With thousands of tea gardens and beautiful deodar forests encircling the town, Palampur is a popular town of Himachal Pradesh located in the Kangra district of Himachal. Palampur was a part of the local sikh kingdom which later caught the eyes of Englishmen and soon it turned into the ground for trade and commerce. Their presence can be seen with beautiful Victorian-style mansions and castles.
The city has stunning greenery with beautiful landscapes which creates a mesmerizing experience. You will see vast tea gardens all over the palampur and driving along the scenic beauty of the Dhauladhar range and the slopes of the Kangra valley is unforgettable.
Palampur is like a paradise for the people who are adventure enthusiasts. You can enjoy Rafting, paragliding, mountain trekking or skydiving which creates an immense memorable life experience. Palampur has unexplored destinations that offer a peaceful and serene environment to tourists. You can level up your adventurous hunger by going paragliding at Bir and explore lush green forests that look really amazing while trekking in triund. Tibetian culture can be felt with amazing artifacts available at Tashi Jong Monastery. Adding to it, you can make your visit to various famous temples such as Baijnath Temple, Chamunda Devi Temple, and many more.
The weather condition in Palampur is moderate which makes it a year-round destination place for the visitors. You can either make your visit during Summers i.e between March and June, when weather conditions are mild and you can make your peaceful visit or early winters time i.e between November and February, when conditions are pleasant and not much cold is there in the region to disrupt your journey. As winters in palampur are freezing so avoid visiting during peak winter times.
Palampur is one of the hidden gems for nature lovers. Along with it’s famous tea plantations, it is also packed with some amazing and beautiful places that you can surely add to your bucket list. Whenever you plan a trip to Palampur then don’t think of missing these mesmerizing places coming straight from heaven.
1. Tashi Jong Monastery: Enticed by the astonishing Himalayan pinnacles, Tashi Jong Monastery is a quiet spot to soothe your mind. It is a centre point for worshipping buddhism and spending a spiritual time at the monastery. This monastery is known for its enticing ind-tibetian architecture which has beautiful wooden carvings and paintings. Curiosity to watch this unique architecture calls tourists from various ends of the world.
2. Tea gardens in Palampur: Palampur is the city of tea plantations which gives it a name as the Tea Capital of Northern India. Tea gardens of palampur are not only famous in India but also well known across the globe. Stepping down into the tea gardens will make you feel like a dream world altogether especially for tea lovers.
3.Saurabh Van Vihar: The Saurabh Van Vihar is a nature park that has been built in the memory of brave soldier Saurabh Kalia, who was a martyr in the Kargil War. This beautiful place is one of the tourist attractions which is located on the banks of snowy Neugel Khad in the village of Kwat. This peaceful spot spreads over a total area of 13 kilometers which is located just 4 kilometres away from Palampur. You can have a full view of the Dhauladhar Range with a variety of plants, trees which add to the scenic beauty of this place. It is considered to be the best spot for having a peaceful time and enjoying the natural feel with each wave passing by and birds chirping.
4. Neugal Khad: Looking for a nice picnic spot to spend a memorable time with your family or loved ones? Then Neugal khad would be the best choice for you. This picnic spot is just 2 km away from palampur. Neugal khad is a wide stream of water that flows over pearly white pebbles. You can walk around the pebbled path and capture some amazing photographs of this beautiful place. You can also spend some time at Neugal cafe which takes care of your taste buds and enjoy the panoramic view while having hot tea or coffee.
5. Pottery, Andretta: Pottery is an amazing work of art which brings your creativity. Andretta Pottery is one of the beautiful concepts which started its function in 1983 by Mansimran Singh. It is India's oldest pottery studio based in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. Tourists can visit this place and try their hands on pottery and can take them to their home. You can also check the creative and unique arts which are made by skilled potters.
6. Baijnath Temple: Baijnath Temple is a beautiful and most popular temple in Himachal Pradesh. The temple is known for worshipping lord shiva as “God of healing”. Lots of devotees visit this place as people claim that the water of the temple is of medicinal value and has the potential to cure several illnesses and diseases. Thus, making it a favorable spot for thousands of devotees who come to seek the blessing of lord Shiva.
7. Toy Train: Experiencing toy train rides is one of the most preferred places for tourists coming to Palampur. This place is designated as the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The trains take you on a hilly ride between Palampur and Pathankot, amid lush green forests, shimmering waterfalls and meandering rivers. This place is one of the eye catching spots in palampur. On your route, you can witness the rural way of living in the hills and capturing the best moments with your camera.
8. Naam Art Gallery: Naam Art Gallery is located in Dharamshala near Mcleodganj. This seems to be the best place for people who are having a deep interest in art and creativity. The Naam art gallery showcases work of the European artists Elsbeth Buschman (watercolours and acrylics) and Alfred W. Hallett (oil paintings). You can have an enjoyable time here, looking at spiritual art works and also you can purchase those impressive designs and prints at a price of INR 400
9. Norbulingka Institute: Norbulingka Institute is named after the residence of The Dalai Lama at Lhasa. This is a popular learning centre which is situated 7.5 km away from McLeodganj in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. This is a beautiful piece of state of art which is built in traditional Tibetan Style. It has green gardens of meandering paths, small waterfalls and ponds with the spectacular Dhauladhar Mountains of the Outer Himalayas rising prominently in the background.
The main objective behind the institute is to preserve tibetan culture through statues, paintings and sculptures. The surroundings of this place bring peace to the minds of people and the serene environment makes it an important spot to explore. People can’t stop themselves from getting into the traps of this beautiful and soothing environment.
10. Chamunda Devi Temple: Chamunda devi temple is another addition to the devotees. It is situated on the banks of river Baner in Palampur. This temple is blessed by Goddess Chamundeshwari with beautiful engravings from the scenes of Mahabharat and Ramayana. It also has a pond within the premises with a gorgeous view of the mountains and the river. It has been a place to visit by many tourists and visitors.
Palampur sightseeing and other adventurous sports activities make it a fun and memorable location for our loved ones. There are a lot of things that can be done in Palampur to make it the best trip of your life.
1. Go Paragliding at Bir: You can experience the most thrilling and adventurous paragliding at Bir, it is the best place for enthusiasts who love adventure. While taking a flight, you can enjoy the 360 degree view of mountains and nature. The prices for paragliding may vary with basic packages starting at INR 15,000.
2. Trek to Triund: There is a saying that a Great view comes with great climbs. Triund trek gives access to beautiful vistas of the mountain. You can start the trek from dharamkot which is 41 km away from palampur. The view of sunset is mesmerizing and staring at twinkling stars at night from your tents is one of the phenomenal experiences that you can feel on at round.
3. Explore The Tea Plantations: Palampur is set to be known for tea gardens and is also the tea capital of northern India. Vast spread of tea gardens all over the area wrapping palampur into greenery. You can see the tea making process and is the best spot for tea lovers where you can enjoy the aroma and essence of natural tea.
4. Time for blessings at the Chamunda Devi Temple: Chamunda devi temple is dedicated to goddess chamundeshwari and is situated on the banks of river Baner. Temple displays some past historical events showcasing from the Ramayana and the mahabharata. This is the most favourable spot for devotees coming from various parts of the globe.
Palampur is situated in the hilly terrains of Himachal Pradesh and to reach there you need to cross various mountain ranges. Easy transport availability makes it feasible for tourists to come and enjoy wonderful time at palampur. You can choose the best mode whichever fulfills your requirements and matches your visit timing. they can be reached by various modes of transportation such as -
BY AIR: Gaggal airport in Dharamsala is the nearest airport, which is at a distance of 40 km from Palampur. You get regular flights from cities like Chandigarh, Delhi, and Kullu.
BY RAIL: Palampur station is connected with all important cities of Himachal Pradesh. The station is between Palampur - Kangra Valley running on Narrow gauge. It connects Palampur to Pathankot and Kangra and also provides an easy way of hiring taxis just outside the station. It takes 6 hours to complete the train journey from Pathankot to palampur.
BY ROAD: Palampur is well- connected by a network of roads to all the important destinations in Himachal Pradesh state. State-run buses connectivity makes it easy to reach Palampur. You also get an option to hire private taxis and cabs to reach your destination. It takes roughly 3 hrs to reach Palampur from Pathankot covering a distance of 121 km.
There are numerous hotels and heritage sites available to make your comfortable stay during your visit to Palampur. We have made a consolidated list for you considering various factors like pricing, accommodations, service, vicinity to market, food quality, and many more.
1. RS Sarovar Portico: RS Sarovar portico gives you a perfect romantic vibe with all luxury access to make your stay comfortable. You get a fully air conditioned room with free wifi and a room terrace to have a glance at nature. In addition, you can enjoy a fitness centre with 24/7 staff running to serve you the best.
2. Norwood Green: Norwood Green resort is built in bundla tea premises,palampur. The resort is fully equipped with modern amenities to make your stay peaceful. It has in house dining with 24/7 room service availability. You can enjoy the amazing look of tea gardens through your balcony and can enjoy the lively vibes.
Araiya Palampur: Araiya Palampur is between dense pine forests and the magnificent Dhauladhar Range which gives you the perfect nature vibe. You can choose from 25 rooms and suites available with all basic amenities including an all-day dining restaurant, a rooftop bar, a heated pool with stunning lawn.
Palampur is derived from Palum which means abundant waters and pur means place. There are numerous water streams flowing from Palampur. With the combination of greenery and water, it makes this place pollution-free to endeavor your peaceful life.
Yes, Palampur is worth visiting during your free time. People believe that there are only tea gardens all over but no its wrong, there is a lot more than that. Palampur has a beautiful heritage place with astonishing architecture. It is a perfect combination of greenery and water, with a spectacular view of the valley that makes it a must place to visit.
Palampur is a place full of surprises and serene hill station. As you have been hearing about the tea plantations a lot so yes being the Tea Capital of North India, you can buy those flavorful tea with goodness of aroma for yourself. Kangra tea is known for its natural and high quality and is considered as the perfect blend for tea lovers.
Tibetan handcrafts and woolens are one of the most buying products in Palampur and you can get the best artistic and creative handicrafts at Tashi Jong Monastery. You can also get traditional Artifacts which include carpets, ornaments, mementos, decorative textile, and many more. Thangka paintings can also be the best buying choice for artists and all time collectors.