# 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.

- **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

## 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.

## 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.
- **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. **Overnight Volvo from Delhi.** Night: on the Volvo.
2. **Arrive, Norbulingka.** Night: our hotel in Dharamshala.
3. **McLeod Ganj and Bhagsu.** Night: our hotel in Dharamshala.
4. **To Dalhousie.** Night: Dalhousie.
5. **Khajjiar.** Night: Dalhousie.
6. **To Pathankot, train home.** Trip ends.

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

## Things to do

- **Khajjiar & Dainkund** (Full day · from Dalhousie): Walk up to Dainkund peak and the Pohlani Devi temple, then Khajjiar’s meadow and lake.
- **Chamba heritage walk** (Half day · Chamba): The Chaugan, the Lakshmi Narayan temples and the Ravi riverside with a local guide.

## Where to stay in Dalhousie

- **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.

## How far is Dalhousie?

| From | Distance | Drive time | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pathankot | ~80 km | 2.5–3 hrs | Nearest railhead |
| Dharamshala | ~120 km | 4 hrs | Via Nurpur |
| Khajjiar | ~24 km | 1 hr | Through Kalatop forest |
| Chamba | ~56 km | 2 hrs | Via Khajjiar or Banikhet |
| Amritsar | ~200 km | 5 hrs | Via Pathankot |
| Delhi | ~560 km | 11–12 hrs | Or night train to Pathankot |

## Dalhousie packages

- [Dharamshala, Dalhousie & Khajjiar from Delhi](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/dharamshala-dalhousie-khajjiar-from-delhi): Multi-destination, 6 nights · 7 days, culture. From ₹21,499 per person (Volvo · our hotel + Dalhousie · breakfast & dinner · cab). Starts and ends: Delhi → Delhi (Volvo up, train or Volvo back). Route: Delhi, Dharamshala, McLeod Ganj, Dalhousie, Khajjiar. Best: All year. Two nights at our hotel in Dharamshala, two in Dalhousie with a day at the Khajjiar meadow, by Volvo from Delhi.
- [Dalhousie, Khajjiar & Chamba from Pathankot](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/dalhousie-khajjiar-chamba-from-pathankot): Dalhousie & Khajjiar, 3 nights · 4 days, culture. From ₹10,999 per person (Private cab · Dalhousie hotel · breakfast & dinner). Starts and ends: Pathankot → Pathankot. Route: Pathankot, Dalhousie, Khajjiar, Chamba. Best: All year. Three nights in Dalhousie by private cab from Pathankot, with Khajjiar, Dainkund and a day in old Chamba.
- [Dharamshala, Dalhousie & Amritsar from Delhi](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/dharamshala-dalhousie-amritsar-from-delhi): Multi-destination, 7 nights · 8 days, culture. From ₹25,999 per person (Volvo & train · hotels · breakfast & dinner · cab). Starts and ends: Delhi → Amritsar → Delhi. Route: Delhi, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Khajjiar, Amritsar. Best: Oct – Mar. Dharamshala and Dalhousie in the hills, then down to Amritsar for the Golden Temple and the Attari border ceremony.
- [Chamba & Bairagarh Getaway](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/chamba-bairagarh-getaway): Sach Pass, 2 nights · 3 days, culture. From ₹8,499 per person (Diwan Sachpass · breakfast & dinner · cab · heritage walk). Starts and ends: Chamba → Chamba. Route: Chamba, Tissa, Bairagarh. Best: All year. Chamba’s heritage town, then up past Tissa to a bonfire evening at Diwan Sachpass.
- [Best of Himachal from Delhi](https://www.himalayanbrothers.com/tours/best-of-himachal-from-delhi): Multi-destination, 9 nights · 10 days, road trip. From ₹29,999 per person (Private cab · hotels incl. ours · breakfast & dinner · tolls). Starts and ends: Delhi → Amritsar (train back to Delhi). Route: Delhi, Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Amritsar. Best: Mar – Jun, Sep – Feb. Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie in ten days by private cab, ending at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

## Frequently asked questions

**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

- [Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalhousie,_Himachal_Pradesh)
- [Khajjiar, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khajjiar)
- [Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamba,_Himachal_Pradesh)

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