How to reach McLeod Ganj

McLeod Ganj, popularly known as ‘Little Lhasa’ or ‘Dhasa’ owing to its huge Tibetian population, is a suburb of Dharmshala in Himachal Pradesh. Home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, McLeod Ganj is visited by a large number of tourists every year. Being a popular destination, reaching McLeod Ganj is not a hassle as the place is well linked with other parts of the country via a strong network of flights, trains and buses. The nearest airport and railway station to McLeod Ganj is Gaggal Airport at Dharamshala (about 20 km away) and Pathankot Railway Station (approximately 90 km away), respectively. Those travelling by road from nearby cities and towns can opt for state-run and privately operated buses.

By air: Gaggal Airport or Kangra Airport at Dharamshala is about 20 km away from McLeod Ganj and is well connected to Delhi, Kullu and Chandigarh. Airlines like Air India Regional, SpiceJet and Jagson Airlines operate regular flights from these cities for Dharmshala. After reaching the airport, travellers can hire taxis or take buses to reach their destination, which takes around an hour.

By road:
A number of state owned and private buses connect McLeod Ganj with other cities like Delhi (500 km), Chandigarh (250 km) and Dharamshala (20 km). In New Delhi, most of the buses leave from the Kashmiri Gate ISBT and Majnu-ka-Tilla (a Tibetian camp). Deluxe buses of Himachal Pradesh Tourism are also available from Himachal Bhawan. One can also drive to McLeod Ganj from Delhi via NH 1, a journey of about 10 hours.
By train:
Pathankot Railway Station, situated approximately 90 km away, is the closest broad gauge railhead serving those headed to McLeod Ganj. Some of the popular trains available from Delhi for Pathankot are Jammu Mail and Uttar Sampark Kranti. Once you reach Pathankot, take a taxi or bus from outside the station, which is easily available.