A Week in McLeod Ganj: Momos, Monasteries, and Mountain Air
Day 1: Arrival and Fog
The bus from Delhi takes 12 hours — twelve hours of flat plains that slowly buckle into foothills, then hairpin turns, then fog so thick the driver navigates by memory alone. You arrive at the McLeod Ganj bus stand around 6 AM, altitude 2,082 meters, temperature hovering near 8°C, visibility roughly 15 meters.
The mountains stay hidden. So does almost everything else. But a chai wallah sets up next to the bus stand — 10 INR for a cup that burns your fingers and warms your core — and points up the hill: "Hotel that side." Drag your bag up a steep lane to a guesthouse like Kunga (800 INR/night, hot water sometimes, mountain views theoretically), and sleep off the journey until noon.
By the time you wake, the fog has lifted. And there are the Dhauladhar mountains, snow-capped and impossibly close, filling the window like a painting hung while you slept.
Day 2: The Temple Circuit
The Tsuglagkhang Complex — the Dalai Lama's temple — is the center of everything. Free entry, open 6 AM–6 PM. Walk the kora path that circles the temple, spinning prayer wheels as you go. Tibetan monks in maroon robes walk the same loop, some chanting, some on their phones.
The Tibet Museum inside documents the exile story. It's small, free, and quietly powerful — set aside an hour for it. Next door sits Namgyal Monastery, the Dalai Lama's personal monastery, where morning prayers run 6–7 AM with chanting and horns. Slip into the back and listen. No Tibetan required. The vibration of the horns lands somewhere below language.
For lunch, head to Tibet Kitchen on Jogiwara Road. Steamed momos (100 INR) and thukpa (120 INR). The momos are perfect — thin skin, pork filling, served with a fiery red chutney that disappears off the plate in minutes.
Day 3: Bhagsu and the Waterfall
Bhagsu Waterfall is a 2 km walk from the main square. The ancient Shiva temple at its base dates to the 8th century. The fall itself drops about 20 meters — not massive, but the pool beneath it runs cold enough to make you gasp (in October, it's pure snowmelt).
Above the waterfall, a trail continues to cafes perched on rocks with wide valley views. Settle in at Shiva Cafe (not the original, but the view earns its name). Masala chai, 30 INR. A paperback someone left behind. Three hours vanish.
In the evening, find your way into a meditation class at Tushita Meditation Centre. Drop-in sessions are free (donations appreciated) — 45 minutes of guided sitting meditation. Even a restless mind, the kind that runs commentary on everything, can settle here. Something about the altitude, the silence, and a full day of walking does the work. For five clear minutes, the noise quiets.
It's the kind of session worth returning to every morning for the rest of the week.
Day 4: Triund Trek
The big one. 9 km to the ridge at 2,875 meters. Start around 6:30 AM with a water bottle, energy bars, and a warm jacket. The trail opens gently through forest, then steepens into rocky switchbacks for the final 2 km.
Plan on roughly four and a half hours up. Legs burning, lungs working harder than at sea level — and then the payoff: a grassy ridge with the Dhauladhar range filling the sky in every direction, every step suddenly worth it.
Order dal rice at a makeshift dhaba on the ridge (150 INR, not gourmet, absolutely perfect in context). Claim a rock and stare at mountains for an hour. The hike back down takes about three hours and tests every joint you own.
That evening's hot shower at the guesthouse ranks among the best you'll ever take.
Day 5: Cooking Class
Lhamo's Kitchen, near the temple. Three hours, 1,000 INR. You learn to make momos from scratch — the dough, the filling, the pleating technique that looks simple and is absolutely not. Your first momos may look like they've been in a fight while Lhamo's look like origami. That's part of the fun.
She also teaches thukpa and Tibetan butter tea (po cha). The butter tea is an acquired taste — salty, buttery, more soup than tea — and somewhere around cup three, you acquire it.
In the evening, walk to Naddi village for sunset. The 30-minute uphill climb is worth every step. The Dhauladhar range at golden hour turns from white to pink to orange. Sit on a stone wall beside college students and a German couple, everyone silent, watching the light change.
Day 6: Norbulingka and Dharamkot
Take a shared taxi (30 INR) down to Sidhpur for the Norbulingka Institute. Entry 50 INR. Watch artisans create thangka paintings — intricate Buddhist scroll paintings that take months to complete. The patience required is almost meditative in itself. The Japanese-Tibetan garden is empty and beautiful.
In the afternoon, climb to Dharamkot, the backpacker village above McLeod Ganj. Yoga studios, Israeli restaurants, and a laid-back vibe that feels like a Himalayan Goa. Order the shakshuka at Trek and Dine — surprisingly, genuinely good.
Day 7: Leaving
Wake early for a final meditation session at Tushita. Then walk the kora path one last time, spinning the prayer wheels slowly. Pick up a hand-hammered singing bowl from a shop on Jogiwara Road (1,200 INR) and a bag of Tibetan incense to carry the place home with you.
The bus back to Delhi leaves at 5 PM. As McLeod Ganj shrinks in the window and the mountains slip behind a bend, it becomes clear why people come for a week and stay for months. The combination of altitude, spirituality, cheap food, and genuine kindness creates a gravity that's hard to escape.
Don't be surprised if you're already planning the next trip.
For the local perspective, read our interview with a McLeod Ganj resident. If you're exploring Himachal Pradesh further, Manali is a few hours north with a completely different mountain personality.
