About Dalhousie

Country: India | State: Himachal

Ideal Trip Duration: 2 Full Days

Nearest City to Dalhousie: Chandigarh (319 Kms)

Best Time to Visit Dalhousie: March to June & October to December

Peak Season: December to January & May to June

At a distance of 51 km from Chamba, 86 km from Pathankot, 167 km from Jammu, 319 km from Chandigarh, 323 km from Shimla, and 564 km from Delhi, Dalhousie is a scenic hill station situated in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. Located at an altitude of 1,970 m, it is one of the famous hill stations in India, and among the must include places in Himachal tour packages.

Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Dalhousie is located on the western edge of the Dhauladhar mountain range of the Himalayas. It was named after Lord Dalhousie, the then Viceroy of India, who established this town as a summer retreat in 1854. The beautiful and picturesque Dalhousie is spread around five hills, known as Katalagh, Potreyn, Bakrota, Terah, and Bhangora. Scottish and Victorian architecture is prevalent in the bungalows and churches in the town. It is one of the best summer getaways from Delhi.

Ganji Pahadi, Dainkund Peak, Khajjiar, Noorwood Paramdham, Rang Mahal, Bara Pathar Temple, Hariraya Temple, St. Patrick Church, Bakrota Hills, Satdhara Falls, Village Lohali, Kalatop, and Kalatop Forest, Panchpula, Subhash Baoli, and Salooni are the top places to visit in Dalhousie. Dalhousie also offers a lot of activities for nature lovers and adventurers as part of Dalhousie tour packages. Garam Sadak, Jhandri ghat, Moti Tibba, and Sach Pass are the ideal places for trekking enthusiasts in Dalhousie. Minjar fair and summer festival are the two important festivals celebrated in Dalhousie.

There are numerous hotels available to suit every budget. Guesthouses, resorts, and homestays are also available. Most of the good hotels in Dalhousie are along Mall Road and near the bus stand.

Gaggal Airport is the nearest airport to Dalhousie which is located near Dharamshala and is approximately 105 km. It has direct flights from Delhi. The nearest railway station is Pathankot Railway Station which is 86 km from Dalhousie. It has trains from Ahmedabad, Vaishno Devi Katra, Jammu Tawi, Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Tata Nagar, Rourkela, Haridwar, Jalandhar and Chandigarh. Dalhousie is well connected by road with Delhi and Chamba.

The best time to visit Dalhousie is from March to June and October to December.

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Average
STD Code: 01899
Languages Spoken: Hindi and English
Major Festivals: Minjar fair (Jul),
Summer Festival (May/June)
Notes/Tips:
None

How to Reach Dalhousie

By Air

Nearest Airport: Dharamshala - Gaggal Airport (105 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Pathankot Railway Station (86 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Dalhousie Bus Station (0 Kms)

Top 10 Places to Visit in Dalhousie

Backwaters

#1 of 7 Places to Visit in Dalhousie

At a distance of 26 km from Dalhousie, the Chamera Lake is an artificial lake situated at Chourah village in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the scenic lakes in Himachal Pradesh and among the must-include places in Dalhousie packages.

The Chamera Lake is formed by the Chamera Dam on the Ravi River, which is positioned at an altitude of 1700 m. It is a major source of water supply for the villagers and is continuously fed by the Ravi River. The Chamera Hydel Electric Project, one of the main hydel projects of Himachal Pradesh, is situated nearby. It is one of the best Dalhousie tourist places.

Nestled in a valley amid pine forests, the lake is an excellent site for activities like fishing, angling, and boating. Himachal Pradesh Tourism department has built a boathouse adjacent to the lake near Taleru, which has facilities .....

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Adventure | Backwaters

#2 of 7 Places to Visit in Dalhousie

At a distance of 20 km from Chamba, and 21 km from Dalhousie, Khajjiar is a beautiful hill station located in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the scenic hill stations near Chandigarh, and among the must-include places in Dalhousie sightseeing packages.

Often known as the Switzerland of India, Khajjiar is situated at an altitude of 1,951 m in the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges of the Western Himalayas and is part of the Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary. Khajjiar was a part of the erstwhile state of the Rajput rulers of Chamba. It served as the capital of Chamba rulers. Thereafter, it was taken over by the Mughals, from which the rule passed over to various Sikh kingdoms. Subsequently, it was taken over by the British.

Khajjiar is a picturesque spot with an emerald saucer shaped meadow amidst a dense forest. Khajjiar Lake is a small lake .....

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Nature

#3 of 7 Places to Visit in Dalhousie

At a distance of 4 km from Dalhousie Bus Stand, Panchpula is one of the famous picturesque spots of Dalhousie situated on Pathankot Road. Panchpula is surrounded by picturesque mountains and green valleys.

The word Panchpula means five bridges and it is the place where a descending stream flows and feeds several pools. Panchpula is the main stream that supplies water to cities of Dalhousie and Balloon. The stream originates from Dain Kund and falls down into a quaint abyss and then finally reaches the waterworks of Panchpula.

A monument has been built where several streams meet at Panchpula in the memory of Sardar Ajit Singh, who was a freedom fighter and uncle of Bhagat Singh. On the way to Panchpula is Satdhara, a union of seven tiny springs. It is believed that the fresh waters of Satdhara contain healing medical properties. Thus, while travelling to Panchpula, most of the tourists halt at this spring fall and collect the .....

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Adventure | Nature

#4 of 7 Places to Visit in Dalhousie

At a distance of 17 km from Dalhousie Bus Stand, Dainkund Peak is a mountain peak situated at Dalhousie. Perched at an altitude of 2755 m, is the highest mountain peak in Dalhousie, and among the famous trekking places near Chandigarh.

Dainkund is also a famous place for short trekking near Dalhousie. The name Dainkund is said to have been derived from Dain - Kund, which means Lake of the Witches. It is believed that in old days this mountain was the residence of witches. The sound of the breeze passing through the trees makes a musical sound, due to which this peak has also acquired the name, the singing hill.

This peak has two major attractions; one is the Indian Air Force base and the other is the Pholani Devi temple, which is a temple of great importance. One of the most interesting facts about this temple is that there is no idol of the deity, except a trident inside the temple premises. The .....

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Nature

#5 of 7 Places to Visit in Dalhousie

At a distance of 5 km from Dalhousie Bus Stand, Ganji Pahari is a small hill on Pathankot road in Dalhousie. The name Ganji Pahari literally means bald hill. It is so called because the hill has no trees at the peak of the hill and it looks like a bald-headed patch at the top. This is one of the most popular nature walks in Dalhousie and the place offers mesmerizing views of the surrounding snowcapped hills and valleys.

A well-marked paved path starts from Panchpula and leads all the way to the top. The trek is an easy to moderate one. The trek distance from Panchpula is about 1 km and takes about 20 - 30 minutes. Trekking enthusiasts start trekking from Dalhousie city and it takes almost an hour from the city center to trek through the hilly terrain to reach the summit of this hill.

Ganji Pahari can be visited throughout the year. Summers have a pleasant weather but winters have an extraordinary feel with the snow covered walk. .....

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Wildlife | Adventure

#6 of 7 Places to Visit in Dalhousie

At a distance of 10 km from Dalhousie, 16 km from Khajjiar, and 38 km from Chamba, Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary or Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary, is a wildlife sanctuary located in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the most popular wildlife sanctuaries in India, and among the must-include places in Dalhousie tour packages.

Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary was founded in 1958 and is one of the most popular wildlife sanctuaries in Himachal. The sanctuary lies in the catchments area of river Ravi, with an altitude ranging from 3910 feet to 9134 feet. This sanctuary is spread over an area of 1962 hectares and the landscapes are thickly covered with Deodar trees interspersed with little streams flowing into the Ravi River. The sanctuary is one of the best places of wildlife near Chandigarh.

The .....

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Heritage | Pilgrimage

#7 of 7 Places to Visit in Dalhousie

At a distance of 4 km from Dalhousie Bus Stand, St. Patrick's Church is Roman Catholic Church located in Balloon, in Dalhousie Cantonment.

The Church was built in 1909 and is the largest church in Dalhousie city. The Church has a main hall, which has a seating capacity of around 300 persons. The officers of the British Army contributed largely to the inception of this church. It is a dome shaped structure constructed with dressed-stone material and is well maintained.

The Church is located amidst beautiful natural backdrop in Dalhousie which attracts not only devotees, but also history lovers, readers and a huge number of tourists. It is presently managed by the Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar. There is a library adjacent to this church which has a large collection of books related to history and geography of the region.

The church remains open on all days of the year and hold Sunday Mass every week and also is famous for .....

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