At ten in the morning the sky above Bir fills with colour — dozens of paragliders drifting down from Billing to the tea fields below. By afternoon the same village is quiet again: monks walking to class, travellers working in cafés, the Dhauladhar range catching the light. Bir is one of our Hoppers' favourite places to stay a month.
What Bir is like
Bir is two villages in one. The Tibetan colony, founded by refugees in the 1960s, has monasteries, a Buddhist study institute and cafés with garden seating. The Himachali village around it is farms, tea gardens and old wooden houses. Above both is Billing, a meadow at about 2,400 metres where paragliders take off.
It is small, walkable and friendly. Many long-stay travellers rent a room for a month, work in the mornings and walk, read or fly in the afternoons.
Places to see
- 1Bir landing sitewhere paragliders landOpen in Google Maps ↗
- 2Billing take-offmeadow at about 2,400 mOpen in Google Maps ↗
- 3Chokling monasteryTibetan colonyOpen in Google Maps ↗
- 4Deer Park InstituteBuddhist and Indian philosophy coursesOpen in Google Maps ↗
- 5Baijnath temple13th-century Shiva templeOpen in Google Maps ↗
- 6Palampur tea gardensKangra tea estatesOpen in Google Maps ↗
- 7Kangra airport (Gaggal)nearest airportOpen in Google Maps ↗
Positions approximate.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Tap a name to zoom.
- Paragliding: tandem flights with licensed pilots in the main season (roughly October–November and March–May). Choose a registered operator and ask about insurance.
- Monasteries: visitors are welcome at Chokling and Sherab Ling; follow the clockwise walk and keep quiet during prayers.
- Baijnath temple: a beautiful stone Shiva temple about 20 minutes away.
- Palampur: tea estates and the Kangra valley's gentle walks.
Tibetan life in Bir
Bir's Tibetan colony grew around monasteries and handicraft centres set up by refugee families. Today you can join meditation sessions, take short courses in Buddhist philosophy or Tibetan language, watch monks debate in courtyards, and buy thangka paintings and carpets made in local workshops. Losar, the Tibetan New Year, brings masked dances and family feasts. Be a quiet guest: ask before photographing, and buy directly from makers when you can.
Living and working in Bir
- Internet: mobile data is good in the village; many cafés and guesthouses have Wi-Fi. Keep a hotspot for power cuts in storms.
- Seasons: spring and autumn are ideal; the monsoon (July–August) is wet and flying stops; winter days are clear and nights cold.
- Food: Tibetan, Himachali and international cafés; vegetables from local farms. Beef is not served in Himachal Pradesh.
- Getting around: walk, or hire a local taxi; the road to Billing is steep and narrow.
Getting there and staying
Most Hoppers fly from Delhi to Kangra (Gaggal) and take a taxi of about two and a half hours, or ride an overnight bus from Delhi or Chandigarh to Bir. A slow train, the narrow-gauge Kangra Valley Railway, runs through the region for those who love scenic journeys.
Stays range from family homestays in the Himachali village to guesthouses and small boutique hotels in the Tibetan colony. For a month, we look for a quiet room with a desk, reliable power backup, hot water in winter and meals included — that is what BookMedTrip Hoppers packages are built around.
Safety and health
Paragliding is an adventure sport. Do not fly in the weeks after any surgery, if you are pregnant, or with heart, back or neck problems — ask your doctor first. Bir's nearest larger hospitals are in Palampur and Dharamshala; for specialist care, Chandigarh is a day's drive.
- Mon–Wedwork mornings in a café, afternoon walks through the tea gardens
- Thursdayvisit Baijnath temple and Palampur
- Fridaya short course or talk at a Buddhist institute
- Saturdaytandem flight from Billing if fit and the weather is right
- Sundayrest, laundry and momos in the Tibetan colony
Bir rewards people who slow down. Stay long enough to know the café owners by name, learn a few words of Tibetan and Hindi, and watch the mountains change with the weather. That is what Hoppers is about: fewer places, more depth, and money that stays with the families who host you.
Join BookMedTrip Hoppers, read our Dharamshala guide and the guide to Himachali culture.
Independent research. Figures are quoted from the official and published sources listed below, as they stood when we checked them (October 2026). BookMedTrip is an independent facilitator and is not affiliated with any government body, hospital, charity or organisation named here, and receives no commission from them. If anything here is out of date or inaccurate, please write to care@bookmedtrip.com and we will correct it.
常见问题
When is the best time for paragliding in Bir Billing?
Roughly October–November and March–May, when the weather is stable. Flying stops in the monsoon.
How far is Bir from Dharamshala?
About two and a half hours by road. Kangra (Gaggal) is the nearest airport.
Is Bir good for digital nomads?
Yes. It is small and walkable, with mobile data, café Wi-Fi and long-stay rooms. Keep a hotspot for storms.
