# Bir Billing, Palampur & Jibhi tours & travel guide

Bir Billing, two hours from our hotels in Dharamshala, is India’s best-known paragliding site, with a Tibetan colony and monasteries below the take-off. Palampur’s tea gardens are on the way; further east, Jibhi and Tirthan are quiet valleys of wooden villages.

- **Altitude:** Bir ~1,400 m · Billing ~2,400 m · Jibhi ~1,900 m
- **Flying season:** October – June; best Oct – Nov
- **From Dharamshala:** ~65 km to Bir · 2–2.5 hrs
- **Permits:** None; fly only with registered operators

## Bir, Palampur and Jibhi at a glance

Pilots take off from Billing, at about 2,400 m, and land in the fields at Bir, 14 km below. The site hosted the Paragliding World Cup in 2015, and tandem flights of 15–20 minutes run most of the year outside the monsoon. Bir itself is a Tibetan settlement with monasteries, cafés and the Deer Park institute.

Palampur, 35 km away, is the tea capital of the Kangra valley, with the Baijnath temple nearby. Jibhi and the Tirthan valley, in Kullu’s Banjar valley, are a different trip: wooden homestays, Jalori Pass, Serolsar lake and the Great Himalayan National Park.

## Highlights

- **Tandem paragliding** (Billing → Bir): A 15–20 minute flight with a certified pilot; no experience needed.
- **Bir’s monasteries** (Tibetan colony): Chokling monastery, Sherab Ling nearby and the cafés of the colony.
- **Palampur tea gardens** (~1,470 m): Kangra tea estates, a cooperative factory and the Neugal river.
- **Baijnath temple** (1204 CE): A stone Shiva temple in the Nagara style, 16 km from Palampur.
- **Jibhi & Jalori Pass** (1,900 – 3,120 m): Wooden homestays, the Chehni Kothi tower and the forest walk to Serolsar lake.
- **Tirthan valley** (GHNP): Trout river and the gateway to the Great Himalayan National Park, a UNESCO site.

## Best time to visit Bir and Jibhi

- **Best, October – November:** Stable air and clear skies; the best flying of the year.
- **Good, March – June:** Good flying, warm days, rhododendrons in bloom at Jalori.
- **No flying, Mid-July – mid-Sept:** Paragliding stops for the monsoon. Jalori Pass can close after heavy snow in winter.

## Sample itinerary: Bir Billing & Palampur: 5 days from Delhi

1. **Overnight Volvo from Delhi.** Night: on the Volvo.
2. **Palampur tea gardens.** Night: Palampur.
3. **Baijnath to Bir.** Night: Bir.
4. **Tandem flight from Billing.** Night: Bir.
5. **Volvo home.** Trip ends.

Flights depend on the weather; if yours is cancelled we move it or refund that part.

## Things to do

- **Tandem paragliding at Bir Billing** (Half day · from ₹5,100): A tandem flight from Billing with a certified pilot, landing in Bir.
- **Palampur tea garden walk** (Half day · Palampur): A tea estate walk, a tasting at the cooperative factory and the Neugal café.
- **Jalori Pass to Serolsar lake** (Half day · Jibhi): Through oak forest from Jalori Pass to Serolsar lake and its small temple.

## Where to stay in Bir, Palampur and Jibhi

- **Bir Tibetan colony** (Bir): Guesthouses and cafés a short walk from the landing site.
- **Palampur tea estates** (Palampur): Heritage bungalows and homestays among the tea.
- **Jibhi** (Banjar valley): Wooden homestays by the stream; book early for weekends.
- **Our hotels near Norbulingka** (2 hrs from Bir): Buddha House, Quartz and Samdupling: an easy base for a Bir day trip.

## How to reach Bir and Jibhi

- **From Dharamshala** (~65 km · 2–2.5 hrs): The usual way in. Our cabs run the route daily.
- **From Delhi** (Bir ~520 km · overnight Volvo, Jibhi ~500 km · Volvo to Aut): Volvos to Baijnath or Dharamshala for Bir; the Manali Volvo to Aut for Jibhi.
- **By air** (Kangra Airport · ~70 km to Bir): Kangra (Gaggal) for Bir and Palampur; Bhuntar (Kullu), about 60 km, for Jibhi.
- **Flying safely:** Fly with: a registered operator and a certified tandem pilot, with a reserve parachute and a harness check before take-off. Weather: flights stop for wind, rain and the monsoon closure (about mid-July to mid-September).

## How far is Bir Billing?

| From | Distance | Drive time | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dharamshala | ~65 km | 2–2.5 hrs | Via Palampur |
| Palampur | ~35 km | 1 hr | Via Baijnath |
| Manali | ~200 km | 6–7 hrs | Via Mandi |
| Jibhi | ~150 km | 5–6 hrs | Via Mandi and Aut |
| Delhi | ~520 km | 11–12 hrs | Overnight Volvo |
| Chandigarh | ~250 km | 6–7 hrs | Via Una or Bilaspur |

## Bir Billing packages

- [Bir Billing & Palampur with Paragliding](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/bir-billing-palampur-paragliding-from-delhi): Bir, Palampur & Jibhi, 5 nights · 6 days, adventure. From ₹15,999 per person (Volvo · stays · breakfast & dinner · paragliding flight · cab). Starts and ends: Delhi → Delhi (overnight Volvo both ways). Route: Delhi, Palampur, Baijnath, Bir, Billing. Best: Mar – Jun, Oct – Nov. A tea-garden night in Palampur, two nights in Bir and a tandem paragliding flight from Billing, by Volvo from Delhi.
- [Jibhi & Tirthan Valley from Delhi](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/jibhi-tirthan-valley-from-delhi): Bir, Palampur & Jibhi, 5 nights · 6 days, culture. From ₹13,999 per person (Volvo · homestays · breakfast & dinner · cab). Starts and ends: Delhi → Delhi (overnight Volvo both ways). Route: Delhi, Aut, Jibhi, Jalori Pass, Tirthan. Best: Mar – Jun, Sep – Nov. Wooden homestays in Jibhi, a walk from Jalori Pass to Serolsar lake, and a night by the Tirthan river near the national park.
- [McLeod Ganj, Bir & Jibhi Circuit from Delhi](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/mcleodganj-bir-jibhi-circuit-from-delhi): Multi-destination, 7 nights · 8 days, culture. From ₹18,999 per person (Volvo · our hotel, Bir & Jibhi stays · breakfast & dinner · cab). Starts and ends: Delhi → Delhi (overnight Volvo both ways). Route: Delhi, McLeod Ganj, Bir, Jibhi, Tirthan. Best: Mar – Jun, Sep – Nov. A night at our Dharamshala hotel, two in Bir and two in Jibhi, by Volvo from Delhi and private cab between.
- [Triund Trek & Bir Billing Flight](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/triund-trek-bir-billing-flight): Dharamshala, 3 nights · 4 days, adventure. From ₹14,999 per person (Stays & camp · meals · Triund guide · paragliding flight · cab). Starts and ends: Kangra Airport (or Pathankot) → Kangra Airport. Route: McLeod Ganj, Triund, Bir Billing. Best: Mar – Jun, Oct – Nov. A night on the Triund ridge, then a tandem paragliding flight over the Kangra valley.

## Frequently asked questions

**Is paragliding at Bir Billing safe?**

Tandem flights with a registered operator and a certified pilot have a good record here. Check the operator’s registration, the pilot’s licence and the reserve parachute, and accept that flights stop for bad weather.

**How much does paragliding at Bir cost?**

A standard tandem flight of 15–20 minutes is about ₹3,000–5,100 depending on the operator and length, with video extra. It is included in our Bir Billing and Palampur trip.

**When is the paragliding season at Bir?**

October to June. October and November have the steadiest air. Flying stops from about mid-July to mid-September for the monsoon.

**How far is Bir from Dharamshala?**

About 65 km, 2–2.5 hours by road via Palampur.

**How do I reach Jibhi?**

By the Manali Volvo from Delhi to Aut (about 11–12 hours), then an hour up the Banjar valley. Jibhi is about 150 km from Bir if you combine them.

## Sources

- [Bir, Himachal Pradesh, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bir,_Himachal_Pradesh)
- [Palampur, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palampur)
- [Baijnath Temple, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baijnath_Temple)
- [Great Himalayan National Park, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Himalayan_National_Park)
- [Banjar, Himachal Pradesh, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjar,_Himachal_Pradesh)

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