Palampur

Palampur sits on a shelf of tea gardens between the Kangra plains and the Dhauladhar wall, which rises sharply just behind the town. The Kangra tea estates around it date from the 19th century and are still worked. The Neugal Khad, a wide stony stream bed with a tea-house viewpoint, is the usual short outing; the Tashi Jong monastery and the artists' village of Andretta, with the Sobha Singh gallery and a pottery, are close by. The narrow-gauge Kangra Valley railway stops in the town.

1. The Kangra Valley narrow-gauge train (Pathankot–Jogindernagar) stops at Palampur.
2. By road it is about an hour from Dharamshala and 40 km from Gaggal airport.
3. Buses run from Dharamshala, Baijnath and Mandi.

March to June for the flush of green tea and clear Dhauladhar views, and September to November after the rain. Palampur is one of the wettest towns in Himachal in the monsoon.

• Some tea estates offer factory visits and tastings — arrange ahead rather than turning up.
• Andretta and Tashi Jong are a short drive out; pair them in one half-day.
• The monsoon is heavy here from July to mid-September.

Individual pages for these are added as they are reviewed.