Palampur the tea capital of North India

Palampur is located in the northwestern part of the state of Himachal Pradesh, in the northern region of India. It is situated in the Kangra valley, near the Dhauladhar ranges.It is located on an altitude of 1,220 m above sea level. Palampur is 30 km from Dharamshala.With pine and deodar forests and tea gardens encircling the town and numerous streams pouring in, Palampur is known for the enchanting combination of water and greenery.Nestled between the majestic Dhauladhar Ranges, Palampur is known the world over for its tea plantations and its fine quality of tea. Palampur was first noticed by the Englishmen and was soon turned into a bustling town as the centre of trade and commerce.Their presence in this town is beautifully reflected in the Victorian style mansions and castles. The remnants of its glorious past can be seen in the beautiful amalgamation of the beautiful English style buildings and the picturesque landscapes. Palampur being one of the unexplored destinations offer a quaint and serene environment to tourists. Among the tourist attractions here, Tashi Jong Monastery and the tea gardens should be on the must-visit list for anyone.

Palampur is the tea capital of North India. This hill station is not only known for its numerous tea gardens and paddy fields but it also known for its colonial architecture and temples. One can enjoy the scenic beauty of the Dhauladhar range and the slopes of the Kangra valley from Palampur. Palampur and places around it are popular for adventure sports like hang-gliding and trekking.Apart from this, Gopalpur zoo is the most famous destination of Palampur. Located on the Dharamshala-Palampur road, the zoo is well-maintained and along with the magnificent beauty of flora and fauna, it also offers the beauty of snow-covered Dhauladhar ranges in the backdrop.

Palmapur offers breath taking Dhauladhar Mountain Range, world famous para gliding areas, easy access to snow line, old temples, world famous artist Shobha Singh's Art Gallery, very fine weather, tea gardens, a trek to budla stream which falls from 100 meters height. Palampur is a rapidly developing city of Himachal. The best thing about Palampur is that it always feels like home town whenever you visit here.The whole atmosphere is so pleasant that you enjoy it without knowing it. Palampur is reccomended for honeymoon, summer holidays and winter sports activities. The upper areas of Palampur experience heavy snowfall and thereby providing plenty of oppotunity for tourists to get themselves indulged in winter sports activities. Another noting aspect of Palampur is that it does not fall in the interior Himachal to enjoy the beauty of nature.It is very very easily accessible for tourism related activities. It has fine hotels to stay. Tourism in Palampur also offers fine Tea Gardens where you can lay down and relax for hours. Tourism in Palampur is a different experience as Palampur is different from all the Tourist Places of Himachal.

The weather in Palampur is moderate. Summers (April-June) are mild and winters (November-February) are cold but pleasant. It experiences southwestern monsoon rains in July-September.

Best Time to Visit

Palampur has a mild climate and can be visited throughout the year. However, the best time to visit Palampur is between March to June and mid-September to November.

How to Reach

BY AIR - The nearest airport to Palampur is Gaggal airport in Dharamsala, which is located at a distance of around 40 km. This airport is well-connected through regular flights from important Indiancities like Chandigarh, Delhi and Kullu. The second nearest airport is Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar, around 231 km.

BY RAIL - Palampur has its own railway station, Palampur Railway Station, connecting it to important cities of Himachal Pradesh. This railway station lies on the major Palampur - Kangra Valley Narrow gauge railhead, connecting Palampur to Pathankot and Kangra. This railway station 5.3 km away from the main area. Pathankot is the next nearest railway station, located at a distance of 113 km. Regular trains from cities like Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bhatinda, Jammu, Hatia, Udhampur, and so on, arrive at Pathankot. Taxis are available from outside the railway stations.

BY ROAD - Palampur is well- connected by a network of roads to most neighboring areas and important destinations in Himachal Pradesh state. State- run buses ply on a regular basis to Palampur from Pathankot, Mandi, Dharamshala, Jogindernagar, Shimla, Chandigarh, Gurdaspur, Sandhole etc. Delhi is also connected to Palampur by HRTC buses. Hiring private taxis and cabs is another suitable option.

Places Around Palampur

There are a number of places of tourist importance near Palampur: The village of Andretta is 13 km from Palampur and is an important craft center, which is known for its pottery. A number of well-known artists had made their base in Andretta. Sujanpur Tira, which is 42 km from Palampur, is famous for its fort and old temples. The town of Baijnath is 16 km from Palampur and is famous
for its Shiva temple. A mini zoo is also located at Gopalpur, which is at a distance of 13 km from Palampur. The Chamunda Devi Temple located on Baner River, 10 km from Palampur, is an important place to visit. There is a Tibetan monastery at Tashijong, which is 12 km away from Palampur. The monastery complex is famous for producing traditional Tibetan handicrafts.

Adventure

Several trek routes lead out of Palampur, particularly over the Dhauladhar Mountains towards the town of Chamba. Some important treks are over the Sanghar pass to Bharmaur via Holi and from Baijnath over the Jalsu pass to Bharmaur.

Twenty-eight kilometers from Palampur is an important center for the adventure sport of hang/paragliding. It also has numerous Buddhist monuments and is famous for its Tibetan handicrafts. The town of Billing, which is 42 km from Palampur and 14 km from Bir, is also an important center for hang-gliding.

Distances : Dharamshala 35 km., Kangra 40 km., Baijnath 16 km., Jogindernagar 40 km., Pathankot 124 km., Dalhousie 176 km., Shimla 235 km.