Bir Tibetan Colony
The Bir Tibetan Colony is a refugee settlement from the early 1960s with Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya monasteries, a handicraft centre and the Deer Park Institute.
Himachal Pradesh⛰ 1,525 m2 itineraries
Bir
Bir at 1,525 m: the paragliding launch at Billing, the Tibetan Colony and Chokling Monastery, with measured drive times and two copyable plans.
Itineraries you can copy
All 2 →
Day plan · First visitClassic
One day in Bir — Billing, Chokling Monastery and the Tibetan Colony
A one-day Bir plan: the Billing launch meadow in the morning, then Chokling Monastery and the Tibetan Colony in the afternoon. Free, copyable.
Best Sep–Nov
See the plan →
1 night · 2 days · First visitTemples & heritage
Two days in Bir — the colony, Baijnath Temple and the Ahju ruins
A two-day Bir plan for any month: the Tibetan Colony and Chokling Monastery on day one, then Baijnath Temple and the Ahju ruins. Free, copyable.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov
See the plan →Bir is a village at 1,525 m in the Joginder Nagar Valley, with the Dhauladhar range behind it. It is two things at once. A Tibetan settlement was founded here in the early 1960s, and its monasteries still shape the village. And the launch ridge at Billing, above it, made Bir known as the paragliding capital of India.
Billing is the launch meadow, 32 minutes up the hill. Pilots glide down to the landing ground at Chowgan, on the southern edge of Bir. The Bir Tibetan Colony and Chokling Monastery are a 6-minute drive from the centre and take a slow morning on foot.
The flying season is September and October, with some flying in November, so plan the other months around the monasteries, the tea and the walks. See the one-day plan and the two-day plan, things to do in Bir, when to visit and how to reach Bir.
Photos: Fredi Bach from Switzerland (CC BY 2.0) · Gannu03 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Original: PanWoyteczekDerivative work: UnpetitproleX (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Places worth the drive
Billing paragliding site, Bir
Billing is the paragliding launch meadow above Bir, at 2,400 m and 32 minutes by road. The flying season is September and October; pilots land at Chowgan.
Chokling Monastery, Bir
Chokling Monastery in Bir, also called Chokling Gompa and Pema Ewam Chögar Gyurme Ling, is a Nyingma monastery with a large stupa and public ceremonies.
On the map
Open the Bir map →The places a Bir day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
All articles →
Things to do in Bir — 5 stops, and when each works
Five things to do in Bir, from Billing's launch meadow to the Tibetan Colony, with measured drive times and the months in which each one works best.
How to reach Bir — distances and drive times
How to reach Bir by road from Palampur, Dharamshala, Mandi, Pathankot and Chandigarh, with measured distances, drive times and the nearest airport.
Best time to visit Bir — the flying season and the rest
When to visit Bir: paragliding flies in September and October, with some flying in November. What to do in the other months, and why no weather table is given.
Questions people ask
When is the paragliding season in Bir?
The flying season is September and October, with some flying in November, per the village's own article. The launch is at Billing, about 32 minutes by road above Bir, and pilots land at Chowgan on Bir's southern edge. Outside those months, plan monasteries and walks instead.
How many days do you need in Bir?
One day covers Billing, Chokling Monastery and the Tibetan Colony. A second day adds Baijnath Temple, about 28 minutes away, and the ruins at Ahju. Many visitors stay longer around the flying season or combine Bir with Palampur, which is about 55 minutes away.
What is the Bir Tibetan Colony?
A Tibetan refugee settlement founded in the early 1960s after the 1959 uprising, at the west end of Chowgan, near Upper Bir. It houses monasteries of the Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya traditions, a handicraft centre, a school and the Deer Park Institute.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.