Founded in the 1850s and named after Lord Dalhousie, Governor-General of India, Dalhousie spreads over five hills at 1,950–2,400 m in the Chamba district, close to the Punjab border. It is quieter and more old-fashioned than Shimla: colonial churches, the Gandhi and Subhash chowks and long level walks through pine and deodar with views of the Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar.
Khajjiar, about 22 km away by road, is Himachal’s most photographed meadow: a green bowl with a small lake, a golden-roofed Khajji Nag temple and a ring of deodar forest. It is often called the “Mini Switzerland of India”.
Top things to do in Dalhousie & Khajjiar
Khajjiar meadow
Walk around the meadow, visit the 12th-century Khajji Nag temple and escape the pony and zorbing touts into the forest trails. Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary lies between Dalhousie and Khajjiar and makes a lovely forest walk.
Dalhousie walks
Stroll the Thandi Sadak (cold road) and Garam Sadak (warm road) around the hills, visit St John’s and St Francis’ churches, and see Dainkund peak, one of the highest points around.
Chamba town
Some 50 km below Dalhousie, Chamba on the Ravi river has the stone Lakshmi Narayan temple group, the Bhuri Singh Museum with Pahari paintings and the Chaugan meadow, home of the Minjar fair in summer.
How to get to Dalhousie & Khajjiar
- Pathankot, about 80 km away, is the nearest major railway station and has an airport with limited flights; taxis and buses take around 2.5–3 hours up to Dalhousie.
- From Dharamshala it is about 120–130 km (4–5 hours) by road. A private Dharamshala–Dalhousie tour combines both regions.
Insider tips
- Khajjiar is busiest between 11 am and 4 pm; come early or stay overnight to see it quietly.
- Winter brings snow to Dalhousie and Khajjiar and can close the road between them for a day or two.
Tours that include Dalhousie & Khajjiar
These guided trips cover Dalhousie & Khajjiar or combine easily with a visit:
Private tour 6-Day Private Tour to Dharamshala and Dalhousie
An unhurried private tour of the western Himachal hills: the Tibetan world of McLeod Ganj, the Kangra valley, then the pine-clad ridges of Dalhousie and the famous meadow of Khajjiar.
- McLeod Ganj and the Tibetan heritage of Dharamshala
- Dalhousie’s colonial churches and walks
- The meadow of Khajjiar and the Chamba valley
Heritage tour Historical Tour: Kangra Fort & Masroor Rock-Cut Temples from Dharamshala
Leave the Tibetan world behind for older Himachal: the ruined but vast Kangra Fort above the Banganga and Manjhi rivers, seat of the Katoch rulers, and the extraordinary Masroor temples, carved from a single sandstone outcrop and often compared to Ellora.
- Kangra Fort, one of the oldest forts in the Himalaya
- Masroor’s 8th-century monolithic rock-cut temples
- Countryside drive across the Kangra valley
