Route library · Weekend · Mountains
Delhi to McLeodganj & Triund
McLeodganj, above Dharamshala in the Kangra valley, is the seat of the Dalai Lama and a Tibetan town wedged under the near-vertical Dhauladhar wall. From the hamlet of Dharamkot just above it, the classic Triund trek climbs about 9 km to a grassy ridge at 2,850 m directly beneath the rock — a walk, not a climb, and one of the most popular in Himachal.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 1,000–1,100 km on the bike; ~18 km on foot if you add Triund
- Riding time
- 10–11 hours each way — a long highway-and-hills day, best split
- Nights
- Two nights (add one on the ridge if you camp at Triund)
- Start point
- Delhi (via Ambala, Una and Kangra)
- Highest point
- About 1,770 m at McLeodganj; 2,850 m at Triund on foot
- Difficulty
- Moderate. The ride is easy hill road; the Triund walk is long but non-technical, at altitude.
- Surface
- Delhi–Una–Kangra is good highway and valley road; Kangra–Dharamshala–McLeodganj is a steep, narrow, busy hill road
- Best season
- March to June and September to November. The monsoon is very wet in Kangra (highest rainfall in the region); winter brings snow to Triund and cold nights in McLeodganj.
The ride
Delhi → Ambala → Una → Kangra, then the climb through Dharamshala to McLeodganj and up the last narrow lanes to Dharamkot. In town: the Namgyal monastery and Tsuglagkhang complex, the Bhagsu waterfall and the St John in the Wilderness church in the deodar below.
For Triund, leave the bikes at a Dharamkot or Gallu guesthouse and walk. It is about 9 km and 4–5 hours up through oak and rhododendron to the ridge, with the Dhauladhar filling the sky. Most people day-hike it; if you camp, it is one night and a dawn on the ridge before walking down.
Day by day
Delhi to McLeodganj
Delhi → Ambala → Una → Kangra → Dharamshala → McLeodganj (10–11 hours). Long day; settle in Dharamkot.
McLeodganj, or trek Triund
Either a town day (monastery, Bhagsu, the church) or the Triund trek — up to the ridge and back as a long day hike, or up to camp with gear and a guide arranged locally.
McLeodganj to Delhi
Down through Kangra and the long highway home. Leave early.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy the whole way — the Delhi–Una highway is well served, and there are pumps at Kangra, Dharamshala and lower McLeodganj.
- Fill up in Dharamshala before the last climb; Dharamkot and Gallu have none.
- McLeodganj and Dharamkot have guesthouses across every budget and plenty of cafes. Triund has a few seasonal tea-tents and a forest rest house; camping is via local operators only. Weekends and the spring/autumn peaks are busy — book ahead.
Road & conditions
Delhi to Una is fast four-lane; Una through Kangra is a good valley road. The climb from Kangra through Dharamshala to McLeodganj is steep, narrow and often jammed with tourist cars, taxis and buses in season — patience and the horn. The lanes above McLeodganj to Dharamkot and Gallu are very tight. None of it is rough, but the last few kilometres are slow.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Fine on a well-maintained 150–200cc commuter.
- Fuel gap
- No fuel gap worth planning around.
- Spare fuel
- None needed for this route.
- Emergency & logistics
- Well-equipped hospital at Dharamshala; on the Triund trek, no vehicle evac above Gallu — it is a stretcher carry; good signal in town, patchy on the ridge.
Best time to ride
March to June is mild, with rhododendron on the Triund trail. Mid-September to November is clear and settled after the monsoon. Avoid July and August — Kangra gets the heaviest rain in the western Himalaya and the trail turns to mud with leeches. Winter puts snow on Triund and makes the ridge a cold-weather trek.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: if you add Triund, trekking shoes, a daypack, water, a warm layer and a rain shell; for a camp night, a bag rated near freezing and a headlamp, or hire the lot from a Dharamkot operator. In town you only need a warm layer for the evenings.
Ride this with a group
We run McLeodganj and Triund as an easy weekend with an optional ridge walk — the long day paced, bikes secured at Dharamkot, a guide and gear arranged if we camp, and a trail clean-up on Triund.