Triund Trek from Delhi — itinerary, permits, gear & budget

7:05The film

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Our 7-minute guide, filmed on the trail in January 2026. Play it here, or jump straight to the part you need.

Triund Trek Complete Guide | Cost, Camping & Route · 7:05 · Watch on YouTube

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2,100 mRoadhead▶︎ 1:06 in the video

Getting there from Delhi

New for 2026

Kangra district, 2026: a 6 January order bans trekking above 3,000 m and needs prior permission from the office of the SP, Kangra, for the Triund, Kareri and Adi Himani Chamunda routes; an IMD Shimla weather alert cancels it. We found no report of it being lifted. Triund's check posts are now run by a contractor chosen by tender, and since October 2026 the Forest Department lets at most 1,000 people a day up the trail. Check the current position before you travel.

Your gateway is McLeodganj (Dharamshala). The walk starts at Gallu Devi temple, 4.5 km up the road from McLeodganj: 20–30 min by taxi.

Overnight Volvo (HRTC) 10–12 hrs

Government Himsuta AC Volvo from ISBT Kashmere Gate. Evening departures arrive early morning. Some end at Dharamshala bus stand, about 9 km below McLeodganj, where a local bus or taxi does the last stretch.

Indicative cost · approx ₹1,250–1,550 AC Volvo (Himsuta); ordinary buses from approx ₹740–790

Private Volvo / sleeper 10–11 hrs

From ISBT Kashmere Gate and Majnu-ka-Tilla in north Delhi, evening departures into McLeodganj or Dharamshala. Book ahead in season; they fill up.

Indicative cost · approx ₹700–2,500 (dynamic)

Train to Pathankot Cantt 5–9 hrs by train + approx 3 hrs by road

No line reaches Dharamshala. Daytime: Vande Bharat 22439, New Delhi 06:00 → Pathankot Cantt 11:15, daily except Wednesday. Overnight: 12445 runs daily, 20:50 → 03:45; the 21:10 departures (11449, 16031, 16317, 16787) arrive about 06:00, but each runs only one to three days a week. Pathankot Cantt is listed as Chakki Bank in some timetables. Then 88–91 km by road.

Indicative cost · train approx ₹315–2,160 by class (indicative; check IRCTC); HRTC bus approx ₹210–330; taxi approx ₹2,000–3,000 one-way

Vande Bharat to Amb Andaura (Una) approx 5.5 hrs + 2.5–3 hrs by road

22447, New Delhi 05:50, about 5 hrs 20 min, every day except Tuesday. Amb Andaura is about 90 km, 2.5–3 hrs, by road from Dharamshala.

Indicative cost · ₹1,126 CC / ₹2,129 EC, plus the road transfer

Flight to Kangra (Gaggal, DHM) approx 1.5 hrs flight + approx 45–60 min taxi

IndiGo and SpiceJet fly Delhi–Kangra on small turboprops. The runway is short and weather-sensitive and flights get cancelled, so don't build a tight plan around them. The airport is 10–12 km from Dharamshala and 18–20 km from McLeodganj.

Indicative cost · approx ₹4,900–7,300+ one-way; taxi to McLeodganj approx ₹1,000–2,000

Car / cab 9–11 hrs

About 480–490 km: NH-44 to Ambala, then Rupnagar, Una and Kangra (or via Jalandhar and Pathankot).

Indicative cost · approx ₹5,300–5,400 one-way sedan cab, plus tolls and HP entry tax

A four-seater taxi from McLeodganj costs roughly ₹300–600 (IndiaHikes quotes ₹500; checked 21 Oct 2026). Walking up through Dharamkot instead adds about 2 hours and 300 m of climb. Published figures for this road run from 2 to 8 km; 4.5 km is the road route on OpenStreetMap.

2,312 mTiming▶︎ 5:53 in the video

When to go

Best window: March – June and September – December.

Spring to early summer March – June

Warm days and clear mornings. Weekends get busy, so go midweek if you can.

Post-monsoon September – November

The clearest air of the year, and the sharpest view of the Dhauladhar.

Winter December – February

Snow is possible, and it needs proper gear: microspikes on the trail and real insulation for the night. In mid-January 2026 we found dry grass with patches of old snow on the ridge, and the snow on the Dhauladhar.

When not to go

July – August. Monsoon: the trail is slippery, there are leeches, and the view you came for is behind cloud. Dharamshala averages 859 mm of rain in July and 942 mm in August.

Nothing technical. The first hour from Gallu Devi is gentle oak forest. The last 2 km, the 22 curves, are the hard part: steep, loose underfoot and fully exposed. If you can walk uphill for three hours, you can do Triund.

2,466 mDay by day▶︎ 2:05 in the video

The plan, day by day

Day 0 is the overnight bus from Delhi, so a Friday-night start has you home on Monday morning. Altitudes are where you end the day.

Day 02,082 m

Delhi → McLeodganj (overnight bus)

Take an evening Volvo: HRTC from ISBT Kashmere Gate, or a private bus from Kashmere Gate or Majnu-ka-Tilla. It's roughly 10–12 hours to McLeodganj (officially 2,082 m; the main square is nearer 1,750 m), arriving early morning; some HRTC buses end at Dharamshala, 9 km below. Have breakfast, leave what you won't need at your hotel, and take a taxi up through Dharamkot to Gallu Devi temple.

Day 12,850 m

Gallu Devi → Triund

At the temple, fill 2 litres of water, use the last proper toilets and register at the forest check post. It's about 7 km to the top by our video's count; GPS-based guides put it nearer 5.5 km. The first hour is gentle oak forest. Magic View, roughly halfway, has the last tea shops and the last water. Then the 22 curves: the last 2 km, steep, loose and fully exposed. Be through the check post by about 11:30 as a day hiker, or 14:00 with a camp booking; these cut-offs are reported, not official. We left Gallu at about 13:15 and were at camp by 15:45.

5.5 km3–4 hrs

Day 22,082 m

Sunrise, then Triund → Dharamkot → Delhi

Get up before 6 and walk the 800 m or so to the east end of the ridge: on 11 January we were in position by 06:30, and the sun cleared the hills to the east at about 07:30. Then down in 2–2.5 hours; we left camp at about 08:30 and were back in Dharamkot at about 11:05, with two long stops to film. The 22 curves are harder going down than up. Take an evening bus and you're back in Delhi on Monday morning. Got a spare day? Spend it the way we spent 9 January, around McLeodganj, Naddi and Dal Lake, and walk to the trailhead from Bhagsu through Dharamkot instead of taking a taxi.

6.5 km2–2.5 hrs

2,504 mFirst-hand▶︎ 5:02 in the video

How it went for us

We walked Triund on 10 and 11 January 2026 and filmed every section for the video above. In mid-January the ridge was dry grass with patches of old snow, and the snow was on the Dhauladhar, where you want it. We got both payoffs: the alpenglow at sunset and sunrise from the east end of the ridge.

Gallu Devi to camp took us about 2.5 hours with stops, and the way down to Dharamkot about 2.5 hours, including two long stops to fly the drone. The ridge is at about 2,850 m (official figures run from 2,842 to 2,875 m; our video says 2,828 m), and the climb from Gallu is about 700 m.

Our trek by the clock, 10–11 January 2026

10 January
12:00	Set off on foot from Bhagsu
12:50	Through Dharamkot
13:15	Left Gallu Devi temple, into the oak forest
14:40	Magic View: the last tea shops and the last water
15:40	Over the crest at the top of the 22 curves, 2 h 25 min from Gallu
15:45	At camp on the ridge
17:25–17:45	Alpenglow: the Dhauladhar turns orange
11 January
06:30	In position at the east end of the ridge
07:30	Sun up over the hills to the east (about)
08:30	Left camp
11:05	Back in Dharamkot

Times are IST, from our camera and drone file times, checked against GPS-tagged phone photos.

Alpenglow on the Dhauladhar from Triund, 10 January 2026.

From our trip

The Triund trail's first climb above Gallu Devi: oak and scrub slopes, with the valley and a hillside town below — The first climb above Gallu Devi, through oak and scrub.

The 22 curves from the drone: the rocky trail climbing the open grass slope below Triund ridge — The 22 curves: the last 2 km switchback up the open slope below the ridge.

The last stretch of trail up to the crest of Triund ridge, with the snow-streaked Dhauladhar rising behind — Near the top of the 22 curves, the Dhauladhar shows over the crest.

The Forest Rest House on Triund ridge in early-morning light, the Dhauladhar behind, 11 January 2026 — The Forest Rest House on Triund ridge, early morning on 11 January.

Tents on Triund ridge under a starry sky before dawn, 11 January 2026 — Our camp under the stars before dawn, 11 January.

The sun rising over the mountains east of Triund ridge on 11 January 2026, seen from our drone — Sunrise over the mountains east of the ridge, 11 January.

2,543 mPaperwork▶︎ 4:08 in the video

Permits, fees and budget

Forest entry fee ₹100 per person per day

Where · Check post at Gallu, the trailhead. ETV Bharat (August 2026) says slips are sold at four check posts, including Gallu and Bhagsunag.

The fee was set at ₹200 in December 2023 on an HP High Court order, then halved in January 2024. Carry original ID and keep the receipt: GroundReport (March 2026) reports a ₹5,000 fine without one. Locals with traditional rights and registered guides of recognised operators are exempt.

Overnight camping ₹275 (Forest Department, Oct 2026)

Where · Gallu check post, or through your tent operator

The Forest Department's October 2026 figure is ₹275 for camping, on top of the ₹100 entry slip; reports don't say whether it's per person or per tent. In January 2024 it was ₹550 for a tent for two, entry included (Tribune). After a March 2026 tender, the check posts are run by a contractor (an ₹86 lakh contract, ETV Bharat, August 2026; the firm isn't named), while the Forest Department still sets the fees and the daily cap. Overnight camping has been banned for a period before (2018–19), so check it's allowed when you go.

SP Kangra permission Required by the January 2026 order

Where · Office of the Superintendent of Police, Kangra

Kangra's 6 January 2026 order made prior permission from the office of the SP, Kangra, mandatory for the Triund, Kareri and Adi Himani Chamunda routes, and an IMD Shimla weather alert cancels it. A November 2024 order said the same, and in January 2025 the DC said Triund itself wasn't banned but SP permission was still needed. We found no report that the 2026 order has been withdrawn, but October 2026 news on Triund's daily cap doesn't mention it, and we found no official page setting out the process. Ask your hotel, your operator or the Gallu check post before you go.

Rules on the ridge

Register at the Gallu check post with original ID, and keep the receipt.
Daily cap: 1,000 trekkers, set by the Forest Department in October 2026 after a long weekend when about 1,700 entry slips went out. Nobody goes up without a slip. The 2023 rules also capped the summit at 20 tents and 40 people overnight; we found no 2026 source saying whether that still applies.
Reported check-post cut-offs: about 11:30 for day hikers (some say 11:00), about 14:00 if you're camping.
Alcohol is reported to be banned on the ridge, and a May 2026 guide says campfires aren't permitted.
Carry every bit of rubbish back down.

Self-organised₹3,000–7,000

With an operator₹1,000–4,000

Self-organised, per person: the Delhi–McLeodganj bus at ₹700–1,800 each way, a share of the ₹300–600 taxi to Gallu Devi, ₹100 entry, a tent package at ₹800–1,500 (2026 operator listings run ₹999–3,999) and ₹300–600 for food (tea ₹20–30, Maggi ₹80–100, a plate of dal-chawal ₹150–200 at the top). Operator packages are quoted McLeodganj to McLeodganj, ₹999–3,999 in 2026 listings; Delhi-inclusive packages run about ₹6,500–7,500. Prices checked 21 October 2026.

Carrying your own tent? Our setup video: How to Pitch the Coleman Darwin 3 Tent

2,620 mThe kit▶︎ 5:53 in the video

What to carry

Non-negotiable

2 litres of water per person: there's none above Magic View
Warm layers in any season, plus a windproof jacket
Head torch
Shoes with real grip, for the 22 curves on the way down
Cash: assume UPI won't work at the top
Microspikes from December to February

Bring if you can

Trekking poles, for the descent
SPF 50 sunscreen: the open slope is brutal
Power bank
A bag for your own rubbish
Down jacket, gloves and a beanie for the night

Coming soon

Rent this kit from us in Delhi

Buying a down jacket and a four-season tent for one trek costs more than the trek. We are setting up trekking-gear rentals out of Delhi — pick up before you leave, drop back when you return. For Triund Trek you would want:

Tent
Sleeping bag
Down jacket
Trekking poles
Head torch
Microspikes

Join the list and you will hear the day it opens.

2,735 mTraining

Getting fit for it

If you can walk uphill for three hours, you can do Triund. Start 3 weeks out.

Be able to do all of these before you go

An hour of continuous uphill walking or stairs, three times a week
One 10–12 km walk carrying a 6–8 kg pack
Calf and quad work, because the descent is where legs complain

2,796 mQuestions

Questions people ask

How do I get to Triund from Delhi?

Take an overnight Volvo to McLeodganj, about 10–12 hours: HRTC from ISBT Kashmere Gate, private buses from Kashmere Gate or Majnu-ka-Tilla. Or take a train to Pathankot Cantt (the Vande Bharat leaves New Delhi at 06:00, every day except Wednesday, and arrives at 11:15) and about 3 hours by road, or fly to Kangra (Gaggal). The walk starts at Gallu Devi temple, 20–30 minutes by taxi above McLeodganj.

Is there an entry fee or permit for Triund in 2026?

Yes. You register at the check post with ID and buy the Forest Department's entry slip: ₹100 per person per day (confirmed October 2026), and since October 2026 only 1,000 slips are issued a day. Keep the receipt: a ₹5,000 fine is reported without one. A January 2026 Kangra order also requires prior permission from the SP, Kangra, for the Triund route, cancelled by any IMD weather alert; we found no report of it being withdrawn. Confirm both on the day.

Can you camp at Triund, and what does it cost?

Yes. The Forest Department's camping fee is ₹275 (October 2026; reports don't say whether that's per person or per tent), on top of the ₹100 entry slip, and since October 2026 no more than 1,000 people a day are let through. The 2023 rules also limited the summit to 20 tents and 40 people overnight; whether that's still enforced isn't clear. Tent packages with dinner and breakfast run roughly ₹800–1,500 a head in our video and ₹999–3,999 in 2026 operator listings. Booking in McLeodganj is usually cheaper than at the top.

Can Triund be done in one day?

Yes, if you're fit. It took us about 2.5 hours up from Gallu Devi and about 2.5 down to Dharamkot, with long stops to film, and day hikers reportedly have to be through the check post by about 11:30. But the overnight is the point: the ridge is at its best at sunset and sunrise.

How difficult is the Triund trek?

Easy to moderate, with nothing technical. The first hour is gentle forest. The last 2 km, the 22 curves, are steep, loose and exposed, and harder on the way down. If you can walk uphill for three hours, you can do Triund.

When is the best time to go to Triund?

March to June and September to December. Avoid July and August: monsoon, leeches and no view. December to February can bring snow and needs proper gear. In mid-January 2026 we found a dry ridge with patches of old snow.

2,850 mSummit

Know before you go

Start early: you don't want to be on the open 22 curves at midday.
There's no water above Magic View. Fill 2 litres at Gallu Devi and top up at Magic View. The Forest Department plans piped drinking water on the ridge by the end of 2026, then a ban on plastic water bottles, so check before you go.
Carry cash. Signal is patchy at the top and you should assume UPI won't work.
It gets properly cold after dark, even outside winter: nothing stands between the ridge and the snow.
Take all your rubbish back down. Thousands walk up this ridge every season, and it shows.
The 22 curves are harder going down than up. That's where ankles go, so use poles and shoes with real grip.
A 6 January 2026 order bans trekking above 3,000 m in Kangra district, which rules out Snowline (about 3,150 m), Laka Got and Indrahar Pass. The order gives no end date and we found no report of it being lifted, though enforcement has varied; ask at the check post.
The same order needs prior permission from the SP, Kangra, for the Triund route, and an IMD weather alert cancels it. We found no report of it being withdrawn by October 2026. The rules here have changed several times since 2023, so confirm the current position locally on the day.
The Kangra Valley narrow-gauge railway from Pathankot reopened on 2 June 2026 after nearly four years, was stopped again by monsoon damage, and four pairs of trains were restored from 11 October 2026. Even when it runs it takes most of a day, so it isn't in the options above.

Why this one is worth your leave days

The Dhauladhar up close: a near-vertical wall of rock and snow only a few kilometres away
Sunset alpenglow, when the whole range turns orange for a few minutes
Sunrise from the east end of the ridge, and the lights of Kangra and Pathankot below you at night
The crest at the top of the 22 curves, where the whole range opens up in one go
Friday night to Monday morning from Delhi, with no extra leave

Pair it with

Check before you book

Costs, permit fees and transport timings are researched estimates for the 2026 season and move around. Treat them as planning ranges, not quotes, and re-check permits and road status before you book.

Last updated 2026-10-21