Walmo

McLeod Ganj travel guide — Walmo

Little Lhasa above Dharamshala — Tsuglagkhang, Tibetan cafés, Triund, Bhagsu, and the best base for the Dhauladhars.

Walmo travel guide to McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India. A compact Tibetan hill town ~9 km above lower Dharamshala, set against the Dhauladhar range at ~2,082 m. Home of the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile since 1960, it combines Tibetan-Buddhist monasteries, a British-colonial church, an exceptional cafe and yoga scene, and India's most popular beginner Himalayan trek (Triund). Walkable, backpacker-friendly and far more traveller-oriented than the administrative town below. Little Lhasa above Dharamshala — Tsuglagkhang, Tibetan cafés, Triund, Bhagsu, and the best base for the Dhauladhars. Also known as: Little Lhasa; Mini Lhasa; Dhasa; Home of the Dalai Lama. Base in McLeod Ganj core for a first visit; Dharamkot for yoga/quiet; Bhagsu for waterfall-side calm; Naddi for views. Plan sightseeing in loops - upper (core/Bhagsu/Dharamkot/Naddi/Dal Lake/St John) vs lower (Tibet Museum/Norbulingka/Gyuto/HPCA) - to avoid repeated 30-min cab backtracks. The Skyway is the fastest link down. For Triund: verify current permit/camping rules and winter closures, register at Gallu Devi, start by ~7 AM, and carry warm layers (the ridge drops below 5 C after dark even in summer). Do not take the forest shortcut from the Dalai Lama temple down to the Tibet Museum - it is steep, unmarked and unsafe. Take a taxi.