Offers

Best of Heritage Himachal and Punjab(10 Nights)

New Delhi, Shimla, Dharamsala, Amritsar, Pragpur, Chandigarh

for Inbound Traveller

Holiday Overview

Golden Temple
Norbulingka Institute (Photo Courtesy: Ekabhishek)
Christ Church Shimla (Nivalink Trip Dated - 3 August 2010)
Christ Church Shimla
Heritage Train
Viceregal Lodge (Photo Courtesy: ptwo)

Best of Heritage Himachal and Punjab takes travellers to Shimla (Colonial heritage hill station), Dharamsala (Himalayan destination and home of his Holiness Dalai Lama), Amritsar (Golden Temple) and Pragpur (Heritage and Craft village).

Route

New Delhi(1) - Shimla(3) - Dharamsala(2) - Amritsar(2) - Pragpur(2)

Summarised Itinerary
  • Day-1 Arrival at New Delhi
  • Day-2 Heritage train to Shimla
  • Day-3 Explore heritage character of Shimla
  • Day-4 Excursions from Shimla
  • Day-5 Travel to Dharamsala
  • Day-6 Explore around Dharamsala
  • Day-7 Travel to Amritsar
  • Day-8 Explore around Amritsar
  • Day-9 Travel to Pragpur
  • Day-10 Explore around Pragpur
  • Day-11 Depart to Chandigarh
Sightseeing Summary

Amritsar - Golden Temple (2.00 kms)

Dharamsala - Kangra Art Museum (1.00 kms), Norbulingka Institute (4.00 kms), St Johns Church (8.00 kms), Dalai Lama Monastery (10.00 kms)

Shimla - Christ Church Shimla (0.50 kms), Kalka - Shimla Heritage Train (0.50 kms), Viceregal Lodge Shimla (3.00 kms)

Preferred Arrival /Departure Destination
Arrival - New Delhi Departure - Chandigarh
Best Season to Travel
  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

Distances
  • New Delhi to Shimla -360 kms (8 hrs)
  • Shimla to Dharamsala -250 kms (7 hrs)
  • Dharamsala to Amritsar -189 kms (4 hrs)
  • Amritsar to Pragpur -180 kms (4 hrs)
  • Pragpur to Chandigarh -180 kms (4 hrs)
Route

New Delhi(1) - Shimla(3) - Dharamsala(2) - Amritsar(2) - Pragpur(2) - Chandigarh

Detailed Itinerary

Day-1 Arrival at New Delhi Arrival at New Delhi. As International flights arrive in afternoon / evening, overnight stay near Airport.

Day-2 Heritage train to Shimla Take day train to Kalka connecting to heritage train to Shimla (A UNESCO heritage experience).

Day-3 Explore heritage character of Shimla Explore areas around Shimla to explore heritage character of Shimla. Walk around mall road and visit Viceregal Lodge, Church etc.

Day-4 Excursions from Shimla Undertake excursions from Shimla to explore heritage character of Shimla OR Guests have option to take a walking trip in hills around Shimla.

Day-5 Travel to Dharamsala Travel to Dharamsala (240 kms - 7 hours), home in exile of His Holiness Dalai Lama and a renowned himalayan destination.

Day-6 Explore around Dharamsala Explore around Dharamsala visiting Dalai Lama Monastery, Norbulingka Institute, Himalayan View points and old colonial church / cantonment areas.

Day-7 Travel to Amritsar Travel to Amritsar (200 kms - 4.5 hours), home of the Golden Temple, one of the renowned Sikh pilgrimage and must visit for any traveller. Visit Golden Temple in evening.

Day-8 Explore around Amritsar Explore around Amritsar exploring Punjab villages and countryside.

Day-9 Travel to Pragpur Travel to Pragpur (170 kms - 3.5 hours). Pragpur, a quaint little village in Kangra Valley and one of the first to be certified as a Heritage Village. Here travellers can walk around the craft villages and enjoy countryside character of Himachal foothills.

Day-10 Explore around Pragpur Pragpur is the home of the famous Kangra school of painting. Pragpur offers a host of activities. It has a quaint market where several silversmiths ply their trade and will quickly modify trinkets to satisfy individual taste. The several village weavers will make shawls and blankets to order. The reservoir of the Maharana Pratap Sagar is good for biking, walking and bird watching.

Day-11 Depart to Chandigarh Depart for Chandigarh (183 km - 3.5 hours) for onward journey flight homewards via Delhi.

Detailed Sightseeing

Amritsar :

  • Golden Temple - Golden Temple (also known as the Sri Harmandir Sahib) was designed by the fifth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Arjan Sahib and was built in 1601 AD. Akal takht here is one of the Five Takhts of Sikhism and therefore the most important from the Sikh pilgrimage perspective. Golden temple remains the prime reason why tourists make a visit to Amritsar. Golden temple is also perhaps the most visited Sikh Pilgrimage destination in the world and visited by devotees from all religions.

Dharamsala :

  • Kangra Art Museum - Kangra Valley Museum displays arts, crafts and rich past, artifacts that date back to the 5th century. It includes a gallery of Kangras famous miniature painting and a representative collection of sculptures, pottery and anthropological items. Shamianas and dresses used by local royalty, old carved doors, jails, lintels and pandals are also on display Coins, jewelry and manuscripts are included. A section houses the work of contemporary artists, sculptures and photographers.

  • Norbulingka Institute - The Norbulingka Institute was founded in 1988 by the present 14th Dalai Lama at Sidhpur, near Dharamshala. The institute is dedicated to the preservation of the Tibetan language and cultural heritage. The institute is named after Norbulingka, the traditional summer residence of the Dalai Lamas, in Lhasa, Tibet. The main building is a replica of the Norbulingka palace in Lhasa. The Centre for Arts, offers training in Tibetan statue making, thangka painting, printing, applique and tailoring, wood carving, wood and metal craft. The Academy also offers long term courses in Tibetan Buddhism. The institute also has the two-storeyed Seat of Happiness Temple (Deden Tsuglakhang) built in 1985 and set amidst the Japanese inspired Norbulingka gardens. It is known for its 1,173 murals of Buddha, frescoes of all the Dalai Lamas and drawings chronicling the life of the 14th Dalai Lama. In the main hall stands the 4 mt high gilded copper Budddha, one of the largest outside Tibet. Around the temple are workshops of artisans and apprentices, which produce various handicrafts, also sold at the Norbulingka Gift Shop and Showroom, for the benefit of Tibetan refugees. A short distance from the institute lies the Dolma Ling Buddhist nunnery, and the Gyato Monastery, temporary residence of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Norbulingka institute is a must visit for any visitor to Dharamsala for a Tibetan cultural heritage experience.

  • St Johns Church - Between Forsythganj and Mcleodganj is the charming church of St. John. The area is under the shade of deodar branches, a memorial has been erected over the body of the British Viceroy, Lord Elgin who died at Dharamsala in 1863.

  • Dalai Lama Monastery - Most prominent site in Mcleodgunj is Dalai Lama Temple or Dalai Lama Monastery. It has a large statue of Padmasambhavna

Shimla :

  • Christ Church Shimla - Christ Church, Shimla, is one of the oldest church in North India. Built in the neo-Gothic style in 1857 to serve the largely Anglican British community in Shimla. Christ Church is situated on The Ridge and is one of the prominent landmarks of Shimla. The Pipe-Organ of Christ Church is one of the biggest in the Indian subcontinent and was erected in September 1899.

  • Kalka - Shimla Heritage Train - Kalka Shimla Heritage train is a preiindependence era train that is often referred to as "Toy Train". It is one of the sought after journies for any heritage and experiential traveller.

  • Viceregal Lodge Shimla - A Historic monument at 3 kms from Shimla Mall area where India-Pakistan Partition talks were held. A guided tour can be arranged that details architecture and history. There is also a manicured garden and a cafeterial attached.

Destination Overview

Chandigarh - Chandigarh is a major business centre and hub for Software, IT and ITES companies. Chandigarh is a tourist destination being a transit point for guests on Delhi - Manali route and an access point to visit neighboring hills of Himachal Pradesh and hill station of Shimla.

New Delhi - Delhi is the capital city of India and a major International arrival point and a major tourist destination. Red Fort, Qutab Minar, Lotus Temple, Jama Masjid, India Gate, Birla Temple, Mughal Gardens, Lodi Gardens, Rail Museum, Doll Museum, Zoological Park etc remain major tourist attractions of Delhi.

Shimla - Shimla being the famous holiday resort that used to enjoy the status of being the summer capital of the British Raj, is now the state capital of Himachal Pradesh. Today, Shimla is crowded and overdeveloped over the years and has completely lost its heritage feel.

Dharamsala - Dharamsala (3500 ft asl or Lower Dharamsala), is a laidback town at the base of Dhauladhar, 12 kms Short of Mcleodgunj.

Amritsar - Amritsar is a major destination in India where guests arrive to visit the "Golden Temple", a Sikh pilgrimage center and a major tourist attraction from visitors all over India and those arriving into India.

Pragpur - Pragpur, India’s first heritage village lies in Kangra valley in Himachal Pradesh. The famous Kangra School of painting has its base here in this village.

Access
Prefered Arrival : No ImageNew DelhiNo ImageNew Delhi
Prefered Departure : No ImageChandigarhNo ImageChandigarh
Distances
  • New Delhi to Shimla -360 kms (8 hrs)
  • Shimla to Dharamsala -250 kms (7 hrs)
  • Dharamsala to Amritsar -189 kms (4 hrs)
  • Amritsar to Pragpur -180 kms (4 hrs)
  • Pragpur to Chandigarh -180 kms (4 hrs)

Ready Cost estimate for this itinerary is not available.

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Travel Ideas incorporated in the itinerary

Lines indicate the best available driving routes.
Arrows indicate connectivity other than Road (e.g. Waterways or Air).
Please click on the markers for more detailed Information.

Distances
  • New Delhi to Shimla -360 kms (8 hrs)
  • Shimla to Dharamsala -250 kms (7 hrs)
  • Dharamsala to Amritsar -189 kms (4 hrs)
  • Amritsar to Pragpur -180 kms (4 hrs)
  • Pragpur to Chandigarh -180 kms (4 hrs)

Expert Connect

Nivalink has taken over 300 trips across India and select destinations overseas over last 10 years to verify hotels, evaluate destinations and understand its suitability with different profiles of customers across different seasons.

At Nivalink you are able to connect directly with experts who have travelled to these destinations and are able to offer novel ideas, honest perspectives and help you narrow down choices.

Email to expert@nivalink.co.in to connect with sector expert for specific ideas and recommendations.

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