Explore Palampur

Palampur is a gorgeous hill station in India’s Kangra Valley-pristine beauty and enchanting surroundings-a town that entices you to a getaway at any time of the year.
You can Trekking, paragliding, angling, taking a stroll through verdant tea estates and going for picnic lunches are some of the popular activities in Palampur that you may enjoy here. 

Palampur once formed a part of the local Sikh Kingdom but later it came under the British. The hill station has some fine colonial architecture built during British times.

Palampur came into being when an Englishman, Dr. Jameson who was the Superintendent of Botanical Gardens introduced the tea bush from Almora in 1849. The bush thrived and so did the town which became a focal point of the European tea estate owners. Since then the Kangra tea of Palampur has been known internationally acclaimed

The plateau of Palampur (1219 metres) nestles amidst the snow-capped peaks of the Dhauladhar Range, flanked by tea gardens and terraced paddy fields, forests of pine and deodar and lush tree plantations. Palampur which essentially comes from the word ‘pulum’ meaning abundant water is famed for its mild climate and salubrious environs. The pine scented air is invigorating and the scenery inspiring. 

So travel to Palampur to unwind and get rejuvenated.

Sightseeing in Palampur is all about visiting various temples, or distinguished villages among other things. 

Check out five century’s old Temple of Bundlamata and theChamundadevi Temple. The Kangra valley’s distinctive art style survives in the lovely little village of Andretta, 14 km south of Palampur. 

The Baijnath Temple is about 16 km from Palampur. It is said that Ravana built this temple to worship Lord Shiva. It is beautiful and it’s amazing monuments are worth seeing.

Neughal Khad, a 305 meters wide abyss that drops over a 100 meters to the Bundla stream. The stream is a thin streak running over stony ground far below the cliff. During the monsoon season, it swells and rages - madly over the entire width of the chasm taking stones and boulders along with it and makes loud roaring noise like thunder. Neugal Khad offers a fine view of the Dhauladhar range.

The Dhauladhar National Park at Gopalpur, 13 km from Palampur has a mini zoo with black bear, leopard, lion, red fox and several types of deer such as goral and sambar.

If you are trekking enthusiast then Palampur is the place for you as the place offers some lifetime experiences to trekkers. Popular trekking routes in Palampur include Palampur to Holi, and Palampur to Dharamshala, among others. 

Paragliding is another activity that you may enjoy in Palampur. A pair of villages called Bir and Billing play host to paragliding, cross country flying and other aero-sports and are the most sought after destinations for aero sports activities. Billing is especially popular for the 200 sq kms arena it has for such activities. 

Enjoy the peaceful environs as you indulge in fishing and angling in and around Palampur. Some of the popular places where you can go for angling include Dehra Gopipur, Naduan and Pong Dam. Mahaseer is one of the fishes that you may catch here. 

Saurabh Van Vihar was opened in the memory of Kargil Martyr Captian Saurabh Kalia and is a scenic spot to enjoy long walks. It is situated near Neugal Khad, a gorge which is more than 100 feet deep and the banks of which are a good spot for picnicking with family members. You can also choose to stroll around the tea estates for which Palampur is popular.

Holi is the most important festival in Palampur and is celebrated with great gusto here. A festival of colour, Holi has special significance in this district. A day before Holi, the women make up baskets of small twig from the kamal tree, lined with thread, jaggery, and pots of coloured water. At night little ''holikas'' (bonfire) are lit all over the town. Next day before they commence playing Holi these baskets are offered to elderly men of the town