Dharamsala or Dharamshala (Hindi: धर्मशाला Dharmshālā; Tibetan: དྷ་རམ་ས་ལ་), is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, famed for its large Tibetan community centred on the activities of the Dalai Lama.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The Tibetan Buddhist roots of Dharamsala stretch back to the 8th century, although most of the local population long since reverted to (and remains) Hindu. "Dharamsala" (DHUHRM-shah-lah) literally means an "inn attached to a temple", and it was so until the district headquarters in Kangra became too crowded and the British moved 2 of their regiments in the late 1840s to what is now Dharamsala. Over the years, this grew to be district headquarters of Kangra, and the location is now known as the Police Lines. Dharamsala was mooted to be the summer capital of India. But this was not to be, as much of the town was destroyed in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake of 4 April 1905.
Dharamsala is divided into several distinct areas that are separated by a 15 min or 12 km bus or jeep ride at most: 1 Lower Dharamsala – Consists of most of the government offices, Schools, the local hospital, and commercial areas. It also has a few tea gardens. One in the area of Chilgari and another just beyond Dari. It is a typical small Indian town that, other than for the bus station, is of little interest to tourists. One can enjoy the view while driving through. 2 McLeod Ganj – Known less commonly as Upper Dharamsala is named after David McLeod, who was once the British Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, and the word Ganj, which is a common Persian word meaning "neighbourhood".
1 HPCA Cricket Stadium (HPCA Cricket Academy) (in Dharamsala.). 10AM–6PM. The picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium is unique in India as it is situated at an altitude of 1,457 m above the sea level and has the snow-capped Himalayan mountains in the background. ₹20. (updated May 2019) 2 Kunal Pathari (around 3 km from the Dharamsala.). People come to this temple every day to pray to the Goddess. 3 Dal Lake (4 km from McLeod Ganj, below Naddi). Fairly well signposted. An anticlimactic sacred pond is the colour and texture of its yellow lentil namesake. 4 Naddi View Point, Naddi (around 10 km from Dharamsala.).
Roam around. McLeod Ganj is a beautiful place to roam around on foot. Hotels made on the slope of Dhauladhar range, market decorated with colourful Tibetan flags, hand made goods and stalls of tasty food makes it more beautiful.But also Dharamkot offers many small cafés and place to take a rest and watch the world go by. (updated Aug 2023) 1 Bhagsu Temple Swimming Pool, Bhagsu. Go swimming in Bhagsu's very own swimming pool. Especially with hot weather a great relief from the all so touristy other things to do in this region. The water is the same as from the waterfall, and constantly flowing fresh through the pool. Free. (updated Aug 2023) 2 Bhagsu Waterfall (3 km from Dharamsala).
The momos sold by numerous Tibetan street vendors usually sell at ₹10 for 4 pieces. These are safe to eat and acceptable to the Western palate even if they cannot be expected to match the level of culinary delicacy of those offered by some of the best establishments listed below. Dharamsala is a good place to try Tibetan food and beverages: Momos – dumplings filled with meat or vegetables, steamed or fried Thukpa – a hearty noodle soup with veggies or meat Thenthuk – thukpa with handmade flat rectangular shaped noodles Pocha – a salty tea churned with butter, a Tibetan staple, more commonly known as Tibetan Butter Tea McLeod Ganj is a great place for eating, and the town has an abundance…
Refill your waterbottle with filtered-water at one of the many water-filtering stations: LHA at Temple Rd, Environmental Education Centre at Bhasgu Rd and Dogga-Centre at Jogiwara Rd. Some restaurants, including Nick's and Green Hotel also offer filtered water refills for a charge (₹5, but Green Hotel asks for ₹10). Many of the above listed restaurants and bakeries are also great for having a coffee or tea and enjoying the view—check there. 1 Moonpeak Espresso, Temple Rd, McLeod Ganj (10 min walk from McLeod Ganj's main square of chowk). 7AM-8PM. Coffee for ₹40–70, while it is possible to find better coffee in McLeod Ganj this is nevertheless a very pleasant café to visit.
The place is safe, though it is advisable to take precautions. Stay vigilant at all times and be very cautious if staying out after 9PM.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Dharamsala typically sees ~18°C daytime highs and 31 rainy days.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-07-27. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
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