Tushita is located on a forested mountain slope at an altitude of 2100m (7000ft) in the beautiful foothills of the Himalayas, in Himachal Pradesh, Northern India. 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). You can find McLeod Ganj on Google Maps here.

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.

The following basic information is to assist you in making a general assessment of your travel options. This is NOT a full list of all travel options or details. Please note that we are not able to provide any further travel information than what is written below. Please check your travel guidebook for further details, keeping in mind that all travel information in India is subject to change at very short notice.

We recommend that all students plan to arrive in the Dharamsala area by at least the day before your course starts, given that travel delays are common, particularly in cold or Monsoon months, and to give yourself time to rest after your journey. With an open, relaxed and realistic attitude to travelling in India, it can be an extremely pleasant, even joyful and liberating experience. Tushita wishes you safe, happy, magical travels!

There are 4 main means of transportation you can use to get here:

TRAIN

BUS

TAXI

PLANE

For all these, you might find our

Travel advice from Delhi International Airport useful,

and when in town,

Directions from McLeod Ganj to Tushita.

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).

Please note: If you are catching a taxi to Old Delhi station, allow plenty of time as the traffic can be very bad on the last part of the journey through Old Delhi streets. The traffic can often be at a standstill at various points along this road.

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 another website which is much more user-friendly...

2. http://www.cleartrip.com/trains

You have to pay a slightly higher charge to book this way, but it is much easier to use than the IRCTC site. You can also check for train availability over a certain period of time (useful if you don't have specific dates in mind) here.

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). It is located on the first floor of the main station building (touts are particularly active around here - don't believe anyone who tells you that the office is now located across the street, it will be a private travel agency painted to look like an official railway office!). 

This railway office arranges tickets on "Tourist Quota". Booking a ticket this way often means that (if you are a foreign passport holder on a tourist visa) 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.

3 Tier Air Conditioned Carriage (3AC) - Approx 600 rupees

Same capacity as Sleeper class, but with air conditioning/sealed windows.

Provides: Padded berths in 3 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!).

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 2010, 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 80 Rupees (60 rupees by auto rickshaw).

If you would prefer a more direct (but less comfortable) means of transportation, there's always the bus.

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 settlement, about 30 minutes outside of central Delhi), 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.  A restaurant in McLeod Ganj put together its own list of bus timings, which you can see here.

All bus journeys from Delhi to Dharamsala take around 12 hours (usually an overnight trip).

There are however 2 Bus Services run by the Himachal Pradesh State Government, through which you can book online, and which may be more reliable.

1. You can travel to Dharamsala from New Delhi by the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus from Kashmere Gate ISBT (Inter-State Bus Terminal - Delhi Metro Map can be seen here)

WARNING: As of June 2011, the Kashmere Gate ISBT was under heavy reconstruction and news reports indicate that services to Himachal Pradesh may switch to the Sarai Kale Khan ISBT at some point in late June or early July. This may be the case for several months, so please check when you buy your ticket!

2. There is also a bus that leaves from the Himachal Government Tourism Office on Janpath, close to Connaught Place, you can check availability on these buses and book online at the Himachal Government Transportation Department website.

All buses stop once or twice 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 the above websites or one of the many travel agencies in Paharganj or Connaught Place. Most Government buses will terminate at Lower Dharamsala, so check when you board, and be prepared to take a further taxi (150 rupees), bus (10 rupees) or shared jeep (9 rupees) up to McLeod Ganj when you arrive.

The advantage of travelling by bus is that it is more direct and it's easier to get tickets at short notice. Indian Bus Terminals can be quite a sensory overload however, and if this is your first trip to India, we'd probably recommend that you take the train (or plane) as a first option.

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.

The closest airport to Tushita is Kangra (also known as Gaggal), which is just over 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).

The current schedule on the Kingfisher site (as of April 2011) states that between April 1 and September 23, 2011, Kingfisher will operate 2 flights daily flights (this may go back to one flight daily after this date).

1. Leaves Delhi International airport (Terminal 3) at 11:10am, arriving Kangra/Dharmasala (DHM) at 12:35pm.

2. Leaves Delhi International airport (Terminal 3) at 15:00pm, arriving Kangra/Dharmasala (DHM) at 16:25pm.

In the other direction:

1. Leaves Kangra/Dharmasala (DHM) at 13:05pm, arriving Delhi International airport (Terminal 3) at 14:25pm.

2. Leaves Kangra/Dharmasala (DHM) at 16:55pm, arriving Delhi International airport (Terminal 3) at 18:55pm

Expect to pay anywhere between 5 - 9,000 rupees (110 - 200 USD) for a one-way flight, depending on the season and how close to departure you book. You can book online from overseas.

Once you arrive at the Kangra Airport, the only way to get to McLeod Ganj is by taxi. The taxi between Kangra/DHM airport and McLeod Ganj/Tushita should cost around 600 rupees.

The obvious advantage of flying is that its so much faster. Also, as the Kingfisher flight leaves from the International airport, those arriving from overseas can stay in the same place and don't have to travel around Delhi. This means that for those who are coming to India for the first time, flying here will minimise the culture shock. Flying is very expensive of course, and easier isn't always better, so we certainly encourage visitors to India to try all its rich sensory experiences - we still prefer the train!!!

***The general advice we give to travellers ("We recommend that all students plan to arrive in the Dharamsala area by at least the day before your course starts, given that travel delays are common, particularly in cold or Monsoon months, and to give yourself time to rest after your journey") applies most particularly to those travelling by plane.

Arriving by plane on the day of the course will mean that you will arrive late for check-in, even if the flight is on time. If the flight is delayed or cancelled (quite possible, particularly during the Monsoon season) then it means that you will be too late to join the course at all.

Please also bear in mind that check-OUT begins at 1pm on the last day of the course, so please do not book the early flight to depart on the same day the course ends.***

The new Indira Gandhi International Airport opened in late 2010 and has radically improved comfort levels for International travel through New Delhi. You can expect to find most standard International Airport facilities here (ATM, Money Changers, Tourist Info etc). The Airport's website is here.

By far the easiest and safest way to travel to and from the International Airport and Central Delhi is by the new Airport Express Metro Line, which opened in February 2011. The Airport Link runs from 4am to 11pm and should take around 20 minutes. In June 2011, it cost 80 rupees for a single journey, but this cost is expected to rise to 150 rupees within a few months. This line only has a few stops and terminates at New Delhi Metro station, which is convenient for onward rail travel.

Most backpackers stay in an area called Paharganj, where there are many reasonably priced hotels (and a few nice ones too), travel agencies, money changers, cheap clothing and gift shops. Paharganj can be accessed by 2 Metro stops; New Delhi itself and Ramakrishna Ashram Marg on the Blue Line. They are located at opposite ends of Paharganj, but most people will find Ramakrishna Ashram Marg more convenient than cutting though hectic New Delhi station to get to their hotel.

You can still travel from the airport by bus or taxi, and information about these can be found here.

If you do plan to take a taxi, for a fair price and safer journey, we recommend that you use one of the "Delhi Police Pre-Paid Taxi" counters in the arrivals area (best to ignore all the offers for taxis from the people standing around). Just tell them the hotel / area you want to go to and how much luggage you have (you have to pay a few Rupees extra for big pieces), then you will get a receipt (which you will give to the driver AFTER you arrive at your hotel). The receipt will give the driver's number on it, so you then follow the pre-paid taxi signs outside where usually a driver will find you. A taxi to Paharganj / Connaught Place costs approximately 350 rupees, though we still recommend the Metro if you're going to this area, a taxi only really makes sense if you're going somewhere that isn't easily accessed by a Metro stop.

Wow, travelling to the airport is MUCH easier than it used to be!

It takes about 15-20 minutes to walk from McLeod Ganj to Tushita, up a very steep hill. At the Main Square in McLeod Ganj there is a Hotel called "Asian Plaza". To the left hand side of this building, there is a path that leads up past a few jewellery/thangka shops, and an imported foods shop called "Osho". Just around the corner is the "Common Ground" cafe.

This is the same path that you climb to get all the way to Tushita, so just keep following it up, up, up and expect to meet many monkeys on the way! After 10-15 minutes you'll see the "Regional Mountaineering Institute" building. At this point you're about 3/4 of the way there, just keep following the same path.

Around the corner from the Mountaineering Institute you'll see a small white stupa and the Tushita signboard.

Come through the gate and keep climbing up the steps for another 5 minutes, passing by a few small cottage-style buildings on the way (Monks and Nuns live there in retreat, please don't go in!). When you run out of stairs, you are there!

Of course, the easiest way is to take a taxi or rickshaw!

You can pick them up easily just below the Main Square. A taxi will cost 80 rupees, and a rickshaw will cost 60 rupees. It takes about 10 minutes. You can also walk to Dharamkot/Tushita on this road. It takes longer to walk, and is sometimes busy with traffic, but is at a much gentler incline.

We are sometimes asked for travel agency recommendations. This can be a tricky area since people often have very different experiences from the same agency, especially in India. However, one agency that has given us reliable service so far is "Dream Holiday" in McLeod Ganj.

Contact:

Vineet Sharma

+91 - 1892-221469

+91 - 9816087878

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