Dharamshala, Triund & Laka Glacier

Beyond the cafes and bookshops of McLeodganj lies a trail to the roof of the Dhauladhar range - a dramatic wall of rock and snow that rises almost vertically from the Kangra Valley floor. This journey begins in the Tibetan quarter of Dharamshala, where you will visit the Dalai Lama's temple, explore the narrow lanes of the exile community, and eat momos and thukpa in steam-filled kitchens before hitting the trail. The climb to Triund is a classic Himalayan ridgeline camp at 2,850m with sunset views over the entire Kangra Valley, and from there the trail pushes higher to Laka Glacier at the snowline, where glacial pools sit in a rocky amphitheatre below 5,000m peaks. At night on Triund, the lights of Dharamshala twinkle far below while the Milky Way arcs overhead in skies unpolluted by city glow. This is the perfect introduction to Himalayan trekking - close to civilisation, but wild enough to feel like a real adventure.