Renting out your home in Palampur

Our advice for Palampur

Palampur, in the Kangra valley at around 1,250 metres, is known as the tea capital of north India. Tea bushes were planted here in the mid-nineteenth century, and Kangra tea received Geographical Indication status in 2005. The town looks up at the Dhauladhar range and down on a patchwork of estates, streams and paddy, which is precisely what a visitor pays to see.

A quieter kind of demand

Palampur is not a party town and rarely a snow destination. Its guests are families looking for a calm base, couples on a Kangra circuit that includes Dharamshala (about 35 km away), Bir and Baijnath, and people visiting the agricultural university and research institutes. Art lovers also come for Andretta, the nearby village associated with painting and pottery. Stays tend to be short in summer and longer, slower and easier to service in spring and autumn.

Operating notes

• The town's name is linked to a local word for abundant water. Streams and heavy monsoon rain mean damp walls and slippery paths, so ventilation and drainage deserve attention.
• Palampur's station, at Maranda, is on the narrow-gauge Kangra Valley line; Gaggal airport is about 38 km away.