By road
~70 km from Dharamshala
North India · Himachal Pradesh
Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh
Paragliding and Tibetan monasteries in the Kangra hills · ~70 km from Dharamshala
Getting there
By rail
Ahju, ~3km, narrow-gauge Kangra Valley Railway
By air
Gaggal (Kangra), ~65km
Best time to visit
March to May and October to November — the flying seasons
Don't miss
Billing
The Bir Tibetan Colony
Chokling Monastery
Baijnath Temple
Things to do
Tandem paragliding from Billing
Monastery visits
Hikes
Café hopping
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: PanWoyteczek, derivative work by UnpetitproleX · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Warm layers, walking shoes, sunglasses
A quieter corner
The Tibetan colony's monasteries and cafés
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Bir Billing?
March to May and October to November — the flying seasons. What to pack: Warm layers, walking shoes, sunglasses.
How do I get to Bir Billing?
The nearest airport is Gaggal (Kangra), ~65km. The nearest railway station is Ahju, ~3km, narrow-gauge Kangra Valley Railway.
What is there to do in Bir Billing?
Tandem paragliding from Billing, monastery visits, hikes, café hopping. A quieter find: The Tibetan colony's monasteries and cafés.
What should I eat in Bir Billing?
Tibetan momos and thukpa, Himachali meals.
About Bir Billing
- Mountains
Where it is
Bir is a village in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India, in the foothills of the Dhauladhar range, with the paragliding take-off at Billing about 14 km above it.
History
Bir's Tibetan colony was founded in the early 1960s as a settlement for refugees after the 1959 Tibetan uprising, and its monasteries grew into a centre of Tibetan Buddhist learning; paragliding made the area known from the 1980s.
People
Bir is home to Tibetan families, monks and nuns who settled here in the 1960s, alongside Himachali villagers who speak Kangri and Hindi, and paragliding pilots from across the world in the flying season.
Known for
- Paragliding from the Billing take-off
- Tibetan monasteries
- Views of the Dhauladhar range
- Relaxed cafés
Did you know?
Bir Billing has hosted rounds of the Paragliding World Cup.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.