Dalhousie, a quaint town in Himachal Pradesh is known for its beautiful views of mountains, quiet serene surroundings, and nice weather. One can spend a few days here and feel rejuvenated. For us, Dalhousie is a kind of a place where you feel instantly joyful from the moment you reach there. Here you can go for long walks, savor its delicious street food and enjoy some time in nature.
Our best memories of Dalhousie are the long walks and its ultimate street food.
Whether you are planning a solo trip or a trip with your family and friends, Dalhousie is a place that is well-suited for people of every age group.
This guide to a trip to Dalhousie will help you with Itinerary, budget, and local contacts among other things.
Also, read our Andaman article to plan an epic trip to one of the most beautiful places in India.
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How to reach Dalhousie
By Bus – Dalhousie is around 560 km from Delhi and is well connected by road. There are plenty of direct overnight buses from Delhi to Dalhousie. The journey time is around 12 hours. Book a bus/ Volvo online at least a week before your departure.
How to book a Volvo bus from Delhi to Dalhousie
You can easily book a comfortable Volvo bus online. We booked it through Go Trip Holidays. You can contact Shivam @ +91-8800154496 to book it for yourself. It cost us around INR 1500 per person.
By Train – The nearest Railway Station is Pathankot which is around 85 km from Dalhousie. From there you can either take a taxi (2-3 hours) or a local bus to reach Dalhousie.
There are several direct trains between Delhi and Pathankot Cantt Railway Stations. You can easily book them online at www.irctc.com. To ensure a confirmed seat, book your train ticket at least one month in advance. Prefer booking an overnight train.
From Pathankot Railway station, taxi charges around INR 2000-2500 for Dalhousie.
We went from Delhi to Dalhousie via Volvo bus and came back to Delhi via an overnight train from Pathankot.
How to roam in and around Dalhousie
We think Dalhousie is best explored on foot. It hits you differently when every mountainous breath goes deep into your body and mind.
For long distances, you can hire a taxi/scooter/ bike for roaming around Dalhousie.
We found hiring a bike, the best and an economical way to roam around Dalhousie. We even went up to Khajjiar and Chamba on the bike itself. There are not many options for renting a bike in Dalhousie. The one we found is Motorbikewala. You can contact them @ +91-8894149999. It cost around INR 1000-1200 per day depending on the season.
You can also hire a taxi for roaming around Dalhousie. Contact Anil Sharma at @+91-9418040760.
Best time to visit Dalhousie
Dalhousie is a round-the-year destination. However, March to June and October to January is considered the best time to visit Dalhousie. Due to summer/ winter vacations, May to June and December to January is the peak season in Dalhousie.
For misty mornings/ evenings and bright sunny days plan your trip to Dalhousie during March-April.
For enjoying cold weather you can plan your trip to Dalhousie during October – November.
We visited Dalhousie in the mid-week of November. It was cold in Dalhousie during that time and we enjoyed this weather a lot.
Where to stay in Dalhousie and Khajjiar
From luxury stays to budget options to backpackers’ hostels, there are multiple stay options in Dalhousie for every budget.
In Dalhousie, we stayed at Grand View Hotel. Located in the heart of Dalhousie, this 120-year-old vintage hotel is the oldest in Dalhousie. It has both luxury and economical rooms. Colonial architecture, breathtaking views, and British-style multi-cuisine restaurants are some of its specialties.
In Khajjiar we stayed in Hotel Mini Swiss. Equipped with all the modern amenities, Mini Swiss is a luxury hotel. It is just 10 minutes walking distance from the major attraction of Khajjiar.
Our itinerary for a 3-day trip to Dalhousie and Khajjiar
Day 1: Reached Dalhousie in the morning and stayed in Grand View Hotel. Explored Dalhousie on foot.
Day 2: Went to visit Dainkund Peak, Kalatop Peak, and night stay in Khajjiar.
Day 3: Sunrise in Khajjiar Park, drive up to Chamba, back to Dalhousie, and an overnight train from Pathankot for back home to Delhi.
Day-wise breakdown of our trip to Dalhousie and Khajjiar
Day 1: Reach Dalhousie
- Reach Dalhousie early in the morning by taking an overnight bus/train from Delhi.
- Check-in at your hotel. We stayed at Grand View Hotel in Dalhousie. It was just a minute’s walk from where our bus dropped us in Dalhousie.
- After getting freshen up, we walked up to Mall Road (also called Gandhi Chowk) from our hotel. It took us around 15-20 minutes. Always bustling with activity, Gandhi Chowk is the high street of the town with shopping places, eateries, restaurants, bookstores, bars, and hotels. There are many street food options here that one can enjoy.
- Visit St. John’s Church which is on Mall Road itself. The architecture of the church is inspired by the Victorian era which adds an aesthetical charm to the place. Lunch at Kwality Restaurant on Mall Road.
- Visit Panchpulla Waterfall. It is around 3 km from Mall Road of Dalhousie. We walked 3 km to reach Panchpulla which took us more than an hour to reach there. But we enjoyed the views and weather of Dalhousie while walking. It is a touristy location, so you will find it a bit crowded. More than the waterfall, we enjoyed our walk up there. There are several eating options and souvenir shops in the local market. We had already stuffed ourselves too much at the Mall road that we were full even after walking 3 km in the mountains. While on our way back, we hitchhiked to reach Mall Road.
- We rented a bike from Motorbikevala at Subhash chowk to visit places around Dalhousie.
- Enjoyed evening activities at Grand View Hotel and had an amazing buffet for Dinner.
Day 2: Explore places around Dalhousie
- We enjoyed an amazing buffet breakfast at our hotel and left for exploring places around Dalhousie.
- Visit Monga’s Bakery.
- Visit Dainkund Peak (13 km from Dalhousie). It is the highest peak in Dalhousie and from here one can get an unobstructed view of the entire valley. You can reach the peak after an easy hike of 2 km. One can also visit a local temple dedicated to Pohlani Devi which is a further 1 km hike from the peak.
- Visit Kalatop peak. Kalatop is a wildlife sanctuary and you can take your vehicle up to the parking area to reach here. After the parking area, a 5-minute walk will take you to the rows of local rooftop restaurants where one can enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains while having lunch. We enjoyed the sun, views, and delicious crisp hot bread pakoras while sitting at one of the rooftop restaurants.
- Leave for Khajjiar and stay overnight. We stayed in Hotel Mini Swiss. By the time we reached Khajjiar, it went dark so we took a rest for the day.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Day 3: Sunrise at Khajjiar Park
- Located about 20 kilometers from Dalhousie, Khajjiar is the favorite of both honeymooners and adventurers. Khajjiar is mainly famous for its park which is a vast expanse of meadows surrounded by Deodar trees. The park is always packed with tourists, so we visited it early morning around 7:00 AM and there was not even a single person in sight during that time. We had it all for ourselves and during this time the mist evaporates from the grass and it is an amazing time to visit this place.
- After breakfast, we left for Chamba with a short stop at Jot Pass. The drive from Khajjiar to Chamba is beautiful.
- Visit Laxmi Narayan Temple and stroll around Mall Road of Chamba.
- If you have extra days in hand, you can visit other attractions in Chamba and stay overnight.
- We had a train to catch the same day, so we left for Dalhousie.
- Hired a taxi to Pathankot Cantt Railway Station.
- Train to Delhi.
Budget for a weekend trip to Dalhousie
Accommodation
We stayed for one night in Dalhousie at Hotel Grand View and one night in Khajjiar at Hotel Mini Swiss.
Grand Hotel ranges between INR 3800-5000 per night per room (with breakfast and Dinner) depending on the type of room and season.
Hotel Mini Swiss ranges between INR 3500 – 5500 depending on the kind of room and season one visits in.
Also you can easily book a stay in Dalhousie/ Khajjiar for around INR 1200-1500 per night if you are on a budget.
Tip: Prefer taking a hotel near Mall Road.
Expect to spend around INR 7000-12000 for two days if you choose accommodation in the same range as ours.
Food
If you are on a budget, you can easily get local/ street food for INR 100-200 per person. And if you are a foodie and love exploring cafes/restaurants, expect to spend around INR 500-800 per meal for two people.
We had breakfast and Dinner included in the package of our stay.
Transport
We rented a bike for our entire trip. The bike rental is around INR 1000-1500 per day (+ fuel).
Expect to spend around INR 2500 for two days if you rent a bike for your trip.
Virtual Tour of Dalhousie and Khajjiar
We have a YouTube Channel where we post our travel videos. We have posted videos from Dalhousie and Khajjiar on our channel to help you plan your trip better.
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Places to visit in Dalhousie
Places to visit in Khajjiar
Hope you find this guide helpful in planning your trip. If you have any questions for us related to this trip, do let us know in the comments below.