn, and finally beaten by the earthquake of 1905, the only conqueror that did not move in. The fee for Indian adults is somewhere between ₹20 and ₹150, and about ₹300 for foreigners, so check at the gate. In winter it closes between 5pm and 6pm, so plan to be out by five. It is a climb of a few hundred steps through its gateways, which is pleasant in December and an ordeal in June. **Masroor**, about 40–42 km from Dharamshala, is a group of 8th-century temples carved downward out of a single sandstone ridge, with a tank in front that holds their reflection on a still day. It is sometimes called the Ellora of the Himalaya, which is true in method and generous in size. Sources give the fee as anywhere from free to about ₹25, and hours of roughly 9am to 5pm or 6pm. With sunset at 5:20pm, arrive by two. Kangra Fort and Masroor make one full day by taxi: fort in the morning, Masroor after lunch. Agree the whole loop, including the waiting time at each stop, before you set off, because quotes for the same trip vary two- or three-fold. ## The Dharamshala Marathon, Sunday 27 December The **Dharamshala Marathon** is the one date in the month you need to plan around even if you are not running. It is on **Sunday 27 December 2026**, with a **4:30am** start, in the dark and the cold, and the Dhauladhar range appearing as the sky lightens. Start and finish are at the **Sports Authority of India (SAI) stadium** in Jawahar Nagar. The [registration page](https://konfhub.com/dharamshalamarathon) gives a tentative 4:00am reporting time and a bib expo, where you collect your race number, on 25 and 26 December. Our listing shows five categories: the full marathon (42.195 km), the half marathon (21.097 km), a timed 10 km, a timed 5 km and a non-timed 3 km fun run. A 35% early discount ran until 5 November at 5pm. After that, prices go to the listed amounts, from ₹800 for the 3 km fun run to ₹2,500 for the full marathon. Booking is through the button on the listing. [[event slug="dharamshala-marathon-2026"]] Roads around the stadium will be closed or slow while the race runs. If you are staying in McLeodganj, a taxi down in the dark is part of the plan, so arrange it the evening before, and check the organiser's page the week you travel, because race hours are the part most likely to change. ## Christmas and New Year week: crowds, traffic and parties The week from Christmas to New Year is the peak of the winter season, and the roads are the weak point. On New Year's Eve McLeodganj's hotels run close to full, and the crowds gather in the main square, on Bhagsu Road and on Jogiwara Road. Earlier New Year weeks left both towns jammed with thousands of vehicles. Kangra police have set one-way traffic through McLeodganj for the holiday period in past years, and the route has changed from one year to the next, so check the police notices close to the date. Do your driving before 10am or after the dinner rush, allow an extra hour for the drive up from Dharamshala, leave a margin of an hour on any airport transfer, and consider leaving the car below and taking a taxi from the edge of town. Christmas itself is quiet in a town that is mostly Buddhist and Hindu, and we found no published programme or service times at St John in the Wilderness. If a service is the reason for your visit, ask the church or the Diocese of Amritsar first. As for parties: people search for a McLeodganj New Year party, but no venue has given us one yet, and we list only what a host has given us. If a party is the point, wait for a venue to announce its own date and price, and check [McLeodganj](/mcleodganj), [Dharamkot](/dharamkot) and [Dharamshala](/dharamshala) as the month goes on. If quiet is the point, book Dharamkot or a guesthouse above Bhagsu and come into town by day. Dharamkot's evenings are small in any case, with most places winding down early. Book a room for the week early, because the towns' capacity does not change with the demand. ## Staying warm: heating, hot water and where to sleep Nights are the hard part, and guesthouses vary more in winter than in any other season. Ask these before you pay, because the answers differ from building to building: - Is there a room heater, and is it included or charged by the hour? - Is hot water on all day, from a geyser you switch on, or only at set times? - How many blankets, and are they thick? We have not surveyed individual guesthouses, so we cannot say which have what. A room that is fine in October can be miserable in December, and the cheapest places are the most likely to rely on a bucket and a blanket. In McLeodganj, thukpa (noodle soup) stops being a lunch option and becomes a standing arrangement, and a woollen cap from the bazaar on Temple Road or Jogiwara Road is the cheapest way to fix a packing mistake, a trade the town has run for a long time. ## What's on around Dharamshala this winter Listings are thin as of 3 November and more are added through the month. The Osho Nisarga programmes are at a meditation centre at Sheela village outside Dharamshala. - **Call of the Sufis, 3–6 December**, a daily programme at Osho Nisarga. [[event slug="call-of-the-sufis-dharamshala-20261203"]] - **Osho Birthday Celebration with Live Music, 9 December, 4–9pm.** The listing's schedule runs daily through 13 December. [[event slug="osho-birthday-celebration-with-live-music-dharamshala-20261210"]] - **Born Again, Osho Meditative Therapy, 17–23 December**, daily. [[event slug="born-again-osho-meditative-therapy-dharamshala-20261217"]] - **Celebrate Now - Here, 28 December to 1 January**, a New Year programme at Osho Nisarga, daily. [[event slug="celebrate-now-here-dharamshala-20261228"]] - **Djembe Course With Vatayan**, Tuesdays at Sampraapti Studio and Farm in Rakkar, ₹3,000. Check that it still runs. [[event slug="djembe-course-with-vatayan-dharamshala-20260922"]] Two courses in McLeodganj have no fixed dates, so ask the host whether each still runs. The 200 Hours Yoga Teacher Training Course is a daily course of about seven hours a day, and Handpan Fundamentals at Sonance Handpan Studio in Upper Bhagsu runs by arrangement. [[event slug="200-hours-yoga-teacher-training-course-mcleodganj"]] [[event slug="handpan-fundamentals"]] In Dharamkot, one pass covers four classes or sessions with studios around Dharamkot and Bhagsu, valid for 30 days. [[event slug="the-dharamkotbhagsu-experience-dharamkot"]] We have no Christmas or New Year event for the three towns beyond the Osho Nisarga programme above. That does not mean none exists, only that nobody has told us. For anything on the day, see [Dharamshala this week](/dharamshala/this-week), [McLeodganj this week](/mcleodganj/this-week) and [Dharamkot this week](/dharamkot/this-week). ## Where do you find what's on? Few platforms list anything by date here. This is what each had on 29 October 2026. We publish On The Hills, so weigh our row accordingly. | Platform | Good for | What to know | | --- | --- | --- | | [DharamshalaGuide.com](https://dharamshalaguide.com/things-to-do-in-mcleodganj/) | Finding a café, homestay or hotel | A directory with amenity filters such as parking, plus travel articles. No events calendar when we looked. | | [Gigavent](https://www.gigavent.in/) | Gigs, hikes and house parties | Listings, booking and chat are only in its iPhone and Android apps. Worth checking for New Year gigs. | | [Marathon registration page](https://konfhub.com/dharamshalamarathon) | Race categories, prices, bib expo | The source for the race; confirm the final start time there. | | On The Hills | What's on across the three towns, each listing checked by a person | Thin so far for winter. No app or login; you WhatsApp the host or use their booking link. | ## A winter checklist - Finish outdoor plans by 4:30pm; sunset is about 5:21pm on 1 December and 5:30pm on 31 December. - Bring a down jacket, hat and gloves, and ask your guesthouse about heating before you book. - For Triund, ask at the checkpost whether the trail is open, be through by about 9am with ID and ₹100, and do not go up on snow without grippy footwear. - Tushita is closed for its winter break, and Dhamma Sikhara's December courses are for old students. A first Vipassana course means March 2027. - Book rooms before 24 December, and check police traffic notices for the week. - Visit the Tibet Museum on any day but Saturday, and call the HPCA stadium before going. - If you are running the marathon, collect your bib on 25 or 26 December and arrange your 4:30am transport the night before. For the journey, start with [how to reach Dharamshala](/guides/how-to-reach-dharamshala), [how to reach McLeodganj](/guides/how-to-reach-mcleodganj) or [by train to McLeodganj and Dharamshala](/guides/by-train-to-mcleodganj-and-dharamshala). For the rest of the year, see [festivals and annual events in the Dhauladhar](/guides/festivals-and-annual-events-in-the-dhauladhar). --- Source: https://onthehills.in/guides/winter-around-dharamshala — On The Hills, a curated guide to events and workshops in India's hill towns.