Dharamshala is two towns in one. Lower Dharamshala, at around 1,450 m, is a busy administrative town and home of the HPCA cricket stadium; McLeod Ganj, 9 km up the hill at about 2,000 m, was a British cantonment that became, after 1959, the home of the 14th Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration. Travellers call it “Little Lhasa”.
McLeod Ganj is compact and lively: maroon-robed monks, prayer wheels, momo stalls, bookshops, meditation courses and cafés, all beneath the wall of the Dhauladhar range. Neighbouring Bhagsu and Dharamkot are the backpacker villages — and the start of the trail to Triund.
Top things to do in McLeod Ganj & Dharamshala
Tsuglagkhang complex
The main temple, Namgyal Monastery and the Dalai Lama’s residence stand together at the end of Temple Road. Visit the temple, watch the monks’ afternoon debates in the courtyard and see the Tibet Museum on the way in. Public teachings are announced on the Dalai Lama’s official website.
The kora (Lingkor)
The forested pilgrim circuit around the complex takes about 30–45 minutes; walk it clockwise with Tibetans spinning prayer wheels past mani stones and prayer flags.
Bhagsunag and Dharamkot
A 2 km walk east leads to the Bhagsunag Shiva temple and a waterfall; above it, Dharamkot has yoga and meditation schools, quiet guesthouses and cafés — and is the traditional start of the Triund trail.
Norbulingka and Tibetan culture
Down near Sidhbari, the Norbulingka Institute preserves Tibetan arts — thangka painting, woodcarving, metalwork — in lovely Japanese-style gardens. The Tibetan Library (Library of Tibetan Works and Archives) runs courses in Buddhist philosophy.
St John in the Wilderness and Naddi
A neo-Gothic church (1852) in deodar forest between Forsyth Ganj and McLeod Ganj, where Lord Elgin, a Viceroy of India, is buried. Continue to Naddi for sunset views of the Dhauladhar.
Kangra valley excursions
Visit Kangra Fort and the Masroor rock-cut temples, the Kangra tea estates around Palampur, or Bir Billing for paragliding.
How to get to McLeod Ganj & Dharamshala
- By bus from Delhi: overnight Volvo and HRTC buses to McLeod Ganj or Dharamshala take about 10–12 hours; Majnu ka Tilla (the Tibetan colony in Delhi) is a popular departure point.
- By air: Kangra (Gaggal) airport is about 15 km from Dharamshala, with flights from Delhi.
- By rail: Pathankot, about 85–90 km away, is the nearest broad-gauge station; the scenic narrow-gauge Kangra Valley Railway also serves the area, but services are limited — check before planning around it.
- A cable car (the Dharamshala Skyway) links lower Dharamshala with McLeod Ganj in minutes.
Insider tips
- Temple Road and Jogiwara Road are one-way and jammed at peak times; walk.
- Photography is not allowed in some parts of the main temple; ask and follow the signs.
- Evenings are cool year-round and wet in the monsoon (July–August, when Dharamshala is one of the rainiest places in India).
- Many Tibetan restaurants close early; eat dinner by 9 pm.
- Volunteer and English-conversation programmes with Tibetan refugees are a meaningful way to spend time here.
Tours that include McLeod Ganj & Dharamshala
These guided trips cover McLeod Ganj & Dharamshala or combine easily with a visit:
Walking tour Guided Walk: India’s Own Mini Tibet at McLeod Ganj
McLeod Ganj has been home to the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration since the early 1960s. This guided walk explains how a small British hill cantonment became “Little Lhasa”, with stops at temples, monasteries, handicraft centres and the kora path.
- Tsuglagkhang, the Dalai Lama’s temple complex
- Tibetan Children’s Village, monasteries and prayer wheels
- The story of the Tibetan exile community since 1959
Walking tour Guided Kora Circuit & Walking Tour Around McLeod Ganj
Walk clockwise with Tibetan pilgrims on the forested kora around Tsuglagkhang, spinning prayer wheels and passing walls of carved mani stones, while your guide explains Tibetan Buddhist practice and the life of the exile community.
- The Lingkor pilgrim path around the Dalai Lama’s residence
- Prayer flags, mani stones and prayer wheels
- Namgyal Monastery and the Tibet Museum
Day tour Dharamshala: Full-Day Sightseeing Tour with Lunch
A comfortable full-day overview of Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj by car: the Dalai Lama temple, the Bhagsunag temple and waterfall, the Victorian church of St John in the Wilderness, Naddi viewpoint, the HPCA cricket stadium and the tea estates of the Kangra valley.
- Tsuglagkhang, Bhagsunag and St John in the Wilderness
- Kangra tea gardens and the cricket stadium
- Lunch included
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
