A Quieter Side of Bir
Most people come to Bir for the thermals and the launch site at Billing, but the valley holds a slower story too. Since the early 1960s, Tibetan refugees settled here, and over the decades their monasteries have grown into some of the most serene spaces in the lower Himalayas. On a rest day between flights, or simply when you want air that smells of juniper incense instead of adrenaline, these monasteries are worth the walk.
Chokling Monastery, Bir Tibetan Colony
Start close to camp. Chokling Monastery sits right inside the Bir Tibetan Colony, a short rickshaw or scooter ride from most stays. Its golden roof catches the morning light early, and if you arrive around sunrise you'll often hear young monks reciting prayers before the day's heat sets in. The courtyard outside is lined with prayer wheels worn smooth by decades of hands turning them clockwise.
- Best visited early morning for chanting sessions
- Walk the colony lanes afterward for butter tea and Tibetan bread
- Respect silence near the main prayer hall during rituals
Palpung Sherabling Monastery
About 10 kilometres from Bir, tucked into pine forest with the Dhauladhar range rising behind it, Palpung Sherabling is larger and more elaborate than Chokling. It's the seat of the 12th Tai Situpa and one of the more significant Kagyu institutions outside Tibet. The main temple hall is intricately painted, and the grounds are spacious enough for a long, unhurried walk.
Come on a quiet weekday if you can. Monks go about their routines of study and debate in the open courtyards, and visitors are welcome to sit at a respectful distance and simply watch. It's less a sightseeing stop and more a chance to slow your own pace down to match the mountain's.
Dzongsar Monastery
For those wanting a fuller day trip, Dzongsar Monastery lies a bit further out, past Chauntra, through terraced fields and small Himachali villages. The drive itself is part of the reward — switchback roads, apple orchards in season, and views back toward the Bir valley you rarely get from the paragliding sites. The monastery here is smaller and more remote, which means fewer visitors and a stillness that's hard to find elsewhere.
Getting There
- Chokling: walkable or a 10-minute rickshaw from most Bir accommodations
- Sherabling: roughly 30-40 minutes by road, best reached by scooter or taxi
- Dzongsar: a half-day round trip, ideal combined with a village drive
Making It a Peaceful Day
None of these visits need rushing. Carry a light shawl for the temple halls, remove your shoes where asked, and keep voices low — these are living places of worship, not museums. Many travelers pair a monastery morning with a slow lunch at a Tibetan café back in Bir, letting the thukpa and momos settle alongside the quiet of the visit.
If you're flying in the afternoons, a monastery morning is the perfect counterweight — grounding before you go airborne, or settling your thoughts after you land.
End the Day Where You Started It
Come back to Camp Kelang as the light turns gold over the Dhauladhars, and let the stillness of the morning carry into evening around the firepit. Ready for a slower kind of Bir adventure? Book your stay with us and build a day around the mountains' quieter corners.