Kangra Valley field notesDharamshala travel blog
Trail conditions, local stories, and practical guides to trekking, rentals, paragliding and travel in Dharamshala — written from the ground up.
Guides & trail notes
Honest, local guides to trekking, paragliding, rentals and travel across Dharamshala and the Kangra Valley.
Scooty & bike rental in Dharamshala: the complete 2026 guide
What it costs, what you need, and whether to rent a Scooty or a Royal Enfield. A local operator's straight guide to renting a two-wheeler or car in Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj.
The best treks in Dharamshala: a local guide's ranked list for 2026
From the easy Triund ridge to the 4,342 m Indrahar Pass crossing. Every worthwhile trek in Dharamshala ranked by difficulty, with honest notes on who each one suits.
Minkiani Pass & the seven sacred lakes of the Dhauladhar
Beyond Triund and Indrahar lies a quieter Dhauladhar — the high passes and glacial lakes the Gaddi shepherds have crossed for centuries. A local guide to Minkiani, Lam Dal and the seven sacred lakes.
Bir Billing beyond paragliding: a local's guide
Everyone comes to Bir to fly — but the village rewards anyone who stays. Monasteries, café culture, the Rajgundha trail, Gunehar waterfall and a working tea factory, from people who know it.
Dharamkot: the Himalayas' hippie village, explained
Just above McLeod Ganj, Dharamkot is where the cedar forest, the yoga scene and the slow-travel crowd meet. What it's really like, and how to do it well.
Yoga, Vipassana & meditation in Dharamshala: where to actually go
Dharamshala is a global yoga and meditation hub — and a confusing one. A straight guide to drop-in classes, teacher trainings and silent retreats in Dharamkot, Bhagsu and McLeod Ganj.
Palampur: a tea-capital day trip from Dharamshala
An hour from Dharamshala, Palampur grows the floral Kangra tea on terraces under the Dhauladhar. A relaxed day of tea gardens, a cliff-edge café, a Tibetan monastery and a 9th-century temple.
Masroor: Himachal's hidden rock-cut temples
Carved from a single sandstone ridge in the 8th century and mirrored in a sacred pool with the Dhauladhar behind, the Masroor temples are the north Himalaya's 'Ellora' — and almost nobody visits.
Barot Valley: the complete travel guide
A green shelf of fields and slate roofs on the Uhl river, built around a 1920s power project and then forgotten by the crowds. How to reach Barot, where to stay, the trout, the treks — everything we know from years of going.
Best time to visit Dharamshala: an honest month-by-month answer
March–June and September–November are the easy answers — but the right month depends on whether you're here for treks, flights, snow, temples or quiet. A local team's honest calendar.
Kareri Lake vs Triund: which trek should you pick?
Two very different Dhauladhar experiences. A straight comparison of difficulty, scenery, crowd, and the kind of traveller each one suits.
Indrahar Pass: planning your first Dhauladhar crossing
Four days, a 4,342-metre pass, and a bivouac inside Lahesh Cave. What to pack, how to train, and why this trek is not to be approached the way you approach Triund.
The Gaddi shepherds of the Dhauladhar: who they are and why it matters
You will share the trail with them. Understanding who they are and what they are doing makes every high-altitude trek in this region better.
Where to eat in McLeod Ganj: beyond the travel-blog circuit
Everyone ends up at the same six cafes. Here is a wider list, including the place the monks actually go, and a Bhagsu bakery that only opens on Sundays.
Kangra Fort: a 3,500-year-old story told in stone
Mahmud of Ghazni sacked it. Akbar's general took it. The 1905 earthquake flattened half of it. A walk through one of the oldest continuously-held forts in Asia.
Winter in Dharamshala: what stays open, what closes, what you should know
Snow, shortened days, and a half-empty McLeod Ganj. Winter in Dharamshala is quieter and colder than brochures let on. Here is the honest version.
A local's alternate sightseeing day in Dharamshala
Forget the nine-stop cab circuit. Here is the forgotten church, the Sunday-only bakery, and the viewpoint no taxi driver offers until you ask twice.
Bir-Billing paragliding: what nobody tells first-timers
The thermal window, the weight-wing math, the actual length of the flight, and the waiting game at take-off. Things that matter once you are at 2,400 metres and committed.
Packing list for a 2-night ridge trek in the Dhauladhar
The honest list, stripped of the marketing gear you do not need and the basic items most people forget. Weight-conscious, mountain-tested.
Triund Trek: a month-by-month trail guide for 2026
Trail snow, cafe openings, monsoon leeches, and the best week to book. A straight-up walkthrough of every month on the ridge, from someone who does the climb more than is sensible.
How to reach Dharamshala in 2026: trains, buses, flights, and the drive
Volvo from Delhi, the slow train to Kangra, a quick flight to Gaggal, or the scenic drive from Chandigarh. The real pros and cons of each, with prices.
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