Road trip to Dharamshala-Mcleodganj
This was a special trip for us as it was the first trip for us after shifting to Punjab and it was the first-ever trip for Cheeku. My driving skills were also tested during this trip as some of the places had really steep roads.
Days required– 2 days
Nearby places to go – Palampur, Bir-Billing, Dalhousie
It’s a weekend trip for people from Delhi, Chandigarh and Punjab.
Best time to visit – Please avoid summer vacation time ( June ) unless you want to keep finding places to get clicked with fewer people in the back drop of your images. Snowfall aspirants may go in January-February.
How to reach –
Regular Volvo/ deluxe buses services from Delhi /Chandigarh – Economic way.
Self-drive – if you are a road trip kind-a-guy, enjoy the drive on well-maintained roads.
By air – There is an airport in Dharamshala (Gaggal Airport). Direct flights are available from Delhi and Jaipur.
By train – Kangra is the nearest railway station (fewer connections) but Pathankot is the major station which is 90km from Dharmshala so it is better to avoid train journey.
How we traveled – We did a road trip.
Why? It is cheap, convenient and I love to drive.
Where to stay – Dharamshala and Mcleodganj are only 10km apart. With major tourist attractions in Mcleodganj, people usually prefer to stay there. With plenty of lodging options and famous eateries there, it is more convenient. Similar to European cities, most of the tourist attractions can be covered on foot with a camera in your hands. However, one can easily book a cab for a distant place from the main chowk.
Dharamshala is away from all the hush-rush of tourists. It is the main town where local resides which makes it easier to find an Airbnb and get a taste of being with locals. Options like Oyo and other hotels are available as well. Market and restaurants are just a walk away. Because it takes a day to cover Mcleodganj so, it is equally convenient to stay in Dharamshala.
It is a personal choice to stay at Dharamshala or Mcleodganj.
How to go around – if you have your own vehicle/driver then just keep Google maps handy.
Otherwise, cabs/taxi can easily be booked there. You can ask locals or hotel owner for cab bookings. Cab booking can be done from the main chowk in Mcleodganj.
Places to visit
Mcleodganj–
Dalai Lama temple – Most important and a must-see place in Mcleodganj – home to His Highness Dalai Lama. 15min walk from the main chowk. It is more of a complex that includes a museum, a monastery and a residential area inside it. Parking facility is available outside.
Bhagsu nag temple/falls/Shiva cafe – few km from the main chowk is the Bhagsu nag temple. Take a 10min walk from the entrance to reach the temple. After visiting the temple proceed to the fall. The waterfall is visible from a distance but for a closer view and to enjoy the beauty of it, make some extra effort, walk along the pathway and fall will be closer to you. If you are not tired enough or want to enjoy some freshly made pizza, make your way to the Shiva cafe which is on the way and has become a Cult among young travellers. A half an hour stroll and you will arrive at Shiva cafe, there are signboards on the way to guide you.
You will love the ambience and the view from the cafe. There is indoor as well as outdoor sitting. Sheesha/hookah is served there. You will love their pizza and chicken soup. Spend at least a few hours there.
St. John’s in the wilderness – this beautiful church is on the way to Mcleodganj. A must visit place.
Dal lake – this may not be as beautiful as Dal lake of Srinagar but amazing tree canopy in the background will make you stop here and click a few photographs. This lake is on the way to Naddi village.
Naddi village viewpoint – last but not the least, 10min drive from the Dal lake. An evening spent here is all one can ask for. Come here to witness the beautiful sunset in backdrop of the snow-covered Dhauladhar mountain range.
Dharamshala
HP Cricket stadium –best place to start your day in Dharamshala. It is visible from a distance. There is an entry ticket for the stadium but it is totally worth it. View from the stands is breathtaking. Green grassy field and the cool breeze coming from the Dhauladhar mountain range in background of the stadium makes you to just sit and relax. And who knows if you are lucky enough to enjoy a net practice session.
War memorial – situated 1 km from the stadium is this memorial built in the memory of Kargil war hero.
Norbulingka institute – this institute is named after the famous palace in Lhasa. It is situated outside the city. Try to reach here by lunch and enjoy the meals served in 2 eateries inside. One of them offers buffet and Al carte option and the other has an open sitting space with a garden view. Tibetan dishes can also be tried here (we suggest you to try mutton momos). This institute was built to share the Tibetan culture and arts. The moment you step inside the institute, it feels as if you have been teleported to Tibet. Private Paid Parking is available nearby.
Tea estate – they are not so tourist-friendly tea gardens as you will find in Munnar, Ooty or Darjeeling but they surely are worth visiting. Search Dharamshala tea estate near Narghota Road on Google but don’t stop there. Just cross it and you will find more organized and beautiful Mann tea gardens. Next to them, there is a beautiful valley view with the Dhauladhar range in the background.
Where to eat
There is a long list of restaurants and cafe and street food in Mcleodganj to try. In a short stay, it is not possible to try them all. But we have a few suggestions for you.
Morgan’s Place for pizza and the view
Woeser Bakery coffee, walnut pastry, carrot cake
Nicks Italian Kitchen- pizza, lemon cheesecake, chocolate mousse
Moonlight cafe – Bhagsu cake
Jimmy’s kitchen-lemon cheesecake
Itinerary –
Mcleodganj can be covered in one day.
Half day is sufficient for Dharamshala.
If you have an extra day, use it for paragliding at Bir-Billing. It is a 2 hr drive from Dharamshala. The activity takes 2-3 hours and is weather dependent so plan accordingly. Try to book a slot in advance for morning hours. Approx. cost is Rs.2000-3000 per person.
How we traveled
We drove from Ludhiana (there are two routes from Delhi- one via Ludhiana and other via Chandigarh) in June. We were 4 adults and one baby (managing this can also be tricky on any trip so plan properly. All necessary baby care items should be with you). We followed Google maps and reached Dharamshala before sunset. The accommodation was booked through Oyo Homes (which I will discuss separately in a different blog). The drive can be tiring because of the curves of the hilly roads and so were we and went straight to sleep after dinner.
Next morning after breakfast, we drove to Mcleodganj and what a chaos it was,with a long queue of vehicles honking at each other. Thousands of tourists all over the place. We parked the car before the main chowk and decided to go on foot. We found the parking outside the temple to be full as expected and sighed with our decision of walking from the main chowk. On the way, there was a beautiful temple/monastery to visit. Also, there was a market selling everything from sunglasses to momos.
After visiting the Dalai Lama Complex, we went back to the car parking and drove to Bhagsu nag temple and witnessed even worse traffic. People had parked on the roadside blocking the already narrow path. We parked the car for Rs.200(perks of traveling in summer vacations) and went to visit Bhagsunag temple. From there, we walked with the crowd to reach the famous Bhagsu waterfall and valley. Most of the tourists don’t go any further however, we made our efforts to take on a rough and tiring walk to reach the Shiva cafe. View from the cafe was breathtaking and hence the walk was worth it. The cafe itself was very beautiful. We spent 2 hours there, ate lunch (pizza of course).
On the way back to Dharamshala, we stopped at St. Johns in the wilderness, a very old and beautiful church.
Then visited Dal lake on the way to the Naddi village. Road to Dal lake and Naddi village is good but steep slopes are common which may not be comfortable for everyone to drive on so cautious driving with all safety precautions is important.We drove there to see the snow-covered mountain range. We parked in a paid parking and got to the viewpoint which was a 5min walk from the parking. As it was cloudy so we could not see the sunset and the valley but it was worth to come to see this beautiful scenic village.Then we headed back to Dharamshala, had dinner and went straight to bed.
Next day was planned for Dharamshala tour. First one was the cricket stadium. I was so excited for it having seen this ground before only on TV. A canteen and 2 stands are open for the visitors.
Very near to the stadium was a war memorial. From there we drove to Sidhpur to visit the Norbulingka Institute. We first had lunch at a cafe inside the institute and then explored the whole complex. It will take 2 hours if you are interested in Tibetan culture.
As there was not much left to see in Dharamshala, we took some rest at our Oyo home. In the evening, it started to rain and the weather became pleasant so we decided to explore some more of Dharamshala. We reached the tea estate late. They were closed for tours but allowed us to explore the tea estate. Nearby to that, there were more tea gardens with a view of the Dhauladhar range. We took hundreds of photos there and came back late in the evening. This marked the end of our trip to Dharamshala-Mcleodganj.
Few tips for fellow travelers –
- Always park the vehicle at a proper place. Otherwise, it will cause problems for everyone. All tourist attractions have parking lots nearby (which may be full in high season like June)
- That’s why avoid traveling in June or avoid driving there.
- It is always better to plan and book your accommodation in advance at least in peak season. Booking in advance always save your money and time.
- Traveling in peak season will increase the trip cost. Accommodation will cost twice or thrice the normal prices. Hill station can be visited anytime in the year. Better to travel in shoulder season.
- Driving in hill stations can be tricky. Roads are usually not good. Roads are curvy and with lots of uphill and downhill. If you are not a skilled and experienced driver, it is better to avoid driving there and just hire a taxi there.
- Ask the locals or traffic police for directions. Google may misguide you in hilly areas.
- Dharamshala has zomato services so you can just sit and relax after tiring trip and get your food delivered at your doorstep.
Ratings (it is subjective and my personal opinion)
Destination overall rating 7/10 – I don’t like so much crowd (I think no one likes so much traffic and crowd). It was humid there. There was not much to see. It would have been 8 if I had visited this place after monsoon or snowfall.
Expense 2/10 – the trip is very cheap. Other than accommodation, there is no big expanse there. Food is reasonably priced. Tourist attractions are either free to enter or with very low entry fees.
Travel ease 8/10– easy to reach there by road or flight. Roads are good. Everything is nearby.
Food 8/10 – you can get everything you want. All cuisines are easily available there. You can try authentic Tibetan cuisine. They have their specialties like Bhagsu cake, mutton momos, lemon cheesecake, etc.
Please share it with your fellow travelers.