Things to do in Bir — 5 stops, and when each works
How this list is built
Sorted by what you do first in a day: the launch meadow in the morning, the monasteries after, the day trips last. The minutes are our own road routing. Each entry links to its own page and sits inside one of our copyable itineraries.
Photos: PulkitPithvaWiki (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Above the village
1. Billing
The launch meadow, at 2,400 m and 32 minutes by road. The flying season is September and October, with some flying in November. Come to watch even if you do not fly. Billing paragliding site.
In the village
2. Chokling Monastery
The Nyingma monastery with a large stupa, 6 minutes from the centre. Its architecture is the draw. Chokling Monastery.
3. The Tibetan Colony
A refugee settlement from the early 1960s with monasteries of three traditions, a handicraft centre and the Deer Park Institute. Bir Tibetan Colony.
Day trips
4. Baijnath Temple
A stone Shiva temple 28 minutes from Bir, on the road towards Palampur. Baijnath Temple.
5. The Ahju ruins
Ruins mapped on OpenStreetMap, 20 minutes from Bir. Little is published about them, so this is a short stop rather than a destination.
Putting it together
The one-day plan covers stops 1 to 3. The two-day plan uses stops 2 to 5. For timing see when to visit Bir, and for arrival see how to reach Bir.
Questions people ask
What are the best things to do in Bir?
Billing, the paragliding launch meadow 32 minutes up the hill, is the headline. Chokling Monastery and the Tibetan Colony are the village's other draw, about 6 minutes from the centre. Baijnath Temple, 28 minutes away, and the Ahju ruins add a second day.
What can you do in Bir if you do not fly?
Walk the Tibetan Colony, visit Chokling Monastery, go up to Billing to watch the pilots and the valley, and drive to Baijnath Temple. The Deer Park Institute and a tea factory offering tours are also in the village, and none of it needs the wind to cooperate.
How many days do you need in Bir?
One day covers Billing and the monasteries. A second day reaches Baijnath Temple and the Ahju ruins. In the flying season some visitors stay longer to wait for good wind, and many pair Bir with Palampur, which is about 55 minutes away by road.