How to reach Bir

From the airport

Kangra Airport at Gaggal is about 67 km from Bir, 2 to 2.5 hours by taxi along NH 154 through Kangra, Palampur and Baijnath. Taxis can be hired at the small terminal, or your guesthouse in Bir can send a car if you ask ahead.

The runway is short, so only small turboprop aircraft fly in: mostly from Delhi, plus an IndiGo link to Chandigarh four days a week (restarted in September 2026) and a link to Shimla. Low cloud and rain delay or cancel flights, especially in the monsoon. The bigger alternative is Chandigarh, about 235 km and 6 to 8 hours by road.

From the railway station

The nearest main-line station is Pathankot Junction (PTK), about 140 km away, with overnight trains from Delhi and trains from Jammu and Amritsar; some trains stop at Pathankot Cantonment (PTKC) instead, so tell your driver which station. A taxi to Bir takes 4 to 5 hours, and it is easier to have your guesthouse send one. From Delhi, the Vande Bharat Express (22447) leaves New Delhi at 05:50 every day except Tuesday and reaches Amb Andaura (AADR) shortly after 11:00; Bir is then about 130 km by road through Dehra and Palampur, 3.5 to 4 hours.

The narrow-gauge Kangra Valley line from Pathankot reopened in June 2026 with trains to Baijnath Paprola, 12 km from Bir, and a shuttle on to Jogindernagar that stops at Ahju, 3 km from Bir. Monsoon damage closed it again within weeks, and at the end of September 2026 a trial run and inspection were still pending, so check before relying on it.

By road

Bir lies just off the Pathankot–Mandi highway (NH 154). From Pathankot the highway runs east through Nurpur and Shahpur to Gaggal (about 75 km), then through Kangra and Palampur to Baijnath. About 9 km beyond Baijnath a signposted turn at Bir Road leaves the highway and climbs 2 to 4 km to Chowgan, where the Tibetan Colony and the paragliding landing site are, and on to Upper Bir. Pathankot to Bir is about 140 km, 4 to 5 hours.

From Chandigarh or Delhi the easier drive follows the Kiratpur–Manali highway past Bilaspur to Mandi, then NH 154 north-west through Drang, Padhar and Ghatasani to Jogindernagar and on 12 km to the Bir Road turn: about 235 km and 6 to 8 hours from Chandigarh. A route of similar length through Ghumarwin and Sarkaghat uses narrower roads, and the route through Una, Dehra and Palampur is longer, about 280 km or more. From Delhi allow 490 to 520 km and 11 to 13 hours.

NH 154 is a busy two-lane road with four-laning works in places. From July to mid-September landslides block it for hours at a time, notably on the Padhar stretch near Kotrupi between Mandi and Jogindernagar. The 14 km road up to Billing is narrow and steep, and snow can block it between December and February.

By bus

HRTC runs overnight buses from Delhi, including a Volvo that goes direct to Bir, taking about 12 hours; many Delhi buses finish at Baijnath or stop at the Bir Road turn on the highway. Private overnight Volvo coaches also leave from Majnu ka Tilla in north Delhi. From Dharamshala or Palampur, take a bus to Baijnath, where local buses leave for Upper Bir about every half hour. Book long-distance seats ahead on the HRTC website or app, especially for weekends and the autumn flying season.

Local transfers

Long-distance buses usually drop you at the Bir Road junction on the highway, and a taxi from there to the Tibetan Colony takes about five minutes. Taxis wait at the Upper Bir bus stand and around Chowgan, where the taxi unions are based. Billing, the paragliding take-off, is 14 km up a narrow, steep road, 40 minutes to an hour by taxi or jeep. Rajgundha, the usual start of the Thamsar Pass trek, is reached through Billing on a narrow, partly unsurfaced road, about 1.5 to 2 hours from Bir in a sturdy vehicle. Aim to reach Bir by the afternoon before a trek.

Distances from major points

• Bir Road junction (NH 154) to Chowgan: about 2 km; to Upper Bir: about 4 km
• Baijnath to Bir: about 12 km
• Bir to Billing: about 14 km
• Palampur to Bir: about 30 to 35 km
• Dharamshala to Bir: about 65 km
• Mandi to Bir: about 65 to 70 km, via Jogindernagar
• Kangra Airport (Gaggal) to Bir: about 67 km
• Amb Andaura station to Bir: about 130 km
• Pathankot to Bir: about 140 km
• Manali to Bir: about 170 to 180 km
• Chandigarh to Bir: about 235 to 280 km, depending on the route
• Delhi to Bir: about 490 to 520 km

Good to know

Bir is a village of Tibetan monasteries, homestays and cafés at the eastern end of the Kangra valley, and the landing ground for paragliders who launch from Billing above it. It is also the base for the Rajgundha valley and the Thamsar Pass trek to Bara Bhangal. Most guesthouses are around Chowgan and the Tibetan Colony near the landing site, with quieter stays in Upper Bir; spend the night before a trek in Bir itself.

There are ATMs at the Bir Road junction and in Baijnath; draw the cash you need there, as there are none on the trail. Mobile networks are unreliable at the higher camps, though BSNL may work lower down. The Thamsar route runs through the Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary and needs a forest entry permit, normally arranged by the trek organiser. Kangra district also requires trekkers on its main Dhauladhar routes to register in person at a disaster management check post at the trailhead; the 2026 order runs until 15 October, and one of the posts set up in 2025 was at Rajgundha, so ask there before you set off.

Safety

Build in a spare day before any trek: Gaggal flights are weather-dependent, and from July to mid-September landslides can hold up hill roads for hours or days. Paragliding stops every year from 15 July to 15 September and on any day the weather is unsuitable. Bir (about 1,400 to 1,550 m) needs no acclimatisation, but Billing is at about 2,400 m and the Thamsar Pass at about 4,750 m needs a staged ascent. Ask your guesthouse or driver about road conditions on the morning you travel.

Travel tips

• Plan buffer time for road delays, especially in monsoon and winter.
• Start early for long drives to avoid night stretches on mountain roads.
• Keep offline maps and cash as backup in low-network zones.
• If you are continuing to high altitude areas, acclimatize and hydrate well.