What people come here to do
Dharamkot is small and most of what you came for is within walking distance. Here is what is where, how long it actually takes, and the months worth avoiding.
The Triund trek
The ridge walk everyone comes to Dharamkot for: about six kilometres up from the Gallu trailhead, with the Dhauladhar on one side and the Kangra valley on the other.
- Distance
- About 6 km each way from Gallu Devi; roughly 9 km if you walk up from the village
- Best
- March to June, and September to November
Gallu Devi temple
A small ridge temple among the cedars, the Triund trailhead, and the best short sunset walk from the village.
- Distance
- 1.5 km uphill from us, 30 to 40 minutes on foot
- Best
- Late afternoon, for the sunset over the valley
Bhagsu waterfall and temple
A twenty-metre fall behind the old Bhagsunag temple, with the café terraces of Upper Bhagsu stacked above it.
- Distance
- About 1.4 km, roughly 20 minutes downhill on foot
- Best
- Early morning for quiet; the monsoon for the fall at full force
Yoga and meditation
Three of the best-known centres in the Indian Himalaya are within a ten-minute walk. All three need booking well ahead, and two of them close for the winter.
- Distance
- 40 m, 200 m and 700 m from our gate
- Best
- April to November, when all three are running
McLeodganj and the Dalai Lama's temple
The Tsuglagkhang complex, the Tibet Museum and the town below: a walk down, and a taxi back up if your legs have had enough.
- Distance
- 2 km to McLeodganj square, 2.2 km to the temple complex
- Best
- Any month; the museum is closed on Mondays
The Dharamkot cafés
A hillside of small kitchens, Hebrew menu boards and workable wifi: the village's other reason for existing.
- Distance
- On the doorstep
- Best
- All year, though the village thins out in winter
Further afield
Paragliding at Bir Billing, the lake at Naddi, Norbulingka's workshops, and the two-day walk to Kareri Lake.
- Distance
- From 2 km to a two-day trek
- Best
- October to December, and March to June
Everything on one map
Both our houses, the waterfall, the trailhead and the village: the whole of Dharamkot fits inside a couple of kilometres.
