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The stone tower of Baijnath Temple at dusk
1 night · 2 daysFirst visitClassicrelaxed

Two days in Palampur — tea, Andretta and Baijnath Temple

A two-day Palampur plan: the tea gardens and Andretta on day one, then Baijnath Temple, a Shiva temple built in 1204 AD, on day two. Free copyable plan.
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Photo: Viraat Kothare · CC BY-SA 3.0

A second day added to the one-day plan, reaching Baijnath Temple, a Shiva temple built in 1204 AD. Day one covers the tea gardens and Andretta; day two leaves town for the temple. See also when to visit and how to reach Palampur.

Photos: Viraat Kothare (CC BY-SA 3.0) · UnpetitproleX (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Who this is for

Anyone with two days in Palampur who wants the tea landscape and one serious historic monument.

Day by day

Day 1

The tea gardens and Andretta

The two easy stops close to town.

  1. 08:30
    Palampur tea gardens
    viewpoint · 2 min from Palampur · about 1 h there
    Terraced tea estates on the edge of town, with the Dhauladhar range behind them.
  2. ↓ 21 min by road · 10 km
    11:30
    Andretta, Himachal Pradesh
    town · 19 min from Palampur · about 1 h 30 min there
    The artists' village where Norah Richards built a mud-and-slate house in 1924.
Day 2

Baijnath Temple

The proper day trip: a Shiva temple built in 1204 AD.

  1. 09:30
    Baijnath Temple, Himachal Pradesh
    temple · 30 min from Palampur · about 45 min there
    A Nagara-style stone temple to Shiva as Vaidyanatha, built in 1204 AD and protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Getting there

Palampur is reached from Dharamshala in about 64 minutes by road, or from Pathankot in about 2.5 hours. See the hub guide for the full arrival table.

Where to stay

Palampur works as a base for both days; Baijnath is a round trip.

Know before you go

  • Baijnath Temple is best in the late afternoon light, but start day two early enough to have time inside the compound.
  • Dussehra is not celebrated at Baijnath, so the temple is unusually quiet at that time of year.
  • Sherabling monastery and Gopalpur Zoo are further options for a third day.

Places on this route

Baijnath Temple
Baijnath Temple
temple · 30 min from Palampur
Palampur tea gardens
Palampur tea gardens
viewpoint · 2 min from Palampur

Other ways to do it

All Palampur itineraries →
One day in Palampur — the tea gardens and Andretta
Day plan · First visitClassic
One day in Palampur — the tea gardens and Andretta
A one-day Palampur plan: the tea gardens at the edge of town, then Andretta, the artists' village where Norah Richards lived. Free copyable plan.
Best Mar–May · Oct–Nov
See the plan →

Questions people ask

Is Baijnath Temple worth the drive from Palampur?

Yes. It is a Nagara-style stone temple to Shiva as Vaidyanatha, built in 1204 AD and protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is about 30 minutes and 16 km from Palampur, and it survived the 1905 Kangra earthquake with only minor damage.

What is special about Baijnath Temple?

Two long inscriptions in the main hall, in Sharada and Takri scripts, name the merchants Ahuka and Manyuka who built it. The walls carry sculptures of Ganesha, Harihara, and Shiva's wedding, and by tradition Dussehra has never been celebrated here.

Can I see Baijnath in a single day from Palampur?

Yes. It is about 30 minutes each way, so a half day covers the drive and a proper walk round the temple compound. Combine it with the tea gardens on the way back if you left them for the evening light, or keep them for the first day.