The best time to visit Dharamshala is March to June and late September to November. Winter brings snow to McLeod Ganj and the villages above it, and from June to mid-September the monsoon brings some of the heaviest rain in Himachal.
What most guides do not tell you is how much the answer depends on height. Kangra town, down in the valley, is at about 733 metres. Lower Dharamshala is at about 1,400 metres, McLeod Ganj at about 2,080, and Triund at about 2,850. That is a big climb in a short distance, and in January it can be a mild afternoon down in the valley while there is snow on the path to Triund.
Dharamshala, season by season
March to June — spring into summer
The easiest time of year. Rhododendrons flower on the hills, the snow line moves back up the Dhauladhar, and the trails to Triund and Kareri Lake open up.
May and June get warm. Lower Dharamshala can touch the mid-thirties in May, but McLeod Ganj, higher up, stays pleasant. This is also when people come up from the plains to get away from the heat, so weekends in May and June are busy up the hill.
July to mid-September — the monsoon
Dharamshala is one of the wettest places in Himachal. Up to 3,000 mm of rain can fall between June and mid-September, and it can rain for days at a time. The hills go very green, the waterfall at Bhagsu runs full, and cloud comes right down into the town.
It is not the season for trekking. Now and then a landslide closes a road for a few hours, and paragliding at Bir stops for the season.
The Dalai Lama's birthday falls on 6 July, and McLeod Ganj marks it every year.
Late September to November — autumn
The monsoon washes the air clean, and October and November have the clearest views of the Dhauladhar all year. Days are warm and nights are cold.
The Dharamshala International Film Festival is held at the end of October or the start of November, at the Tibetan Children's Village in upper Dharamshala. If you like films, plan around it.
December to February — winter
Cold, clear and quiet. McLeod Ganj, Bhagsu and Naddi get snow and sleet through the winter, and Triund is under snow. Lower Dharamshala rarely gets snow — only hail. Down in the Kangra valley it stays cold but free of snow, and you look up at the white range from below.
Losar, the Tibetan New Year, falls in February or early March, and it is celebrated in McLeod Ganj.
If you are going up to McLeod Ganj or beyond in winter, carry proper warm clothes — thermals, a heavy jacket, a cap and gloves.
So when should you go?
- For clear views of the Dhauladhar: October and November
- For trekking: May, June and October
- For snow in McLeod Ganj: January and February — though it is never guaranteed
- For the film festival: the end of October
- For Losar: February or early March
- For the fewest people: December and January, or the monsoon if rain does not bother you
A few things worth knowing
Match days at the stadium. The HPCA stadium sits at 1,317 metres and holds about 23,000 people. When there is a match, rooms up the hill go early and the roads are slow. Check the fixture list before you fix your dates.
The Dalai Lama's teachings. When His Holiness is teaching in McLeod Ganj, the town fills up. His schedule is published on dalailama.com.
There are two Dharamshalas. Lower Dharamshala is the working town — offices, the bus stand, Kotwali Bazaar. McLeod Ganj, higher up, is the Tibetan town most people mean when they say Dharamshala.
Staying below Dharamshala
If Dharamshala is one day of your trip rather than the whole of it, you can sleep down in the valley and go up for the day — we have written about how that day goes. We are about 18 km from Dharamshala and about 22 km from McLeod Ganj by road, and in winter the valley is milder than the hill.
Rooms are ₹999 a night, or ₹1,699 with air conditioning. For the rest of the valley — Kangra Fort, Masrur, Pong — the Kangra month-by-month guide goes through the year the same way.