Updated on May 13th, 2023

It was in the 90s when I visited this hill station for the first time. We planned a brief trip for 2-3 days, and it was really wonderful trip. I along with my few lawyer friends, enjoyed it a lot. This tiny hill station in the Chamba district is a dream come true for any traveller who wants to rediscover what the words nature and peace mean. After so many visits in the past few years, I feel Dalhousie & Khajjiar is a land of pines and deodars and a lot of things are there that make it really a mystical land. In this write-up, I am blending all impressions that I got on different occasions about this place. The last visit to this place was a few months back. Here I am, sharing all my memories about this dreamland.

Built on and around five hills, Dalhousie is on the west of the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas. Natural beauty is spread in every corner of this place. At the height of 6,500 feet above sea level, long trees of pines, deodars, oaks, and flowering rhododendron surround this beautiful hill station. Awe-inspiring snow-capped peaks filling an entire horizon can be seen any time whole the year. This place perfectly combines all-natural beauties. Lush green woods, warm sunshine and pleasant air, and beautiful landscapes all are here to make your trip really memorable. Dalhousie is a famous destination with a pleasant climate for most of the year, making it tourist-friendly. Summers are perfect for nature walks, whereas winters are too chilly. Snowfalls usually occur during winters. Nature-loving tourists visit this hill station every year, as the land is awesomely blessed with natural beauty.

Dalhousie, back in British Period

Dalhousie is named after the British Governor-General of the 19th century, Lord Dalhousie. Initially, British people established this hill station in 1854 as a summer retreat for its troops and bureaucrats. This is the reason that there are lots of old building structures of that period. In colonial architecture, Dalhousie is also known for its old churches and other landmarks built in the British period. It preserves some beautiful churches. St. John church is the oldest one built-in 1863. Among the few other churches are St. Francis, St. Andrew, and St. Patrick.

Tourist Attractions in and around Dalhousie

Panchpula

It means five bridges. It is a beautiful spot covered in a green forest with water flowing under five small bridges, making it really amazing. People enjoy themselves there like a picnic spot. This place is so calm that you can really have a good time relaxing your mind and soul.

This place is at approx. 4 km from Dalhousie. It can be within walking distance for those who really enjoy waking in the green forest. I love waking, so I always prefer to go there walking. There is also a memorial of S Ajit Singh, uncle of Shaheed Bhagat Singh (A great freedom fighter), at this place.

It is a pleasant picnic spot, where you can spend some time with your family and friends and enjoy the loveliness of exotic waterfalls and refreshing streams. Some of these streams even contain medicinal properties that are helpful in healing skin diseases.

At the height of 2040 meters, it’s a place with Amazing greenery, pleasant climate, and natural scenic beauty. All these attractions make this place really worth spending time on.

Trekking from Panchpula to DainKund is very popular, and adventure lovers often love to explore unknown paths. The Dainkund Peak is the highest and a popular peak of Dalhousie, at an altitude of 2755 meters. The peak offers a splendid view of the valley that is a treat to watch. Everyone from adventure lovers to trekkers to photographers loves visiting this stunning destination, which is surrounded by beauty. The best time to visit this wonderful spot is in summer and monsoon, as the water gushes with full force during this season 

The dense forest of Kalatop

One of the major tourist destinations of Dalhousie, the Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary, is the gateway to Khajjiar’s beauty. Surrounded by a thick forest, Kalatop has situated 10 km from Dalhousie. It is the place near Dalhousie that has snow all year round. Long pines and deodar trees surround the entire way from Dalhousie. The name Kalatop means black cap in Hindi and refers to the thick, black forest cover on the hilltop in the sanctuary.

The other place touching Kalatop is Lakkarmandi. Lying in the depth of River Ravi, the 30.69 km animal sanctuary comprises thick deodar forests, a plethora of wildlife species, snow-capped mountains, lush grasslands, and stunning water streams. It is not only a scenic and picnic spot for the tourists to enjoy but also a favourite trekking place for adventure lovers. People who are wild and adventurous, nerd for wildlife especially, this place is for them indeed.

Blissful solitude here makes this place an ideal choice for honeymooners. Couples can have a wonderful time without disturbance from anybody. Nature is offering all they need to be with each other. I remember my visit a few years back; this place was fully covered with snow. The road was completely covered with snow, and it was challenging to drive rather than perilous on snow-covered roads. It was a hard time, but today I still remember that we really enjoyed ourselves a lot. Tourists were playing with snowballs in less risky areas. We clicked many photographs there. I can’t forget those moments in my life ever.

The wildlife sanctuary at Kalatop

The nearby wildlife sanctuary shelters a variety of wild animals. The sanctuary, spread over an area of 1962 hectares, lies in the path of the Ravi River and is surrounded by coniferous and oak forests. Jungle Safari highlights the sanctuary that almost every visitor opts for, along with families and children. The exotic wildlife sanctuary holds a great diversity of flora and fauna. Sanctuary houses wildlife like Bear, Himalayan Black Marten, Leopard, Deer, Barking Goral, Squirrel, Jackal, Langur, and many more.

You can go for tracking along the dense forest. You can walk here for hours, enjoying stretches of silence, sloping roads, and the singing of birds. While walking, you can have sips of hot tea, as there are many small tea stalls along the way. Forest has black bears, so it is better to take a guide along. The sanctuary lies in the path of the Ravi River and is surrounded by coniferous and oak forests.

I still remember the soothing sounds of birds. The silence of this place, with the occasional humming of unknown birds, makes this place one of the most romantic places on the earth. It was really amazing jungle walk. This place can set deep impressions on anyone’s mind. I still feel long back memories like it is a thing of yesterday. Once you visit this place, it always keeps on calling you.

Khajjiar, mini Switzerland

Situated 13 km from Kalatop on the same road as Dalhousie, it has also known as Khajjiar as Mini Switzerland and Gulmarg of Himachal. Khajjiar is full of natural landscapes, as it is at the base of the mountain range. You can see snow-capped mountains at the top of the lush green trees of pines and deodars. Here you can view panorama views of natural beauty. Khajjiar uniquely combines three environments-Lake, grassland, and forest, all in one place. Khajjiar and its nearby places are ideal for adventure sports like trekking, mountaineering, para-gliding, and ice skating.

The best way to enjoy Khajjiar is by doing nothing and just gazing at the idyllic pastoral scenery featuring a lake, pine and cedar forests and snowcapped mountains, grazing sheep & horses. Khajji Cottage, run by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism, is ideally located just opposite the main ground, where you can book your stay to watch this place at different times of the day. But we preferred a different hotel to stay in, which was in a more dense forest, as I always prefer a less crowded stay on such trips.

Natural Lake with small wooden Bridge

In the middle of the main ground, there is a natural lake with a small wooden bridge up to the centre of the lake. Tourists stand on this bridge and enjoy watching the landscape and also clicking their photographs. There is also a horse track on the circumference of the ground. You can hire horses for horse riding. We really enjoyed horse riding there.

There are different stalls selling eatables and other things. Kids can enjoy different games. Air balloons are a major attraction for kids and even grown-ups. You can also get your photograph clicked in traditional dress, and we can save those in unforgettable memories.

The Temple of ‘Khajji Nag’ is the principal attraction to visit while you are in Khajjiar. This temple belongs to the 12th century AD and is dedicated to snake worship, and there are some snake idols inside.

We spent the entire day in beautiful surroundings on our trip to this place, enjoying all that nature has gifted to this wonderful land, and went back to our hotel, which we preferred near Dalhousie. It was a brief trip of two days, but we enjoyed it a lot. It has the potential for longer holidays if you really have more time to spare.

Zorbing in Khajjiar

An adventurous sport which is recently introduced in Khajjiar is Zorbing. It is like they pack you in a plastic ball, which rolls down in slopes. Initially started in Russia in the 1970s and later introduced as a regular sport in New Zealand in 1994 and is now used as a fun game in various places. I have seen Kids feel thrilled while enjoying it.

Other places in India where you may enjoy Zorbing at Pahalgam, Manali, Delhi and Lonawala, near Mumbai. Khajjiar, with its grassy slopes and meadows, is probably the best Zorbing destination. Rolling amidst snow-capped mountains and nature is utterly priceless and amazing.

From Khajjiar, you can further travel on the same route to reach the district headquarters in Chamba. Again, many options are there for tourists. I visited this place many times. I will surely suggest visiting the beautiful Dalhousie & Khajjiar.

Visit Chamba, a beautiful place

My recent trip across Chamba took me across various tourist attractions near Dalhousie, including Kalatop, Khajjiar, and Chamera Dam on the way back from Chamba to Banikhet. Chamba itself has a lot of beautiful things to experience in this town of Himachal.

Exploring temples and other things about history and spirituality is the best thing while you are in Chamba. The temples in Chamba are not only known for their religious significance but they also take you back in time with their awe-striking, ancient architecture. Laxmi Narayan Temple is a must-visit spot in Chamba.

Spend a few moments at Rang Mahal, Chamba

Rang Mahal, one of the most significant monuments, is in Chamba. You can see this building while you entering the town. It is a building designed with high fort-like walls and the architecture has an unparalleled combination of British and Mughal styles. As the legend goes, Kind Umed Singh made this palace, but later Raj Sri Singh- the king of the same dynasty, repaired the Rang Mahal. One state college partially uses the building of this Mahal. The other part is not well maintained. Government must take care of this historical monument so that we could save it for coming generations. The old palace currently also houses an emporium, which remains open from 10 am-1 pm and 2-5 pm on all days except Sundays. The emporium sells handmade shawls, kerchiefs, chappals, etc.

Enjoy a boat ride at Chamera Lake

A wonderful ride at Chamera Lake can certainly make your trip memorable. It is a thing that you must not miss at all in Chamba. At a distance of 25 km from Dalhousie, the exquisite Chamera Lake is actually a reservoir formed by the Chamera Dam, positioned at an altitude of 1700 meters. Built over the Ravi River, the Chamera is an artificial lake, surrounded by beautiful green trees and exquisite valleys. It gives way to various water sports activities, such as boat riding and fishing. We all had memorable moments spent there. The weather was really outstanding, making it more enjoyable.

Overall trip to Dalhousie, Khajjiar & finally Chamba can be full of fun for 3-4 days.

Ask at Adv.Jaspal@gmail.com