What you'll see
- Palampur tea gardens: walk through the estates and buy fresh Kangra tea from the factory shops.
- Neugal Khad: a riverside viewpoint with the Dhauladhar peaks behind.
- Andretta: the artists' village, known for its pottery studio, about 13 km from Palampur.
- Baijnath temple: a stone Shiva temple from the 13th century, about 16 km from Palampur.
- Bir Billing: one of the best paragliding sites in the world. Tandem flights start from Billing and land at Bir, about 14 km from Baijnath.
Suggested plan
Leave Dharamshala at 8 am, stop at Chamunda Devi on the way, tea gardens and Neugal Khad by late morning, lunch in Palampur, then Andretta, Baijnath and Bir in the afternoon. Back in Dharamshala by evening.
When to go
Tea is plucked from March to October, when the gardens look their best. Paragliding at Bir pauses during the monsoon, roughly mid-July to mid-September, and the clearest flying days come in October and November.
Want to stay longer? Bir's monasteries and cafés make a good overnight stop before continuing to Manali.
