Solo Trip to Mcleodganj, Dharamshala, Trek to Triund & Paragliding@Bir

Leave from Delhi/ Chandigarh for Dharamshala/Mcleodganj on Day 0.

Delhi- Mcleodganj

1) Direct Bus to Mcleodganj

a) Ordinary HRTC: ₹750/-

b) Himmani HRTC: ₹800/- ( I would suggest this as it has Recliner Seats, Plenty of leg space and Charger Points )

c) Volvo HRTC: ₹1450/-

d) Private Buses : ₹850/- to ₹1600/-

2) Delhi- Dharamshala:

a) Direct Buses from Delhi are easily available.

b) Train to Pathankot : ₹300/-(Sleeper) or ₹1000/-( 3A )

Then you can take a Bus(₹200/-) or Shared Cab(~₹500/-) for Dharamshala.

3) Dharamshala- Mcleodganj:

a) HRTC Bus : ₹20/- (b) Shared Jeep : ₹20/- (c) Cab : ₹400-₹500

Options to Stay in Mcleodganj :

a) Near Main Square : Plenty of hotels starting from ₹600-₹700 but not many hostels.

b) Dharamkot Village: 1.5 kms from Main Square. A lot of people choose Dharamkot because it has a calm vibe ( Though pretty much a hippie village now). You will find many foreigners( especially Israelis) here. Good cafes and you can get a hostel bed here for around ₹500/- to ₹600/- .

c) Bhagsu Naag: 1.5 kms from Main Square ( ₹70/- to reach here in an Auto-Rickshaw). Decent Market, Bhagsu Naag Temple and Waterfall nearby. You can get a hostel bed here easily for ₹250/-to ₹300/- .

Triund Trek:

It is a 6-7 kms trek ( one-side) and there are 2 ways.

1. From Gallu Devi Temple: Near Dharamkot, it is considered the easy trail.

2. From Bhagsu Naag: A bit challenging ( Easy-Moderate) [ Most trek organisers take you from this way only )

I started the trek on first day itself. I booked the trek from Skytrekkers as they provide complimentary Parking, Baggage Lockers and facility of freshening up ( including Bathroom/Toilets with Hot Water ).

Triund Trek Cost: ₹1000/- ( includes Evening Tea, Dinner, Tents with sleeping bags and Breakfast at Top )

You can also book your tents later for ~₹600/- but again for food you will have to pay ₹150/- for 1 plate Dal Chawal, So it rounds off to the same in total.

Also check where is your campsite, as camping at Triund Top is banned and you can only visit but must return. So do check that your campsite is not far away from Triund Top.

Note:

Carry as much water as you can because a ₹20 water bottle will cost you ₹50 on the way. There are options to refill you water bottles at ₹20 too, but that water is sourced from streams so if you have no problems with that then you can refill too.

Also carry light eatables, chocolates, light nacks etc., though I carried Chana & Gud which provides good energy and also strikes down hunger)

Starting the trek:

So freshen up at their hotel ( They provide the 'reception lounge', though it was well maintained) . The trek starts at around 10 AM and there are multiple stops for you to rest on the way to top.

The first stop is Shiva Cafe ( 1.5 kms). It is a nice cafe near a small waterfall and you can try a variety of Crepes here. There are plenty of other stops later which have Maggi, Water, Tea/Coffee, Lemonade etc.

Depending on your speed you can reach the top in 3-5 hours. The Sunset from Top is majestic.

We were lucky that there was a ceremony on the top so all of us got "Prasad" which had Rajma, Paneeer , Saag, Rice and Meethe Chawal.

You can also ask your organiser to arrange a bonfire and going to take wood from jungle is an adventure itself. Enjoy the Bonfire and head in to your tents.

( Remember to carry Power Banks for your devices as there is no source of electricity up there )

Also, there are No Toilets available on the top. So Boys have to manage themselves in the open( Find some big stones to cover yourself :) and for Girls they dig a pit and cover it with a tent.

Wake up before Sunrise ( Check Local Sunrise Time through Google) and immerse in the view of magnificent orange sunlight lighting the mighty Dhauladhars.(Must View and Mast View)

Get your breakfast and Chai and start the downward trek. Now it is believed that for downhill trek you take around only half the time you took for the uphill journey. So you will easily reach your hotel by 12:00 PM if you start at 8-9 AM.

On your returning journey you can also visit the Bhagsu Naag Waterfall and end your trek.

Check-In to your hostel/hotel get some rest and have a hot-water bath. ( It will relax you a lot).

Head out for the city by 3-4 PM. You can try the German Bakery at Bhagsu for lunch. Now you can take a cab from here or rent a bike or choose an auto rickshaw as per your wish.

I found 2 people more so we booked a cab and it was off-season so he charged us ₹900 for local sightseeing. It included:

1) Dalai Lama Temple: It is the residence of His Holiness Dalai Lama and you can have a feel of the authentic Buddhist culture here.

2) St. John's Church: This church is around 150 years old and exists from colonial times. The high trees, jungle and the cemetry nearby gives you a spooky vibe.

3) Naddi View Point: This is dubbed as the most beautiful sunset point in the town. But do consider leaving early from Mcleodganj if you want to see the sunset (Again, Check local sunset time on Google)

4) Main Square: It is a place with a lot of hustle-bustle in the evening .You can shop for Shawls and other winter wear here.

Food:

Try 'Bok Choy with Tofu', 'Tingma', 'Ginger Lemon Tea' and 'Chicken Momos' at Kalimpong Restaurant.

Try Chocolate Tart and Bhagsu Cake at the bakery on the main square.

You can also check out Bubble Tea at a nearby shop.

Multiple restaurants and cafes here keep buzzing with live music so you can consider them too. Head back to your hostel/hotel after taking your time and have a sound sleep at your hostel.

Leave early if you want to see Dharamshala. You can again take a shared jeep for ₹20/- or a Cab(₹400-₹500).

Cable Car/Ropeway is also available between Dharamshala and Mcleodganj ( ₹300/- for One side and ₹500/- for return journey.

You can check Dharamshala Cricket Stadium, War Memorial etc.

Heading for Bir:

Take a bus to Palampur ( ₹75/-), though it is ~35 kms but the buses take 2-2.5 hrs to reach Palampur. From Palampur you will easily get a bus for Bir (₹65/-) and it will take another hour to reach Bir.

You can also book a cab from Mcleodganj/D'shala for Bir (₹2000-₹3000) for 65 kms.

Bir:

Now I had to leave the same day and my only intent was Paragliding here, but you can stay if you want, as many people like the peace here.

Paragliding at Bir will cost you ~₹3000/- for 20-30 minutes (inclusive of Videography ). The take-off point is at Billing, 15 kms from Bir and a cab will take you there. The instructor with you may also ask for extra charges for stunts but you can always negotiate.

After Paragliding you can enjoy the local cafes here and head for Baijnath. You can visit the 800 year old Baijnath Temple here and take a private/HRTC bus back to Delhi which are easily available throughout the day and night.

I completed the trip in ₹8500 (including Paragliding) for 3 days (Left for Dharamshala on a Thursday night and returned to Delhi on a Monday morning)

Other Nearby Places you can visit:

1) Kangra : Vrajeshwari Devi Temple Shaktipeeth (30 kms from D'shala), Kangra Fort

2) Chamunda: Maa Chamunda Devi Shaktipeeth ( On Dharamshala- Bir route)

3) Palampur: It is a very beautiful town and you can definitely visit the Tea Gardens here.

4) Masroor Rock Cut Temple: 45 kms from Dharamshala.

5) Bathu Ki Ladi: These are very interesting temples as they remain submerged in the water of Pong Dam reservoir for 8 months. They are only visit-ablei in summer months (Apr-Jun) when there is less water in the reservoir. It is considered that Pandavas built them and there exists "Swarg ki Seedhi/ Stairway to Heaven" here. One can surely see the incomplete looking stairs here.

Other Treks from Mcleodganj:

1) Snowline ( 2D/1N) : It is 3 kms ahead of Triund but the view from here is more mesmerizing and it is less crowded than Triund.

2) Laaka Glacier (3D/2N ): It also passes through Triund Top. But leads you to the Dhauladhars.

3) Kareri Lake (2D/1N, ~₹1500/-): A cab takes you to Kareri village and from there it is 13 kms(oneside) to Kareri Lake. This trek is also filled with natural beauty thoroughly.

4) Indrahaar Pass( 4- 5 Days): It is a tough trek and it takes you to the top of the Dhauladhars and opens into the Chamba region of Himachal.