Dalhousie

Known for its pleasant climate and natural beauty, Dalhousie is one of the most famous hill stations in Himachal Pradesh. Dalhousie is located in the district of Chamba at an elevation of around 2,000 meters. The hill station is situated at the Western end of the Dhauladhar range of mountains. Surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains, Dalhousie is named after its founder Lord Dalhousie, the British Governor-General in India.

The fragrant pines, oaks, rhododendron and oaks along with several other types of trees cover the slops of the mountains. This scenic hill station is framed by the river Ravi flowing at the base of the town. Dalhousie is a popular destination for honeymooners. Dalhousie also offers you the spectacular view of the majestic snow-capped Pir Panjal mountain range located in Jammu and Kashmir, Sach Pass and Chamba’s Pangi Valley. This enchanting hill station has several tourist spots like Lohali village, Kalatop, Dainkund peak, Bakrota hills and Tibetan market. The beautiful valley of Khajjiar is also quite popular among the visitors. The region offers a spectacular view of the beautiful landscape.

Best Time to Visit

The period from April till June is the summer season in Dalhousie where the weather is cold during the beginning of summer but warms up towards June. This is considered the best season to visit Dalhousie as you can go sightseeing to explore the various attractions all around. You can take scenic walks all around this hill town and create some picture-perfect memories during this time. The serene environment of this hill station will create the perfect setting for some solitude and peace and will help you enjoy a fun summer retreat.

How to Reach

Flight: While Dalhousie does not have its own airport, cities close to this hill-station do have one. The closest domestic airport is in Pathankot which is just 75 kilometres away from Dalhousie but is connected to New Delhi only. The second nearest airport is Gaggal airport which is in the Kangra district and is approximately 140 kilometres away from the town.

Rail: Pathankot’s Chakki Bank railhead is the nearest railway station from Dalhousie (approximately 71 kilometres). Many superfast, deluxe and express trains are well linked with most of the Indian cities including Jammu, Delhi, Jaipur, Bhatinda, Ahmedabad and Jodhpur. You can hire a private or a shared cab from the railway station which will take 2 to 3 hours to reach Dalhousie.

Road: Many deluxe, semi-sleeper, luxury and Volvo buses run from ISBT New Delhi covering a distance of approximately 590 kilometres. A lot of private companies, Himachal Road Transport Corporation and Haryana Road Transport Corporation run buses to Dalhousie.

Places to Visit

• Khajjiar – Mini Switzerland
• Satdhara Falls
• Panch Pulla
• Kalatop Wildlife Reserve
• St. John Church
• Sach Pass