Mcleodganj - 2 Nights & 3 Days Itinerary

Dharamkot, Naddi, and Bhagsu

Published on 2021-11-17

Triund Trek

Triund Trek

Destination

mountains

Best time to visit

October to May

  • Mcleodganj is a small hill station at the elevation of 2080 metres located in Himachal Pradesh.
  • This place is well known as Home to His Holiness the present Dalai Lama.
  • McLeodganj includes beautiful town surrounding hills with good infrastructure and facilities.
  • Early January, the city witnesses a good amount of snowfall which a favourite destination amongst tourists.

How to reach Mcleodganj?

Since Mcleodganj is a Hill Station, the connectivity from nearby cities is very convenient.

  • Railhead - Pathankot is the nearest railway station, which is around 90 km from the town. Taxi/Cab services are frequently available.
  • Airport - Kangra Airport is the nearest one which is Appx 20 km.
  • Travel by Road - Taxi to Mcleodganj from Pathankot is INR2500 approx, from Kangra Airport is INR1200 approx. and from Chandigarh is INR4000 to INR5000 approx.
  • For local travel and sightseeing - Taxis and Autos are available. Approximately auto costs INR1200 per day (available usually for 6-7  hours a day) and Taxi would cost INR2200 for similar time.

Itinerary

Day 1 : Sightseeing at Mcleodganj & Sunset view at Naddi

Assuming you are reaching around noon time. Suitable locations for the hotel and homestays (In radius of 3-4km) of Main market, Mcleodganj. 

  • Hotel Wood Castle - Room tariffs start from INR 1500 on weekdays and INR 2000 on weekends
  • Junglaat Ecorganic Stays & Experiences - Room tariffs start from INR 1800 on weekdays and INR 3000 weekends
  • Bhagsu Homestay - Room tariffs start from INR 750 approx.

Explore more hotels in Mcleodganj

You are recommended to start your day with lunch so rest of the day you can enjoy sightseeing.

  • Food culture at Mcleodganj is an amalgamation of Himachali, Punjabi, Tibetan, Italian, and Israeli cuisines and almost every restaurant serves good both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods.   Below Options in Main Market
  • Tibet Kitchen -are popular restaurants that serve good Tibetan food.
  • Jimmy’s Italian Kitchen - Italian Food and Namgyal cafe (Main market)
  • Trek & Dine (Dharamkot) - Israeli Food 3 km from Mcleodganj.
  • Rimpu's Sher E Punjab  - Himachali and Punjabi food

Bhagsu falls (2 km from main market): Just 20-25 mins walk and a few stairs away is the beauty of the Bhagsu Falls, which is a gorgeous waterfall that cascades into a rocky pool. Taking a bath under waterfall is not allowed but you can dip your feet in water and feel the flow of cold water.

  • Shiva Café (1 km from Bhagsu Falls): One of the most popular cafes and it is on the way up from Bhagsu falls. The view from this café is to die for though! It is a good option to just relax and calm your mind.

 

Bhagsu Falls
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Bhagsu Falls

Church of St. John in the Wilderness (3 km from shiva cafe towards Naddi village): The road leading up to the St. John’s church is quiet and full of lush green trees. Spend some time in the wilderness. Just on the Left-side of the church you can visit the Cemetery.

Dal Lake (2 km from St. John Church in the wilderness) - This small but natural lake derives its name from the Dal lake in Kashmir and is a popular tourist sight in Mcleodganj. Set in the backdrop of the Deodar forest, the lake could have been a quaint little gem. However, the presence of activities like boating and crowds of tourists have made it another tourist spot.

  • Sunset Point (1 km from Dal Lake) - This is a place in Naddi that will be in your list of ‘most beautiful sunsets in my life.’ It is not just about the actual sunset, but what makes it magical is the sight of mighty Dhauladhars on the opposite end. 

 

Dinner Options:

  • Mcllo`s Restaurant, Main Market, Mcleodganj serves excellent food both vegetarian and non - vegetarian food.
  • Morgan’s place, Dharamkot, is a great place to have a nice hearty meal, Though the distance from Mcleodganj to Dharamkot is only 3 km but many times you will notice traffic jams on this route.

Overnight stay at hotel.

DAY 2 - Hike to Triund, most popular one day trek of this region

Triund Hill Trek - It’s an easy to moderate 9 kms trek. It starts from Dharamkot (2 kms from Main Market). You can hire a taxi to reduce the distance by 3 kms by starting from Gallu Devi temple(3.5 kms from Main Market and 1.5 kms from Dharamkot). 

  • While trekking will walk amongst cloudy trails, locating herds of sheep, see the stunning evening sky and offers panoramic and breathtaking views of the Bhagsu village, Mcleodganj, Dharamsala valley and distant views of Shivalik hills and plains of Kangra valley and the snow-covered Dhauladhar ranges, very picturesque.
  • Once you reach Triund, you will see a large land of lush green grass and the mighty Dhauladhar ranges with all its glory.
Note: One should avoid weekends for Triund hike, as weekends are so crowded that you may not enjoy the journey.

 

Triund Hill Trek
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Triund Hill Trek

Lunch options;

  • By the time you reach the top, it will be lunch time. Food options are limited on the top as only a few shops serve maggi, bread omelette, Dal-Chawal, Tea, cold-drinks and a few other snacks depending on the availability.
  • Heading down before Sunset is important as overnight camping is no longer permitted at Triund top.
Triund Hill Trek
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Triund Hill Trek

Dinner options:

Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 3 - Visit Dharamshala, Cricket Stadium & Museum

You may start you day early and have your breakfast at below mentioned recommended food joint:

Moonpeak cafe - Woeser bakery located 1 km from the Main Market are popular joints for breakfast here. You can find varities of Sandwiches and Cakes.

Dharamshala Town, Himachal Pradesh
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Dharamshala Town, Himachal Pradesh

Maan Tea Factory and Tea garden ( Dharamshala) - (7 Km from main market) Mann tea garden is situated at an elevation of 4500 ft. having Tea Plantation area of about 15 Hectares. Manufacturer of a wide variety of Tea, such as Black Orthodox Tea, Formosa Pouchong Tea, Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Saffron Tea, White Peony Tea, and White Tea.

Dharamshala Cricket (HPCA) Stadium - (4 km from Maan Tea Factory and Tea garden) Stunning, Breath-taking, Awesome, a view comparable to the Adelaide Oval or Newlands. The stadium is open for tourists free of cost. The main stand is built with Tibetan architectural style.

State War Memorial- (600 meters from Dharamshala Cricket (HPCA) Stadium).  Be sure to walk around and read and see the names of the freedom fighters those who lost their lives for different wars fought. Pay your honour to different regiments of the Indian Army. Entry fees Rs. 10 per person and Rs. 20 for parking.

Lunch options at Dharamshala;

  • Chef’s Farmhouse is a really amazing restaurant just 2 km from the Dharamshala cricket stadium, offering a variety of food options.
  • Vinod’s Rasoi is just 1 km from Dharamshala cricket stadium, offers excellent North Indian food.

Norbulingka Institute Of Tibetan Culture (INDIA) - ( 6 km  from State War Memorial and War Museum) Norbulingka believes in the preservation and continuation of Tibetan art through self-sustaining means. Under the guidance of talented masters, they endow artists and craftspeople with ancestral knowledge, providing jobs to a community of over 300 Tibetans. 

  • Entry fees of Rs 50 per person.
Norbulingka Institute Of Tibetan Culture
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Norbulingka Institute Of Tibetan Culture

You may departure from Mcleodganj after spending a quality evening with your friends & family.

Things to buy

  • Statues, Thangka painting and applique, wood painting, woollen wraps (shawls, scarves), lamps, carpets, silverware, Tibetan ritual items, etc.
  • Norbulingka Shop, TCV Handicrafts, Palaco Handmade Crafts are famous for selling high-quality crafts.

Suggestions and Recommendation

  • People travelling with their own cars, Naddi and Bhagsu are good locations, where most hotels provide parking.
  • People who are travelling with public transport should stay around the main market as everything is readily available including public transport.
  • Dharamkot is the place for people who are looking for cheap accommodation and want to stay for longer duration for learning yoga, and other art forms.
  • You are recommended to visit any of the Monasteries and try mediation for sometime to enjoy the positive vibes.
  • People can hire a scooty and bike easily  which would average Rs. 600 approx. and Rs. 1200 approx. respectively per day plus fuel cost. Dev Bala travels at Mcledoganj can be contacted to hire  bike or scooty and their contact number is 8628888828/7385700008.
    Taxis for a day cost around Rs. 2200-2500 approx. and they’ll usually take the tourists for sightseeing to various nearby places.
  • For small weekends trips, it is advisable to rent a bike or scooty to avoid traffic jams. 
  • Good restaurants for food exploration are - Main point restaurant , Four seasons (cafe), Hummingbird.
Dharmshala, Himachal Pradesh
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Dharmshala, Himachal Pradesh