Day Tour of Dharamshala, home to the Dalai Lama

Package Details

Destination: India, India, India

Duration: 5 to 6 hours

Price: $112.00

Details & Booking at viator.com

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Offered by: Viator

Located in the North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala is home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. Dharamshala also has beautiful tea gardens and its Kangra tea is famous all over the world. On this day-long tour explore the Tibetan quarter of McLeodGanj, visit St. John’s church, walk around the Dal Lake and watch Tibetan artisans at work.

Highlights:
• McLeodGanj
• Church of St. John in the Wilderness
• Norbulingka Institute

You will be picked up in the morning for a tour of Dharamshala with your guide for the day.

First visit McLeodGanj, also known as ‘Little Lhasa’. It is the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile and home to the Dalai Lama. Walk around the town and see the main temple where the Dalai Lama grants an audience to visitors whenever he is in residence. Also take a look at the residence of the Dalai Lama. Next explore the nearby market that is famous for Tibetan handicrafts.

From McLeodGanj go to the Church of St. John in the Wilderness. It is a beautiful church built in the neo-gothic style in 1852. The church has some exquisite Belgian stained glass windows. One of the Viceroys of British India, Lord Elgin, is buried in the grounds of the church.

Afterwards, go for a walk around Dal Lake. The lake is a picturesque excursion spot surrounded by Deodar forests. Nearby is a Hindu temple dedicated to Durveshwar Mahadev.

Visit the Tibetan Children's Village, a non-profit charitable organization that takes care of orphans and young refugees from Tibet. The school in the village is mainly focused on quality modern education and an introduction to the heritage of Tibetan Buddhism.

After the morning’s tour your guide will take you to a local restaurant where you can take lunch (own expense). After lunch, visit Norbulingka Institute, a center for the preservation of traditional Tibetan art. The Institute has an exhibition hall and you can also watch artisans at work.

At the end of the tour, you will be dropped back at your hotel.