Skip to content
Locrawl

Historic places in Dharamsala

6 historic buildings, sites and memorials in Dharamsala.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Historic places in Dharamsala

  1. Do

    Bhagsu Waterfall

    Has many waterfalls, an ancient temple, numerous slate quarries and a fresh water spring. An easy walk down Bhagsu Rd through the village of the same name, then 1 km up to the waterfall itself. The trail up to the waterfall is stone most of the way and has fencing along steep sections. There are several vendors selling snacks and drinks at the base of the falls. Be careful if you decide to take a bath in the upper pools of the waterfall, as there may be shards of glass in the water, possibly thrown there by the villagers to prevent "indecent" behaviour by Westerners at night. You can also start your walk in Upper Bhagsu, where a second trail remains pretty much at the same altitude towards the waterfall. When you reach the waterfall, a little further up there is Shiva Café, which has a nice little private pool filled with refreshing mountain water and a comfortable picnic area.

  2. See

    Rakkar

    A picturesque hamlet on the outskirts of Lower Dharamsala, perched on the foothills of the snow capped Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Historically inhabited by shepherds of the Gaddi community, the hamlet is slowly attracting visitors who are interested in getting away from the busy tourist hub of McLeod Ganj in favour of having a closer interaction with the locals villagers in a pristine village environment.

  3. Eat

    Shangri La Restaurant

    A good little cafe run by monks and with proceeds going to Gyudmed Monastery. Try the Shangri La Sandwich for breakfast. Meals for dinner also good quality and well priced.

  4. See

    St. John Cathedral in the Wilderness

    It's a nice picturesque cathedral in the middle of greenery. 1 km from McLeod Ganj. Auto-rickshaw costs ₹70 as of May 2019. There is no auto stand near the cathedral, so it's a bit tough to get an auto back. If possible, ask the auto driver to wait and then take the same auto to other spots.

    Free

  5. See

    Tibet Museum

    Small but interesting museum on the history of Tibet and its people.

    Tue-Sun 9AM-5PM₹5

  6. See

    Tsuglagkhang Complex

    This is the largest Tibetan temple outside Tibet, and it has a large meditation hall containing some beautiful statues and thangkas, as well as a Kalachakra temple with beautiful murals. It is the monastery of the Dalai Lama, and is just in front of his residence. It also contains the largest Tibetan prayer wheel of about 2 m height—spin it!

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Dharamsala (CC BY-SA 4.0).