LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

Tushita is located on a forested mountain slope at an altitude of 2100m (7000ft) in the beautiful foothills of the Himalayas. To get to Tushita you first need to go to Dharamsala (elevation 1220m), roughly 12 hours drive north from Delhi. From there it is a 20min bus ride up the hill to McLeod Ganj (elevation 1770m) and a further 10min taxi or rickshaw ride up to Tushita (near the village of Dharamkot).

Please note: Even though Dharamsala is often taken to be synonymous with the home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in exile, the actual Tibetan settlement is up the hill, in McLeod Ganj.

GETTING TO DHARAMSALA FROM  DELHI

For all these, you might find our Travel advice from Delhi International Airport useful, and when in town, 
Directions from McLeod Ganj to Tushita.

TRAIN

The two nearest stations to Dharamsala are Pathankot (PTK) and Chakki Bank (CHKB). These stations are on the main line to Jammu Tawi. There are a number of trains from Delhi, the most popular are: 

#4033 - Jammu Mail. An overnight train which leaves OLD DELHI Railway station (NOT New Delhi Station) at 9:25pm each night and stops at Pathankot Station around 7:20am (before continuing on to Jammu Tawi).  

#2919 - Malwa Express. A day train which leaves NEW DELHI at 5am and stops at Chakki Bank Station around 1:45pm (before continuing on to Jammu Tawi). 

There are also a number of others, you can search for them here (enter Jammu as the destination station).

Pathankot is quite a big station and the train stops there for about 15 minutes. If you are worried about missing it, just ask the man on the train, who gives out the blankets etc, to tell you when the station is coming up. Usually there are people awake in the carriage who will also help you get out at the right place. It's not difficult!

Chakki Bank is a smaller station just a few minutes before Pathankot station. The train stops quite briefly here, so be ready to get off the train. The train guys or people in your carriage are usually very helpful in telling you when to get ready.

Booking train tickets online

There are two websites where you can book train tickets online using a credit card:

1.  http://www.irctc.co.in/ (The official Indian Railways website)
- If you just want to check times/availability/fare, you can do that here (enter Jammu as the destination station).
- If you want to book tickets, you must sign up and login at http://www.irctc.co.in/
- If the train appears to be sold out and departs within 2 days of booking, you could try using the Taktal system.

It is possible to book from overseas using a credit card on the IRCTC website, but many people find it difficult to use. In this case, there is a newly established website which is much more user-friendly...

2. http://www.cleartrip.com/trains 
You have to pay a slightly higher charge (100 rupees or so) to book this way, but it is much easier to use than the IRCTC site. Be aware that this is a very new service though, and you may want to double check the information provided first. We here at Tushita have used this website a couple of times and found it to be fine so far. 

Booking train tickets in person

While in Delhi, there is a very convenient and easy way for foreigners to buy a ticket for any train in India. Go to the NEW Delhi Railway Station, and on the first floor you will find the INTERNATIONAL TOURIST BUREAU (8am-8pm Mon-Sat, 8am-2pm Sun). You will find directions to the booking office here. This office arranges tickets on "Tourist Quota". Booking a ticket this way often means that (if you are a foreign passport holder) even if a train is otherwise sold out, you may still have a good chance of getting a ticket. Although most travel agents will be able to arrange train tickets for you for a small charge, you will only be able to get Tourist Quota tickets in person at major train stations. 

Train Costs and Classes

When booking in person, you can pay two ways (you need your passport and a valid visa for both):
- with $US, Euros or Sterling (you get change back in Indian rupees)
- with Indian Rupees, but you have to show a legal encashment certificate (eg. money exchange receipt or an ATM slip)

Costs:
- Sleeper - Approx 200 - 300 rupees.
Provides: Padded berths in 3 tiers to sit/sleep on, no bedding provided so bring your sleeping bag. Used by average Indians and is usually quite acceptable, but it's always a good idea to keep an eye on your bags.

- 2 Tier Air Conditioned Carriage (2AC) - Approx 900 rupees
Provides: Padded berths in 2 tiers to sit/sleep on with sheet, pillow and blanket given out after the train departs. Generally middle class Indians and foreigners travel this class because it is a bit safer from bag thieves as the carriage doors are locked at night so people don't wander through the carriages. People who have never travelled by train in India before may prefer this class (though Sleeper is fine, too!). 

You can see pictures of the class systems here, 
and find general information about Indian Trains on: http://www.seat61.com/India.htm

Getting to McLeod Ganj from the nearest Train Station

When you reach Pathankot or Chakki Bank, you can catch a local bus from the bus station (approximately 80 Rupees and takes around 4 hours). As of September 2009, there was a bus that left Pathankot bus station at 8:30am, which matches up quite nicely with the arrival of the #4033 Jammu Mail from Old Delhi, at 7:30am (if it's running on time!). The bus station is a 10-minute walk (or 5-minute cycle-rickshaw ride) from the train station. There is a small restaurant at the bus station where you can wait for your bus. This bus takes you all the way up to McLeod Ganj, but most of them stop in Dharamsala, from where you have to take another bus or shared jeep to McLeod Ganj (9 rupees). Ask when you get on the bus. 

Alternatively, when you get off the train you can find some other Westerners and share a taxi up to McLeod Ganj (approximately 1,400 rupees). There are taxi stands at both Pathankot and Chakki Bank stations, and they know all foreigners on the train are going to Dharamsala! The journey by taxi takes about two and a half hours and drives through beautiful scenery.

At McLeod Ganj, you may need to take another taxi up to Tushita (all the taxi drivers know Tushita) which is 70 Rupees (50 rupees by auto rickshaw).

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Buses

If you're on a tight budget, you can travel by Government bus from the ISBT (Inter-State Bus Terminal) near Kashmere Gate in New Delhi, otherwise there are several different private operators travelling from Delhi to McLeod Ganj nightly. They leave either from close to Paharganj or Majnuka Tila (the Tibetan area), departing Delhi in the afternoon/early evening and arriving at McLeod Ganj in the early morning, and may offer higher class or A/C vehicles. The overnight bus trip is around 12 hours.

All the buses stop two or three times during the night for toilet & snacks.  It’s a good idea to take your own drinking water on the bus. Bus tickets cost from 400 to 800 rupees, depending on the season and the type of bus. For more information and booking please visit one of the many travel agencies in Paharganj or Connaught Place. There is also a day bus that leaves from the Himachal Government Tourism Office in Connaught Place, the Himachal Government Transportation Department has their timetable online here.

Taxi

If you go to any of the travel agents or taxi booths in Delhi itself, you can find out about getting a taxi from Delhi to Dharamsala. For an Ambassador taxi it will be around 6,000 rupees for the approx. 12 hour trip to McLeod Ganj. 

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Plane

The closest airport is Kangra (also known as Gaggal), which is about a one hour drive away from McLeod Ganj. Kingfisher Airlines  operates a daily flight from Delhi, but refers to Kangra Airport on its website as Dharamsala (DHM). Please be aware that the International and Domestic airports in Delhi are about an hour's drive apart and since this Kingfisher flight is a fairly new airline connection, we recommend that you do not rely on it yet for connecting overseas flights from Delhi. In other words, please allow time between your flights in and out of Delhi!

The current schedule on the Kingfisher site (as of April 2010) states that the Kingfisher flight leaves Delhi at 10:40, arriving in Kangra/Dharmasala at 12:05. 

In the other direction, the Kingfisher flight departs Kangra/Dharmsala (DHM) at 12:30, arriving in Delhi at 14:00. The Kingfisher website quotes a lowest price of 7,000 IRs (about $140US), but you may find special offers. You can book online from overseas. The taxi between Kangra/DHM airport and McLeod Ganj/Tushita should cost around 600 rupees. 

We still prefer the train!!! 

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MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY!