Short answer: The best places to visit in Kangra district are McLeodganj and Dharamshala, Kangra Fort and Brajeshwari Devi, the Masroor rock-cut temples, Palampur's tea gardens, Bir Billing, Baijnath, Chamunda and Jwalamukhi temples, Triund, Kareri Lake and the Pong Dam wetland. Most are within two hours of Gaggal Airport.
Kangra is our home district, and it has far more than most visitors see between the airport and McLeodganj. Here is the list we would give a friend, roughly in order of how much we’d push them to go.
In and around Dharamshala
1. McLeodganj. The Dalai Lama’s temple, Tibetan food, cafés and bookshops. See things to do in McLeodganj.
2. Naddi viewpoint. The best sunrise view of the Dhauladhar, ten minutes above McLeodganj.
3. Triund. An easy one-night trek to a ridge in front of the range. Our Triund guide has everything you need.
4. Norbulingka Institute. Tibetan crafts, gardens and calm, below Dharamshala.
5. HPCA stadium. A cricket ground with snow peaks behind it. Even without a match, it is worth a stop.
History and temples
6. Kangra Fort. The old fort of the Katoch kings, huge and atmospheric. Read our Kangra Fort guide.
7. Brajeshwari Devi. A Shakti Peeth in the Kangra bazaar.
8. Masroor rock-cut temples. Eighth-century shrines carved from one sandstone ridge, and one of the most remarkable monuments in north India. See Masroor.
9. Chamunda Devi. A riverside temple with the mountains behind.
10. Jwalamukhi. The temple of the eternal flames, in the south of the district.
11. Baijnath. A Shiva temple from 1204 that is still in worship.
Tea, villages and the east
12. Palampur. Tea gardens under the highest Dhauladhar peaks. See places to visit in Palampur.
13. Andretta. An artists’ and potters’ village near Palampur.
14. Bir Billing. Paragliding, monasteries and slow cafés.
Off the usual route
15. Pong Dam. A vast lake and Ramsar wetland in the west of the district, full of migratory birds from November to March. See Pong Dam lake.
Also worth it if you have time: the Kangra Valley toy train for a short stretch, and Kareri Lake for a quieter three-day trek.
How to see them
Most of these are within an hour or two of Gaggal Airport. A car and a local driver for a few days is by far the easiest way to string them together. Our Kangra tours are built around exactly these places.
Quick questions
Which is the most beautiful place in Kangra district?
For views, Naddi above McLeodganj and the Triund ridge. For a whole town, Palampur with its tea gardens under the Dhauladhar.
How many days do you need for Kangra district?
Four to five days covers Dharamshala, McLeodganj, Kangra Fort, Palampur and Bir without rushing.
Written by the team at Ankush Travels, a tour and taxi company in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. We run these routes every week. Spotted something out of date? Tell us on WhatsApp.