Are you visiting Dalhousie?
Dalhousie is a famous Hill station of Distict Chamba of Himachal Pradesh. It was a favored hill station for British officers in Pre-independence era. It got the name DALHOUSIE after the Earl of Dalhousie (Lord Dalhousie). Lord Dalhousie is said to have established the place as a popular Summer retreat. It is a small hill station with many places in its periphery making it the most favored hill station for north Indians especially.
Location of Dalhousie
Located at a height of 1970 metres above the sea level, Dalhousie is situated on 5 hills Kathlag, Terah, Potreyn, Bakrota and Bhangora. Having a humid subtropical climate, this place is a hot favorite place for visitors in the month of April and May (Summers) and December and January (winters). It is a perfect hide out for a summer holiday, this place is also known for its Christmas and New Year snowfall.
What to expect at Dalhousie ?
Cool Climate
Visitors can expect cool climate, peaceful environment, a lot of plantation, Cedar trees, scenic beauty of nature and memorable experiences from Dalhousie. They will find an environment which is quite different from the world of cities and crowd. They will find them surrounded with Cedar and pine trees all around. The summers will not feel like summers, the cool breeze will always be eager to embrace you and make you feel energized and rejuvenated. There is no Mall or multiplex building here, so the visitors will have to rely on small shops and those business people who are fully dependent upon the visitors, guests and tourists. During the peak times of the tourists, you may find yourself stuck in the long jams. So it is a kind suggestion to all visitors to start your journey to Dalhousie early, earlier then others.
Memories to cherish for the life time..
Dalhousie will give you memories to be cherished for life time. A visit to the hill station in winters is quite adventurous and if one plans to come in winters, he/she must be ready to face a very cold climate and expect snow. People visit the place in winters specially to enjoy snowfall. Sweaters are needed all through the year for People visiting the place, it is so cool here. So the answer for the query, what you can expect from Dalhousie?, Cool people and cool environment !!!
How to reach Dalhousie ?
You have planned a trip to Dalhousie, Luggage Baggage, everything is packed. How to reach Dalhousie? It is the question that will come to the mind of every visitor who is planning to visit the hill station for the first time.
Reach Pathankot
The nearest railway station from Dalhousie is Pathankot Cantt. (PTKC) which is about 85 km away . The nearest international airport is Guru Ramdass Ji International Airport Amritsar (ATQ) which is 190 km away. The nearest airport otherwise is Pathankot airport(IXP) which has very limited flights from Pathankot.
The Journey ahead
After reaching Pathankot, take a bus from Pathankot Bus stand, which runs directly to Dalhousie at a frequency of 1 bus per hour. Otherwise, one may take a bus going to Chamba and reach Banikhet. From Banikhet Dalhousie is just 7 km away and every possible way of transport is available from Banikhet to Dalhousie.
The easiest and safest way to reach Dalhousie is to hire a taxi from Pathankot itself. It will cost around Rs. 3000, but your journey will be far more comfortable. Reach Pathankot by any mean and hire a taxi from there, as simple as that.
Alternate way
If your route is different and you are reaching Dalhousie via Himachal Pradesh, then also you can reach Pathankot first and then plan your journey ahead. Otherwise one may change his/her route via Nurpur- Lahru- Kakira then Dalhousie. Being a resident of Bakloh, I will recommend you to have a planned journey to the hill station otherwise you may not be able to extract happy memories from the visit. Prefer Taxi over any other mean of transport, for it will provide you halts as per your needs and comfort for a hilly journey.
Places to Visit at Dalhousie
The Hill station got established in 1854 as a retreat for the British soldiers and bureaucrats. It was a choice station for many British officers. The Baloon Cantt. is the first place that you see before reaching Dalhousie bus stand. The discipline of army is quite visible there.The beautiful Churches of St. Andrew’s and St. Patrick’s are at Baloon. Another Church, the St. Francis Church is at Shubhash Chowk and the famous St. John’s Church is at Gandhi Chowk. They stand upright as the symbols of Dalhousie as Britisher’s Choicest place. Panchpula is another place worth visiting in the midst of Cedar tree jungle.It is a tourist destination and has a monument of Ajit Singh a revolutionary leader of India. Bara Pathar is a small temple in the midst of dense forests which is worth visiting. Also there is Chamba ruler’s Summer palace of Jandrighat for architecture lovers.
More places
Fun loving people will enjoy their journey to Kalatop , a wild life Sanctuary which is just 10 km away from Dalhousie. It is a home to many Himalayan animals, but seldom are visible in day time. If you are lucky enough, you can see Ghorals, and Himalayan birds at the Sanctuary. Actually it is a sanctuary for Black Bears. It may be taken as a base camp for starting your trek to Dainkund, a hill near Khajjiyar and other track routes. At Dainkund, there is a temple of Pohlani mata ji. The visit to Dalhousie market is itself a memorable experience. There is a small Tibetan Market at the Gandhi Chowk where one can get Tibetan handicrafts, and electronic items.In the Mid May and market full of people, you can find the cool breeze trying to make you feel comfortable. Dalhousie has the natural gift of cool weather in hot summers. It is it’s coolness that attracts thousands of people visit this small hill station. The visitors of Dalhousie must search The Garam Sadak(Path) and the Thandi Sadak (Path) there.
Things to do at Dalhousie..
Relax
If someone wants to run away from the hot competing world full of noise, pollution and dirt, pack your bags and plan a journey to any hill station. Dalhousie is a great option for such people. The visitors who wish to come to Dalhousie in near future can do a lot of things here. The biggest thing that they can do is to do nothing and relax.
Go trekking
Dalhousie is a hill station connected to many small hills and one can easily find many route for trekking expedition. the Khajjiyar- Chamba- Dalhousie route being the main trekking route. One can plan his/her trekking from Dalhousie to Bharmour, Palampur,or Pangi, all places in Himachal Pradesh.
Enjoy holidays
The visitors can rejuvenate themselves for a better future and peaceful life. They can enjoy all types of cuisine as it is a place visited by visitors of almost all states of the country. They can enjoy visiting nearby places which are equally beautiful viz: Khajjiyar (Mini Switzerland), Bakloh (Photographer’s paradise), Chamba (a Historical Place), Bathri, Bhalei mata, Chamera dam , Jot and many more. They can organize many small picnics to Panchpula, Subhash Bowli, Gandhi Chowk, Dainkund etc.
Stay Facilities at Dalhousie
Being an old established tourist spot, and a hub of residential schools, it has no dearth of stay facilities. One can find numerous hotels at Dalhousie, Khajjiyar, Banikhet and Bathri. All are good residential accommodations with good basic facilities. The only problem lies in the fact that only a few have the parking facilities. The cost of rooms is quite high in the peak seasons. Due to the increasing number of tourists every year, the hotels near to Khajjiyar and Dalhousie are pre-booked during peak seasons. So one needs a pre-plan to execute his/ her successful trip to Dalhousie. If stay facilities not found near Dalhousie, then stay at Bathri or Banikhet or Bakloh. Bakloh is a better option for its being nearer to Pathankot and only 20 km away, one can plan his/her journey from there.
Some facts
Place | DALHOUSIE |
State | HIMACHAL PRADESH |
District | CHAMBA |
Distance from District Headquarter (Chamba) | 38 KM via KHAJJIYAR, 54 KM via BANIKHET |
Distance from Nearest Railway Station Pathankot Cantt. | 86KM |
Distance from Nearest International Airport (Guru Ramdass ji Airport Amritsar) | 212 KM |
Languages Spoken | HINDI , PAHARI, ENGLISH |
Weather | COOL DURING SUMMERS ( +5 TO 30 DEGREE CELSIUS) FREEZING AND CHILLING DURING WINTERS (-10 TO +10 DEGREE CELSIUS) |
Most preferred local transport | TWO WHEELER (LOCALS) , TAXI (VISITORS) |
Tourism Information can be had from | HPTDC RITZ ANNEXE, SHIMLA, 171001 Ph.- 0177-2652704 HPTDC, NEAR BUS STAND, DALHOUSIE-176304, Ph. – 01899-242136 |
Most preferred time to visit Dalhousie | HOT SUMMERS CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS (SNOW TIME) WEEKENDS (FOR NEARBY VISITORS)
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COVID-19 and Dalhousie
The COVID-19 situation has effected the life of the world drastically. The most badly hit sector in the world is Tourism. Dalhousie being a tourist place in general had a very bad period from March 2020 to June 2021. Now the tourism and life of Dalhousie seems to come back live. From 15th June,2021 onwards the state Government is going to welcome almost all the guests of the state as well as those who are out of state. Though the e-pass is still required, but the restrictions of having RTPCR test and being vaccinated is lifted off. Though it was safe to visit Dalhousie earlier during COVID situation, It is ready again in a refreshed manner to welcome its guests, the tourists who are the gifts of Dalhousie.
Words of Advice
To conclude we can say that Dalhousie is a real delight, a hill station which is cherished by many. It is a place which was liked by the British officers too (during the Pre-Independence era). The People from Punjab are frequent visitors of this place. If you want to visit plan early and enjoy. One can find a versatility of religions and regions here. Dalhousie can be best viewed through naked eyes and can be best felt through your own heart and mind. Visit Dalhousie and feel the charisma of nature.
