Dharamshala and Amritsar

Visited in December 2025

No matter how much the air tickets are, when the mountains call, you book your tickets, pack bags and to head to the north to see and enjoy those incredible views of the Himalayan mountains. This time, we decided to visit Dharamshala to see the Dhauladhar ranges.

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Dharamshala

Day 2 - McLeodganj

Day 3 - Attari Wagah border

Day 4 - Amritsar

We travelled by air from Kochi to Delhi and then boarded the Vande Bharat Express to Una in Himachal Pradesh. In Delhi, we met up with our dear friend Madhu and their family for the journey. Una is a small town in Himachal Pradesh, where we can rent a taxi to reach Dharamshala. The trip takes approximately 5 hours, depending on traffic and road conditions. After reaching Una, we rented a taxi, stopped for lunch at a dhaba on our route, and then continued our drive to Dharamshala.

We reached by around 6 pm at Dharamshala, checked in to our hotel and then took a stroll around the place. We had our dinner in a nice cosy restaurant near by, I had Tibetan Thupka, which tasted excellent.

Next day, we went to our hotel rooftop to enjoy the beautiful sunrise over Dhauladhar ranges and then had our breakfast and started our exploration of the local sights of Dharamshala. Every sunrise is distinct and inspiring, and when it comes from the Himalayas, its beauty reaches a whole new level.

We started the day with a visit to Kunal Pathri temple. After offering our prayers, then set out to explore the local tea gardens and the park dedicated to the fallen soldiers of Himachal Pradesh during the various wars in the past.

After that, we explored one of India's most iconic cricket stadiums, the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium. The pavilion offered breathtaking views of the Dhauladhar mountain ranges, making it a perfect spot for countless photos.

After exploring the main attractions of Dharamshala, we proceeded to McLeodganj, located about 10 km away. This is where His Holiness The Dalai Lama resides.

On our way to McLeodGanj, we stopped at the St John in the Wilderness church. From there, we went on to visit the Bhagsunag temple and waterfall.

McLeodGanj is a picturesque hill station and the residence of the Dalai Lama in exile following his departure from Tibet, The Namgyal monastery. His Holiness blesses the devotees here, when he is in McLeodGanj. The town also hosts a Tibetan Refugee market and the Tibetan Parliament in exile. The Tibetan Museum, which showcases the history, culture, and traditions of Tibet, is particularly remarkable. There are plenty of Tibetan cafes and market selling souvenirs, art and craft, jewellery etc in this area.

After our visit to the museum, we set off to view the sunset. It was really beautiful! From there, we visited The Mud House to have a nice dinner and then left to our hotel.

The next day, again we got on the hotel roof top to view the sunrise. After that, started our journey off to Amritsar. On our way, we stopped at the Gyuto monastery. It is located in a picturesque location and we were lucky to get a picture clicked with a little monk.

We drove further to Amritsar, checked in to our hotel and soon grabbed a taxi to go to the

Attari-Wagah border, which serves as the international boundary between India and Pakistan. This border crossing is famous for its ceremonial display known as the Beating Retreat ceremony, which is conducted by the Border Security Force (BSF) of India and the Pakistan Rangers. The Beating Retreat ceremony takes place every evening just before sunset that lasts for about 45 minutes. It is a spectacle filled with patriotic fervour, synchronized movements, drawing large crowds to witness this unique display of national pride. As the ceremony begins, the atmosphere is charged with excitement, people chanting Hindustan Zindabad! Vande Mataram in high spirits of national pride and patriotism. Its a wonderful experience and must visit for every Indian!

Later half of the evening was dedicated to shopping phulkari kurti sets, punjabi juttis etc. We shopped a lot and enjoyed the experience

Post dinner, late at night, we visited the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) premises to get the beautiful views of the fully lit up temple. It was cold, but the views of the temple with its reflection on the lake surrounding the temple was awesome, and the serenity and peace that we could experience there was beyond words.

The next day morning, we set out to visit the temple to offer prayers. It was cold and misty in the morning. By the time we visited the shrine, the weather cleared and we also had the langar at the temple.

Next, we proceeded to visit Jallianwala Bagh and The Partition Museum. I recalled the chapters from our history books and the movie clips that depicted the tragic event that occurred at Jallianwala Bagh. The site is well-preserved and tells the story of that dark day in India's fight for independence. It's impossible not to feel emotional when you see the well that many people jumped into and the bullet marks on the walls, which serve as a constant reminder of the hardships faced by India's freedom fighters. Visiting this site will undoubtedly deepen the value of our independence.

Here, the ashes of Shaheed Uddham Singh is kept, who shot and killed Gen Dyer.

After strolling on the streets of Amritsar, we then headed off to have a nice Lassi and Kulcha for lunch.

The Amritsari Kulcha and Lassi are must try and very tasty. We shopped Punjabi masalas, chikki and a few souvenirs and then headed off to Amritsar Railway station to catch our train to Delhi. From Delhi, we flew back to Kochi that same night.