How To Reach Dharamsala

Home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dharamsala is often referred to as the ‘Little Lhasa of India’. Situated at an altitude of 1400 metres above sea level, Dharamsala is a popular spiritual abode for Buddhists as well as a well-loved hill station in Himachal Pradesh. With quaint little cafes and peaceful monasteries, you should ideally plan your trip to this city during the summers to escape the heat of the plains. Monsoons are wet here and winters can get extremely cold. The ideal time to visit Dharamsala would depend on your preference. Be here in the summers for a pleasant cool weather, or the monsoons to enjoy the romance of rains in the hills or during the winters to experience the beauty of snowflakes falling on your face. Already wondering how to reach Dharamsala? Read on to find the way that suits you best. 

Dharamsala doesn’t enjoy direct connection by air. The closest airport to this beautiful town is the Gaggal Airport at a distane of 15 kms from Dharamsala. There are daily flights to Gaggal airport from New Delhi, Kullu and Chandigarh operated by Air India and SpiceJet. You can simply take a taxi from Gaggal Airport to the main city.

The closest railhead to Dharamsala is Pathankot (88 kms away).  It is a comfortable overnight journey from Chandigarh and New Delhi. While most would opt to take a bus or taxi from Pathankot to Dharamsala, if you’re looking for a slow but charming train journey to remind you of the bygone years, you can get onto the Kangra Valley Railway which will take you till Kangra, about 20.5 kms from Dharamsala. From here you can take a bus or a taxi to reach Dharamsala.

You could either take a bus or a chauffeur driven car to reach Dharamsala. Numerous buses ply from Chandigarh and New Delhi. Priced between Rs. 600-1100, these buses take about 13 hours from Delhi and 9 hours from Chandigarh to reach Dharamsala. Tickets for private buses can be booked through various booking websites online or through travel agents, besides you can also book Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus tickets online at http://hrtc.gov.in/HRTCTickets/.

You can also hire tourist cabs from Delhi or Chandigarh and simply enjoy a laid back road trip. For the more adventurous, a bike journey is also a possibility. Do bear in mind that the journey, though pleasure to the eyes, will be a slow winding one. In case you suffer from motion sickness, we suggest carrying some antidote for the same.