A Detailed Experiential Travel Guide to Bir and Billing
Have you ever thought that you would reach a village by trekking from another village and at the time of coming back, you would directly fly down instead of trekking from that village? Today I will tell you about those two golden villages.
Situated in the valley of the Dhauladhar mountain range these two villages Bir & Billing are famous for Paragliding and breathtaking scenic views. The villages got popular in the time of 2015 when the World cup of Paragliding was organized here in Bir. This Small Himachal and Tibetian villages are full of locals’ love, warmth, and smiles, and lots of places to roam around.
You can easily spend a weekend or a complete week here and discover that Bir has much more to offer beyond Paragliding. Here’s my detailed guide to Bir & Billing with all pieces of information you may need for.
About Bir and Billing
A little town settled in the valleys of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, is Bir which is 14 km away from another village called, Billing. So if actually, your idea for a wonderful day is to take off into the blue sky abandoning the mountains and afterwards jump into quite possibly the most flawless nightfalls on the planet with dashes of purple, pink, and orange mixing into one another – then, at that point maybe Bir ought to be your main place to visit. Other than a recent couple of years, Bir has been acquiring ubiquity as an art, culture, and spiritual hub. Add to that a mix of amazing bistros and cafés whose setting in the midst of snow-covered mountains and delicious food will make you urge to visit again and again these cute little hamlets!
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How To Reach Bir and Billing
- By Air. – Gaggal airport is the nearest airport to Bir Billing, located at a distance of only 68 km from nearby Palampur.
- By Train. – Baijnath has its own Railway Station named Baijnath Paprola Railway Station which is connected to the major cities of Kangra. Also, Palampur has a railway station too.
- By Road. – From Delhi, there are direct Volvo Buses available that will drop you at the Tibetan colony or Chougan village. Bir is just 1 km from here and can be easily reached on foot.
Best Time to Visit
Bir Billing in Himachal is a year-round destination and can be visited at any time of the year. However, the best time to visit Bir Billing mainly depends on the activities that you are planning to do here. Especially if you are keen on Paragliding then October to February are the best months for you. This time weather is cold and good flying condition is available for long flights.
Where To Stay
Bir Billing has many staycation options available depending on your budget. There is a number of Hotels, Homestays, and Hostels available here. I stayed at the Go stop hostel which was pretty reasonable to me and they provided complimentary breakfast and wifi.
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Places to Visit in Bir Billing
Bir Billing has so much to offer apart from Paragliding. On the off chance that you’ve spent your childhood lost in the realm of Enid Blyton books, then, at that point, Bir will verge on remembering those minutes. This is where you can awaken to a charming perspective right out of a book.
The places you should not miss when in Bir are as below :
- Sunset Point
- Deer Park Institute
- Palpung Sherabling Monastery
- Dharmalaya Institute
- Tibetan Market
- Gunehar Waterfall
- Nyingyang Monastery
- Peme Awam Choegar Gyurme Ling Monastery
- Bonguru Waterfall
- Tsering Jong Monastery
- Rajgundha Valley Trek
- Barot Valley
- Bajinath Temple
- Palampur
Things To Do When in Bir and Billing
Experience the Paragliding
Paragliding in Bir is the best adventure one should not skip. If you want to enjoy the breathtaking view from the top then sunset or early morning is the best time to do the paragliding.
Cost: INR 2000 to INR 3000 for 20 minutes of paragliding.
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Walk and spend Time with Nature
Another must-do activity when in Bir is Walking. Stroll through ILU street for a dazzling perspective on the mountain ranges and the most exciting nightfalls you have at any point seen. The Paragliding landing site is here, allowing you an opportunity to chase various landings and offer the fervour and thrill of it.
In case you’re brave enough to stroll through the fields of the primary market square, you will wind up exploring fields of yellow mustard blossoms, peach blooms, and obviously prayer flags.
Watch Sunset
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There are two of my favourite spots to chase sunsets are the landing point and in front of Peme Awam Choegar Gyurme Ling Monastery. Something that I delighted in a ton during my stay in Bir was watching the flawless sunsets at the landing site here. Also, the paragliding views with the orange sunset were surreal.
Trek to nearby Valleys and waterfalls
Bir has so many prominent treks and waterfalls one can trek and enjoy the trekking route. If you have time in hand, go for a long trek and come with a bag full of memories.
Cafes in Bir Billing
Bir is a foodies paradise and you can easily spot so many amazing cafes and restaurants here. Not only Tibetian cuisine is famous but also one can easily find other state’s cuisine too. The famous cafes are Cookie Aunty Cafe, Avav’s cafe, Garden Cafe, and June 16 Cafe to name a few.
Watch 6 Must-Eat Cafes In Bir
What to Buy
A shopaholic never thinks about places, they can buy anything and everything. But here in Bir, you will definitely go with woollen stuff, souvenir, and different types of tea leaves.
Watch Complete Guide of Bir and Billing
What more? Visit Bir and Billing with proper precautions and RT PCR test report (though it is not required, still travel to the places with responsibility). Enjoy your time but without any carbon footprints.
Thank you for sharing these unique places. I have never been so high up in the hills. I have bookmarked your post and added Bir and Billing to my bucket list.
Call me ignorant but I had never heard of Dhauladhar mountain range or the two villages Bir & Billing. Thanks to you, I now feel like traveling there – right now! I did the Brahmatal Trek in Jan 2020 and would love to undertake this one. Thank you for writing this detailed and informative posts. Loved the videos too. Keep writing and spreading the light of knowledge.
I have never heard of Bir and Billing but the photos are gorgeous. Sounds like an amazing place to unwind for people like me. I may never go paragliding, but my husband will grab the opportunity with both hands!
I have grown up in the hills but I have never heard of Bir or Billing. It looks like a great place for those who enjoy adventure sports. Your posts are always very detailed. Thank you for sharing them. I will share this with my nephew.
Wow, amazing! Yes, this is my first reaction. Honestly I never heard of Bir or Billing before. It looks like an amazing place with loads of exciting adventure sports. The picturesque scenery of the village is just wow. It can be a great mountain trip. Let’s make a plan.
I have stayed in Himachal for one whole year and I have never known about Bir and Billing, I missed such a beautiful spot. I would love to give it a try once and thank you for sharing such a detailed post covering all the aspects of travel 🙂
Never heard of this place but it’s so gorgeous. Your paragliding experience looks so amazing and tempting. I will add these places to my bucket list too for future travel endeavours.
Bir Billing is one of the places that we want to visit as soon as things return to normal. This is a valuable resource with very helpful details that are sure to help us plan our itinerary and trip. There is so much to do in Bir Billing apart from the thrill of adventure, it also offers an excellent connection with nature.
I have never heard of bir and billing and moreover I am also having a fear of heights, that sickness OMG. But, these places are so beautiful and am feeling like to go there. Thanks for sharing such an informative and interesting post.
I love that your posts are always informative. I will be back to check out the videos, particularly the cafes one. I have been around Kangra a few times but have never heard of Bir or Billing. Bookmarking this for future reference.
Honestly, I had not heard of Bir & Billing till your blog. Lovely and detailed write-up. Iam itching to travel and this may just be the one for us. However, we are in Bangalore …. so a bit skeptical about the travel currently. Let us see…hopefully by Oct, things should get better. Loved your videos as well. Thanks for sharing this.
I have always had Bir & Billing on my list and would love to go there some day. I did not know that there are so many other things to do apart from the paragliding.
The instagram pictures in the middle just add completeness to this post. FOMO levels have shot up though. 😅
I haven’t heard about this place. Looks like a must visit from your experiences. Will surely keep in my mind for future travels.
I always knew that north is beautiful but not about this beautiful place until I cam across your blog post. I am fan of paragliding and will surely try my hands on in bir village.
Your postpost made me nostalgic about traveling. I will note down Bir and Bilong into my itinerary list. The photos look very gorgeous
So very helpful. As soon as Covid relieves us. We are planning to visit Himachal.. this is going to be very helpful then.
Another place added to my bucket list. Such a detailed post about these places. Seems like you had a gala time there.
Wow! Such wonderful photos and the experience and memories you made are unforgettable. So glad to read your post as you have covered every aspect of the travel how to travel what to buy where to stay really helpful for someone going there for the first time.
I want to experience Paragliding once. This post seems perfect solution for that. Once COVID is over (I hope this will be true soon), I will follow your post.
We went to Bir for an amazing art project in the forest. This was one of the most memorable travel experiences we has.
Bir Billing is such a beautiful place and you seemed to have a great time doing paragliding there. I had done paragliding in Gangtok once and would love to do it again. Loved the pictures of the stupas.
I’ve been very close to Bir and Billing but never specifically for paragliding. A thoroughly informative post!
Very good post. Highly informative for travellers who want to visit Bir & Billing in Himachal Pradesh and do the adventure activities there. Nicely written and keep up the good work.
The trek between Bir and Billing sounds charming. Those breathtaking views would surely slow down my walking. I might actually want to plan a day to paraglide and see those views from above. It looks like you had a great time. We would probably stay to see the other sights too. Temples, waterfalls and interesting treks would be a great reason to stay awhile.
Paragliding at sunset sounds like a beyond amazing experience! I have always wanted to try paragliding, but haven’t had the opportunity (or courage!) to do it yet. I would always want to go on a trek to some of the waterfalls. Bir sounds like a great place for outdoor lovers!
This is really awesome, going to other city by paragliding. First time I heard such thing. The town Bir sounds like a cool place to hang out. Who doesn’t like watching a beautiful sunset and devouring on delicious food? I’m in!
Though Bir Billing is famous for its paragliding, I have always wondered about the safety norms of this adventure sport. I have been to Palampur but not here. And it sounds like an idyllic weekend getaway.
You know what I really like about your posts Pamela. They are to the point and give the information required, there is no beating around the bush. The posts are perfect for people like me. Anyway, I am planning for Bir and Billing and I am using your guide to that. I like that India is becoming famous with hostels, I will try out the hostel that you stayed in as well.
I love watching parasailers gliding through the sky. With its cute hamlets, art, cafés Bir sounds like a place I would really like. Bonus that there are a couple waterfalls in the area!
Woah! This is also part of my bucket list. I am happy for you. Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience. Happy to know that it’s a year-round destination. We look forward to visiting in the future. It’s great to know that there are many staycation options available.
The idea reaches a village by trekking on foot from another village then flying down back instead seems both thrilling and a bit scary for me. I’m not sure if I would try this. But it must be a fabulous experience for people who love adventures and adrenaline. However, the places you describe are worth visiting for sure. Bir and Billing offer so many attractions that I would like to visit both. And who knows, maybe if I saw people flying over my head, I would decide to try paragliding.
Is it Bir Billing or is it Bir AND Billing? Regardless, I loved your description of all the colors and culture and food available.