McLeod Ganj

McLeod Ganj sits at about 2,080 metres on a spur above Dharamshala, and since 1960 it has been the seat of the Tibetan community in exile, which reshaped an old British hill settlement into a town of monasteries, institutes and Tibetan-run guesthouses and kitchens. The Tsuglagkhang complex holds the main temple, a museum on Tibetan history and the residence, with a kora path circling it hung with prayer flags. The Norbulingka Institute below teaches thangka painting, woodcarving and appliqué. Above the town, Bhagsu waterfall and the meadow at Triund, a nine-kilometre walk, look up at the Dhauladhar wall.

What you actually see

• The Tsuglagkhang complex - the main temple, museum and kora circuit.
• Norbulingka Institute - workshops teaching Tibetan crafts.
• Triund - a nine-kilometre walk to a ridge under the Dhauladhar.
• The Tibetan kitchens - momo and thukpa cooked throughout the town.

When to go

March to June and September to November; the monsoon here is among the heaviest in India. Losar, the Tibetan new year, falls in late winter. Triund is crowded at weekends.

Honest expectations

The town is small and congested with narrow roads and difficult parking. Triund is heavily trafficked and littered in places. Monsoon rain is exceptional and landslides close roads.

Nearby

Dharamshala lies below; Bir Billing is southeast.