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Khajjiar’s green meadow and lake ringed by deodar forest, on a summer afternoon

Dalhousie & Khajjiar tour packages & travel guide

Dalhousie is an old British hill station on five hills at about 1,970 m, 2.5–3 hours from Pathankot and four from our hotels in Dharamshala. Khajjiar’s meadow is 24 km away, and Chamba, the gateway to Sach Pass, about two hours.

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Altitude
Dalhousie 1,970 m · Khajjiar 1,920 m · Dainkund 2,750 m
Best season
March – June; Sept – Nov; snow Dec – Feb
From Pathankot
~80 km · 2.5–3 hrs
From Dharamshala
~120 km · 4 hrs
Enquire

Dalhousie and Khajjiar at a glance

Dalhousie was founded in the 1850s as a summer retreat for British officers and still has its churches, its Mall and slow walks through pine and deodar. It is quieter than Shimla or Manali and close to the railhead at Pathankot.

Khajjiar is a glade at about 1,920 m with a small lake, ringed by deodar forest. It got the name “mini Switzerland” from a Swiss envoy in 1992. Chamba, down on the Ravi, has the Chaugan meadow, tenth-century temples and the road up to Sach Pass.

The view from Dalhousie across forested ridges to a snowy range

Highlights

  • Khajjiar

    1,920 m · 24 km

    A meadow with a lake and the Khajji Nag temple, ringed by deodar forest.

  • Dainkund peak

    ~2,750 m

    A short walk to the highest point near Dalhousie, with views of the Pir Panjal and the Chamba valley.

  • Kalatop sanctuary

    Forest

    Deodar and blue pine forest on the road to Khajjiar, with easy walking trails.

  • Dalhousie’s Mall

    Walkable

    Gandhi Chowk, St John’s church and Subhash Chowk on the old cantonment roads.

  • Gateway to Sach Pass

    Chamba

    ~1,000 m · 56 km

    The Chaugan meadow, the Lakshmi Narayan temples and the Bhuri Singh Museum.

  • Amritsar add-on

    ~200 km

    The Golden Temple and the Attari border ceremony, 5 hours from Dalhousie.

Best time to visit Dalhousie

  • Best

    March – June

    Mild days, green meadows at Khajjiar.

  • Good

    Sept – Nov · Dec – Feb

    Clear views after the rain; snow on Dainkund and around Khajjiar in winter.

  • Wet

    July – August

    Heavy monsoon rain and mist.

Sample itinerary: Dharamshala, Dalhousie & Khajjiar: 6 days from Delhi

  1. Day 1

    Overnight Volvo from Delhi

    Night: on the Volvo
  2. Day 2

    Arrive, Norbulingka

    Night: our hotel in Dharamshala
  3. Day 3

    McLeod Ganj and Bhagsu

    Night: our hotel in Dharamshala
  4. Day 4

    To Dalhousie

    Night: Dalhousie
  5. Day 5

    Khajjiar

    Night: Dalhousie
  6. Day 6

    To Pathankot, train home

    Trip ends

Arriving by train? Our Dalhousie trip from Pathankot starts at the station.

Things to do in Dalhousie

All experiences
  • Khajjiar’s meadow and forested hills under a cloudy sky

    From Dalhousie

    Khajjiar & Dainkund

    Full day · from Dalhousie

    Walk up to Dainkund peak and the Pohlani Devi temple, then Khajjiar’s meadow and lake.

    Enquire
  • An old building by the Chaugan maidan in Chamba town

    Chamba, 2 hours from Dalhousie

    Chamba heritage walk

    Half day · Chamba

    The Chaugan, the Lakshmi Narayan temples and the Ravi riverside with a local guide.

    Enquire

Where to stay in Dalhousie

Our hotels

  • Gandhi Chowk & the Mall

    Central

    Walk to the churches, cafés and viewpoints. Best for a first visit.

  • Banikhet & the Khajjiar road

    Quieter

    Easier parking and forest views, a short drive from town.

  • Khajjiar

    One night

    A few hotels on the meadow; magical after the day visitors leave.

  • Our hotels in Dharamshala

    4 hrs away

    Buddha House, Quartz and Samdupling near Norbulingka make a good start or finish.

For Sach Pass, our own Diwan Sachpass in Bairagarh is about 3 hours beyond Chamba.

How to reach Dalhousie

  • By rail

    • Pathankot · ~80 km

    Overnight trains run from Delhi to Pathankot; Dalhousie is 2.5–3 hours up the hill by cab.

  • By air

    • Pathankot ~80 km · Kangra ~130 km

    Pathankot has a few flights; Kangra Airport (Gaggal), near our hotels, has more.

  • By road

    • Delhi ~560 km · 11–12 hrs
    • Dharamshala ~120 km · 4 hrs

    Overnight buses run from Delhi. Most of our guests combine Dalhousie with Dharamshala.

    Dharamshala to Dalhousie taxi

How far is Dalhousie?

FromDistanceDrive timeNotes
Pathankot~80 km2.5–3 hrsNearest railhead
Dharamshala~120 km4 hrsVia Nurpur
Khajjiar~24 km1 hrThrough Kalatop forest
Chamba~56 km2 hrsVia Khajjiar or Banikhet
Amritsar~200 km5 hrsVia Pathankot
Delhi~560 km11–12 hrsOr night train to Pathankot

Taxi routes

Dalhousie tour packages

All Dalhousie trips

Indicative “from” prices per person. Your planner confirms the exact price for your dates on WhatsApp.

Dalhousie FAQ

Is Dalhousie worth visiting?

Yes, for a slow, quiet stay: forest walks, old churches, Khajjiar’s meadow and Dainkund’s views. It is less crowded than Shimla or Manali.

How far is Khajjiar from Dalhousie?

About 24 km, an hour by road through the Kalatop forest.

Does Dalhousie get snow?

Usually a few times between late December and February, more on Dainkund and around Khajjiar.

Dalhousie or Dharamshala?

Dharamshala has more to do (Tibetan culture, treks, paragliding at Bir); Dalhousie is quieter and greener. They are 4 hours apart, so many guests do both.

How much does a Dalhousie trip cost?

Our Dalhousie and Khajjiar trip from Pathankot starts from about ₹10,999 per person (3 nights, breakfast and dinner, private cab), and Dharamshala with Dalhousie from Delhi from about ₹21,499.

Sources

Roads, weather and permit rules change. We check them before you travel; please confirm locally too.

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