I am traveling from Pathankot to Dalhousie in the first week of November for a quick family holiday. It would be my first time driving on this route, and I would like some doubts to be cleared about this particular route and also get some tips. How many routes are there for going from Pathankot to Dalhousie? I would like to know what the road condition is from Pathankot to Dalhousie? Would the journey exceed for more than three hours? Can you suggest any place to stop at from Pathankot to Dalhousie, which is preferably half way in the journey?
Hi there, welcome to the forum! There are two routes that you can take from Pathankot to Dalhousie: Route No. 1 via Chamba Pathankot Road - Pathankot > Jandwal > Bungal > Badhani > Dhar Kalan > Bhatwan > Dunera > Banikhet > Dalhousie. This route is about 83.8 kilometres long. You just need to reach National Highway 154 and from there, reach the Chamba Pathankot Road. Continue on until the Chamba Dalhousie Road until you reach Banikhet. From there, Dalhousie is just a few minutes away. Route No. 2 via Jugial Road - Pathankot > Pangoli > Dadwan > Tureti > Dhar Kalan > Bhatwan > Dunera > Banikhet > Dalhousie. This route is about 86.9 kilometres long. With this route, you need to reach the Jugial Road until you pass through the Chamba Pathankot Road. Continue on again until you reach the Chamba Dalhousie Road, then Banikhet and then Dalhousie. So both routes I have given above are in pretty good conditions. But since the first route is shorter, I suggest that you take that one and it's also the most common route taken by travellers. Here are the road conditions for that route: Route No. 1 via Chamba Pathankot Road - Pathankot > Jandwal > Bungal > Badhani > Dhar Kalan > Bhatwan > Dunera > Banikhet > Dalhousie. From Pathankot to Badhani, road conditions are good. You won't encounter much issues except for the traffic near the city centre of Pathankot. So make sure that you leave early from Pathankot to avoid the rush hour traffic. From Badhani to Banikhet, roads are mostly in good conditions. There are mostly two lane roads in this stretch and it's very scenic as well. Although the roads are hilly, there aren't much steep curves that you have to pass through. From Banikhet to Dalhousie, roads are good but narrow so do be careful. The last stretch in this route, before you reach Dalhousie, has very narrow roads and traffic as well so those are your issues with this stretch. Overall, driving from Pathankot to Dalhousie is moderately easy. Apart from the last stretch which has narrow roads, driving here is a breeze and even suitable for those who aren't used to hilly driving. For both routes, without traffic, it can take you around 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach Dalhousie. If we consider the traffic and stopovers, it can take you around 3 hours or more to reach Dalhousie though. Your stopover can be at Dhar Kalan, about 1 hour and 30 minutes away from Pathankot. There are some eateries here although small and nothing luxurious. But since the journey is quite short, you can make it to Dalhousie in a few hours and just eat there as there are plenty of options from there. I'd suggest just bringing your own snacks and water in case you pass by places where there aren't any food stalls. I hope this helps you!
