[SuperBee]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

C Trivedi,

Could you jot down thr route with the distances. I am planning a trip in the next 2 weeks. I would also appreciate if you can indicate the good places to stop for food on the way as per your experience.

Hi rajneesh,

Did you finally go on your trip ?

I am planning to travel from Chandigarh to Dharamshala in the last week of June. From the discussions here, I presume the route should be Chandigarh - Ropar - Anandpur Sahib - Una - Kangra.

Anybody has any info on the latest road status ? How will be the weather like around 21st-22nd June in those parts ?

Also, I'll be driving in a car borrowed from a friend. Would that pose as a problem?

Regards,
Superbee

[lilMonSter]

Originally Posted by SuperBee

Hi rajneesh,

I am planning to travel from Chandigarh to Dharamshala in the last week of June. From the discussions here, I presume the route should be Chandigarh - Ropar - Anandpur Sahib - Una - Kangra.

Anybody has any info on the latest road status ? How will be the weather like around 21st-22nd June in those parts ?


Regards,
Superbee

I just drove to pulga and back. the road is great till about 50 km before bilaspur. After that it's kind of broken in patches.

[Rachit.K.Dogra]

Originally Posted by SuperBee

Hi rajneesh,

Did you finally go on your trip ?

I am planning to travel from Chandigarh to Dharamshala in the last week of June. From the discussions here, I presume the route should be Chandigarh - Ropar - Anandpur Sahib - Una - Kangra.

Anybody has any info on the latest road status ? How will be the weather like around 21st-22nd June in those parts ?

Also, I'll be driving in a car borrowed from a friend. Would that pose as a problem?

Regards,
Superbee

Hi,

The route you mentioned is the correct one. Although after Una you can take 3-4 different routes, but the one you mentioned is most used. About the road conditions, I think there is some refurbishing of certain sections of road going on after Una (Chintpurni to Kangra) stretch. But I dont think that should be a lot of problem if you want to drive relaxed. The weather, well it rained there yesterday. The sun is harsher there but the ambient temperatures are not that high. If the weather is hot there for 2-3 days then it will rain.

Let me know in case you need anymore help.
I belong to palampur which is very near to Dharamshala.

Regards
Rachit

[c_trivedi]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

C Trivedi,

Could you jot down thr route with the distances. I am planning a trip in the next 2 weeks. I would also appreciate if you can indicate the good places to stop for food on the way as per your experience.

Hi Rajneeesh

Apologies for getting back late. (Hope I'm not too late!)

While driving from Delhi to Mcleod Ganj and back, we broke our journey at Chandigarh. There were 2 reasons for this - first, I don't prefer driving such long distances at a stretch. Second, I wanted to check out the planned roads of Chandigarh as I had not been there before. Following is the road review -

Delhi to Chandigarh - about 250kms. This can be done easily in about 5 hours if you drive at a safe speed of 80-90km/h. The route to take is NH1 (GT Road) all the way to Ambala, after which you need to take the straight road to Chandigarh. (This road from Ambala is NH21/22 and is different from NH1 which goes towards Ludhiana all the way to Amritsar.) Road is good all the way, bar a few diversions near Karnal and Kurukshetra. There are lot of food options on NH1 - we always stop at Murthal to have their awesome parathas (Pahalwaan dhaba is our favourite). You can also stop at McDonald's or Haveli near Karnal (on your right while going towards Ambala), though I'm not sure about their morning opening times.

Chandigarh to Mcleod Ganj - about 250kms. We took the route through Anandpur Sahib - Nangal - Una - Amb - Kangra - Dharamshala. The road condition on this stretch varied. So long as you're in Punjab, roads will be awesome (albeit tolled). Once you reach Una, which is the start of H.P., roads will begin to deteriorate a little. We passed through Una town and there the roads were quite a mess. Once we reached the hills, the roads were battered a little. Some stretches were great, and then some were laden with potholes. I guess that's the way with hilly roads. I wouldn't say it's a major problem as the drive is scenic (esp. as you near Kangra). After Kangra, roads are pretty good. (I saw some reparation work being carried out while coming back, so that should work out well for you.) Regarding food, we stopped at a roadside dhaba on our left after we exited Una, whose name I don't remember. I would suggest you stop at a decent-looking dhaba while you're still in Punjab as there were plenty of them as I recall.

We took the same route while driving back to Delhi. Covering Mcleod Ganj to Chandigarh took about 7 hours as it was Baisakhi and understandably the roads were a little crowded. Overall, it was a great drive and a wonderful experience. I had never driven for such a long distance before, and I cannot wait to check out more such places in H.P. Let me know if you need any help regarding places to stay and things to do in Mcleod Ganj.

Cheers!

[rajneeesh]

Thanks C trivedi,

I did go for the road trip and have now returned to Noida. The route I took was Noida - Ambala- Banur - Kharar- Ropar - Kiratpur- Anandpur Sahib - Nangal _ Una _ Kangra-Gagret -Palampur. This way we bypassed Chandigarh and saved time.

We stopped for breakfast at Haveli on the Banur _ Kharar Bypass. The food was avoidable and expensive.

[rajneeesh]

Originally Posted by SuperBee

Hi rajneesh,

Did you finally go on your trip ?

I am planning to travel from Chandigarh to Dharamshala in the last week of June. From the discussions here, I presume the route should be Chandigarh - Ropar - Anandpur Sahib - Una - Kangra.

Anybody has any info on the latest road status ? How will be the weather like around 21st-22nd June in those parts ?

Also, I'll be driving in a car borrowed from a friend. Would that pose as a problem?

Regards,
Superbee

Superbee, I did go for the trip although I drove to Palampur which was the base for me. Dharamshala isarounfd 40- 42 Km from Palampur. We stayed at Hotel Tea Bud. This is a HPTC property and although not luxurious, I would recommend this property. The rooms are big ( you can have a room with 4 beds), foods is decent and service homely.

No problems woth the route. Palampur/ Dharamshala was also experiencing a heat wave like rest of northern India. The maximum on Sunday/ Monday touched 35 Degrees which is 6 degrees above normal. Evenings are quite pleasant. In case it rains it can get a bit chilly.

[Vipin Kumar]

How will be the road condition right now from Shimla to Dharamshala (without coming down to Chandigarh)? Is it possible to drive from Shimla on the hill way somewhat smoothly? An alternative that is there with me is to visit Kufri-Theog-Narkhanda from Shimla and back on the same day. Any advice?

Vipin.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Vipin Kumar

How will be the road condition right now from Shimla to Dharamshala (without coming down to Chandigarh)? Is it possible to drive from Shimla on the hill way somewhat smoothly? An alternative that is there with me is to visit Kufri-Theog-Narkhanda from Shimla and back on the same day. Any advice?

Vipin.

Very good, via Darlaghat, Gaghas (Bilaspur), Hamirpur to Kangra & Dharamsala.

[DigitalDragon]

Dear Friends,

Planning to do Ludhiana - Dharamsala - Dalhousie - Manali - Shimla - Ludhiana shortly. I have kind of come out with the drive plan. I look forward to suggestions/comments from the experts on my plan in terms of:

1. The timing (April) - weather, clothings, food, photo-shoot options etc.
2. The route (as mentioned above - details below) - Road condition, Food and refueling options, safety concerns, driving precautions, expected driving time between important places etc.
3. Sightseeing Options(details below) - Focus is on drive, photography and kids enjoyment.
4. Any other important information

We will be a team of 4 adults (we 2 + in-laws) and 2 kids below 6 years.

DAY 1:

Leave Ludhina early morning and reach Dharamsala by afternoon, covering Chintpurni=>Chhinnamastika temple=>Maharana Pratap Sagar=>Jwalamukhi Temple enroute. Hows does this sound? Any other places to add or anything to remove?

Now coming to the routes, one option is NH1 till Phagwara and take Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road. The other option is continue on NH1 till Jalandhar Cantt and then take NH 70 to reach Hoshiarpur. Which one is better and why?
From Hoshiarpur, NH 70 till Mubarikpur and then NH 20 A till Nandher and onward till Dharamsala. Chintpurni and Chhinnamastika seems prety much around NH 20A. Please suggest if we plan for Maharana Pratap Sagar, which diversion we need to take from 20A and where is the jetty or tourist point for Maharana Pratap Sagar. Once this is done I guess we need to take NH 22 for Jwalamukhi somewhere near Diyara and from thereon NH 88 to join back NH 20A. This is as far as Ludhiana - Dharamsala is concerned.

We plan for 2 nights stay (DAY 1 & 2)in Dharamsala and to cover Dharamsala & Dalhousie as below.

DAY 2:

Places to visit in Dharamsala: Tsuglagkhang Temple (H H Dalai Lama Temple), The Norbulingka Institute, Tibetan Handicrafts Centre & TIPA, Bhagsu Nag Temple of Lord Shiva, War Memorial, Norbulinka Museum.

Places to visit in Dalhousie: Khajjiar, Kalatop, Panchpula, Laxmi Narayan Temple (Chamba), Chamera Lake (guess diversion on the way to Chamba check on SH 37 or SH 33)

Can the above be covered in one day, i.e. DAY 2? If not we can keep some for the Day 3 first half. Please suggest places which may be avoided (nothing to see etc.), or anything else can be added. Alternatively depending on when we reach Dharamsala on Day 1, can some be covered in Day 1?

DAY 3: Remaining of Day 2, if any, from above and then start off for Manali.

Route planned - Dharamsala => Palampur => Joginder Nagar => Mandi => Aut => Bhunter => Kullu => Manali. Hope this is the Best route. Enroute plan to visit Chamunda Devi Temple and Baijnath Temple. Anything else to see enroute?

Stay planned for 2 nights in Manali (Day 3 & 4)

DAY 4: Sightseeing, like Hadimba temple, manu temple, Solang valley, Beas kund, Jogini falls, Kothi village. Once again anything can be avoided or added and the order in which the places to be covered to have the minimum travel?

DAY 5: Left overs of Day 4, if any, and travel to Shimla.

Route Planned - Manali => Aut => Mandi => Barmana => Bilaspur => Darlaghat => Shimla (NH 21 & NH 88). Google Uncle suggests Manali => Aut => Banjar => Narkanda => Shimla (NH 21, SH 11, NH 22). But I believe this road is not good as per some recent travelogues by fellow TBHP members. Any pointers?

Stay planned for 2 nights in Shimla (Day 5 & 6)

Day 6: Local sightseeing, e.g. Jakhoo hill, The ridge, The glen, Viceregal Lodge (IIAS), Annadale. Finally again any places to be ommitted or added?

Day 7: Left overs of Day 6, if any, and travel back to Ludhiana.

Route Planned - Shimla => Ropar (SH 16) => Neelon => Kohara => Sahnewal => Ludhiana. Is this the best route? We also plan to visit Naina Devi and Bhakra Nangal Dam enroute. Would it be advisable and if so what would be route option?

PS: I have majorly taken the routes from Google Maps.

Look forward to expert guidance and suggestions. Thanks in advance.

[rajcs]

Originally Posted by DigitalDragon

We plan for 2 nights stay (DAY 1 & 2)in Dharamsala and to cover Dharamsala & Dalhousie as below.

DAY 2:

Places to visit in Dharamsala: Tsuglagkhang Temple (H H Dalai Lama Temple), The Norbulingka Institute, Tibetan Handicrafts Centre & TIPA, Bhagsu Nag Temple of Lord Shiva, War Memorial, Norbulinka Museum.

Places to visit in Dalhousie: Khajjiar, Kalatop, Panchpula, Laxmi Narayan Temple (Chamba), Chamera Lake (guess diversion on the way to Chamba check on SH 37 or SH 33)

Can the above be covered in one day, i.e. DAY 2? If not we can keep some for the Day 3 first half. Please suggest places which may be avoided (nothing to see etc.), or anything else can be added. Alternatively depending on when we reach Dharamsala on Day 1, can some be covered in Day 1?

This is too hectic. After visiting Maharana Pratap Sagar, Chintpurni and Jwalamukhi, I don' t see you reaching Dharamshala before late afternoon.

Dalai Lama temple, Bhagsu etc are at McLeod Ganj, 500m above Dharamshala. You will require a full day to see both Dharamshala and McLeodganj. These are extremely beautiful countryside particularly in Apr and you should enjoy the drive rather than rushing past.

You could spend the night in Dharamshala at Norbulingka Institute's Norling Guesthouse, a different experience from regular hotels. Next morning you can move up to McLeodganj ènroute visiting the Chapel of John of the Wilderness set among majestic cedars.

After visiting Dalai Lama's temple and Bhagsu you could leave for Dalhousie in the afternoon.

Originally Posted by DigitalDragon

DAY 3: Remaining of Day 2, if any, from above and then start off for Manali.

Route planned - Dharamsala => Palampur => Joginder Nagar => Mandi => Aut => Bhunter => Kullu => Manali. Hope this is the Best route. Enroute plan to visit Chamunda Devi Temple and Baijnath Temple. Anything else to see enroute?

This is a beautiful drive, one of the best I have had. But it will take you better part of the day to cover.

[Biraj]

Originally Posted by DigitalDragon

Dear Friends,

Planning to do Ludhiana - Dharamsala - Dalhousie - Manali - Shimla - Ludhiana shortly. I have kind of come out with the drive plan.

While I am not an expert in route planning, let me still take the liberty of sharing my views. I echo @rajcs's opinion that your plan is too hectic. The places that you intend to visit deserve more time than what your current plan will allow. e.g. Norling can make you lose stock of time and it's difficult to leave that place before spending 1-1.5 hours. Moreover, the food at McLeodganj is one the best you will find in the region thus, I would recommend a day there so that you can enjoy different restaurants during each meal.

Covering the Dalhousie and Dharmashala sectors will require at least 4 days. You might want to reduce one night from Shimla and add it here. You might want to start with Dalhousie/Khajjiar and then go to Dharmashala/Mcleodganj, then based on the time and interest, decide between Manali and Shimla.

All the best!

[sdesilva]

I plant to visit Chandigarh in 21 April. From there, I've hired a self drive car. I will be getting out of Chandigarh on 22 April and coming back on 26th April. I want to visit Shimla, Chail, Dehradun, etc. in these four days. Can someone give me an itinieary and places I should visit? Also, since the travel will cover Haryana, Uttarakhand and H.P., do I have to pay entry tax at all these places. Also where and are the permits allowed for multiple entry's

[Petropolitan]

Hi everyone, this is my first post in this esteemed forum. I have got lots of tips from here during my trips to Rajasthan.

a) Please guide me regarding road conditions from Ludhiana to Dharamshala (via Gagret), and from Dharamshala to Amritsar (via Pathankot-Gurdaspur) - if any one had used these routes.

I am a little concerned because of presence of one aged person.

b) Please enlighten me where exactly the hill climbing starts while going to Dharamshala from Ludhiana. Is it Gagret ?

c) I am under the impression that it is plains from Pathankot. Am I right?

This is my first journey to HP, so I am excited.

Thanks in advance.

[HyperRetard]

Dharamshala to Amritsar (via Pathankot-Gurdaspur)
The road is absolute bliss.

I am under the impression that it is plains from Pathankot. Am I right?
If you mean plains till Amritsar, then yes, you are right. It is plains from Pathankot till Amritsar.

The road from Amritsar to Delhi is awesome too.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by Petropolitan

I am a little concerned because of presence of one aged person.

b) Please enlighten me where exactly the hill climbing starts while going to Dharamshala from Ludhiana. Is it Gagret ?

c) I am under the impression that it is plains from Pathankot. Am I right?

This is my first journey to HP, so I am excited.

Thanks in advance.

You would first see minor hills starting Chohal (31.5923, 75.96387) elevation 1199 ft - these continue for 16 km till Gagret (31.66072,76.05972) elevation 1550 ft.
You would descend back to around ~1000 ft immediately after Gagret.
On the 102 km onward journey from Gagret to McLeodganj ,
i) elevation increases to 2700 ft for a brief distance and then back to ~1200 ft near Maharana Pratap Sagar
ii) elevation reaches a range of 2000 ft -2700 ft upto Kangra
iii) after Kangra, and once past Hanuman Mandir , elevation increases sharply to ~5700-6000 ft in the last 25~30 km till McLeodganj/Dharamshala.

Even at heights of ~6000 ft, air has sufficient oxygen.
If the person in question has some illness, you would do well to check with a doctor - just in case.