Dainkund
peak · 20 min from Dalhousie
1 night · 2 daysFirst visitClassicrelaxed
Two days in Dalhousie — Dainkund and Khajjiar
A two-day Dalhousie plan: Panchpula, Kalatop and Dainkund on day one, then Khajjiar's meadow and Chamera Lake on day two. Free, copyable plan.
A second day added to the one-day loop, reaching Khajjiar — a meadow-and-lake spot about 38 minutes from town — and Chamera Lake, a reservoir behind a dam on the Ravi river, about an hour out. Day one covers Panchpula, Kalatop and Dainkund; day two reaches the two proper day trips further from town.
Photos: Harvinder Chandigarh (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Amit J Sangekar (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
Anyone with two full days in Dalhousie who wants both the landmarks close to town and the two day trips a little further out.
Day by day
Day 1
Panchpula, Kalatop and Dainkund
The three closest landmarks, all within a short drive of Dalhousie's own GPO.
- 09:00PanchpulaWhere five streams meet a short walk from the GPO — a memorial to Sardar Ajit Singh, Bhagat Singh's uncle, and a quiet spot among pine and deodar.
- ↓ 22 min by road · 10 km10:00Kalatop Khajjiar SanctuaryDeodar and oak forest between Dalhousie and Khajjiar, with marked walking trails and a forest rest house.
- ↓ 8 min by road · 4 km14:00DainkundThe highest point near Dalhousie, a ridge walk with views over three rivers on a clear day.
Day 2
Khajjiar and Chamera Lake
The two proper day trips further out — a meadow-and-lake spot, then a reservoir behind the dam.
- 09:30Khajjiar LakeA saucer-shaped meadow ringed by deodar forest, with a small lake at its centre — the district's most-visited spot, at around 1,951 m.
- ↓ 1 h 39 min by road · 46 km12:30Chamera DamA concrete gravity dam across the Ravi river, built for hydroelectric power; the reservoir behind it, Chamera Lake, mostly lies further along in Salooni.
Getting there
Dalhousie is reached from Pathankot by car or bus — about 86 km and just under two and a half hours. See the hub guide for the full arrival table.
Where to stay
Dalhousie works as a base for both days — Khajjiar and Chamera Lake are round trips, not overnight moves, though Khajjiar itself has a handful of hotels too.
Know before you go
- Start day two early — the round trip covering both Khajjiar and Chamera Lake takes most of the day.
- Carry cash for both days; card payments are unreliable this far up into the district.
- Roads to Khajjiar and Chamera can see delays after heavy monsoon rain — check conditions if travelling July or August.
Places on this route
Other ways to do it
All Dalhousie itineraries →
Questions people ask
Is Khajjiar worth the drive from Dalhousie?
Yes — it's the district's most-visited single spot, a saucer-shaped meadow ringed by deodar forest with a small lake at its centre, genuinely different in character from the hill-station town itself. Ponies for a short ride are easily available there too.
How far is Khajjiar from Dalhousie?
About 38 minutes by road, roughly 18 km, on a road that continues on towards Chamba town. It's the standard second-day stop for anyone with two days in Dalhousie, often combined with Chamera Lake further on the same day for a fuller circuit.
What is there to see at Chamera Dam?
The dam itself, a concrete gravity structure across the Ravi river built for hydroelectric power, and the reservoir it holds back, Chamera Lake. It's about 63 minutes and 28 km from Dalhousie, genuinely its own outing rather than a quick add-on to Khajjiar.