Pathankot's greatest value is as a launching pad for the hills. Dalhousie is three hours by road — a colonial hill station with cedar forests, old churches, and views of the Pir Panjal range that make it one of the quieter and more atmospheric retreats in the Western Himalayas. Kangra, two to three hours by bus or the narrow-gauge railway, has a ruined fort, a famous Devi temple, and the scenic Kangra Valley beyond.
Chamba, four hours by winding road up the Ravi Valley, is a compact hill town with exceptional stone temples from the 6th to 10th centuries and a remarkably intact medieval character. Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, are three to four hours away and among the most visited destinations in the Himachal foothills.
