Triund Trek in December 2026: Snow, Permits, Worth It?

The Triund trek in December is cold and usually open, but it comes with a winter rule most guides miss, and snow is far from certain. Here are the Kangra permission order, the real fees, night temperatures, a plan for a 10-hour day and costs for a group from Delhi.

Is the Triund trek open in December? Yes, with a winter rule

Triund itself stays open in December, but treat it as a permitted trek, not a free walk. In each of the last two winters Kangra's district administration issued an order that bans trekking above 3,000 m and puts Triund on a short list of routes that need prior permission from the Superintendent of Police (SP), Kangra.

What those orders said, by date:

• December 2022: trekking above 3,000 m banned, aimed at stopping people going beyond Triund; the Deputy Commissioner said there was no way to stop trekkers by force, so it worked as an advisory (The Tribune, 31 December 2022).

• November 2024: ban above 3,000 m "until further instructions"; Triund, Kareri and Adi Himani Chamunda need the SP's prior permission; any IMD warning or alert revokes it; violations can be booked under the Disaster Management Act (The Tribune, 28 November 2024). By January 2025 nine Dharamshala tour operators had been booked for taking tourists to Triund despite the ban (The Tribune, 3 January 2025).

• January 2026: the same order re-issued, SP permission again mandatory for Triund, permissions cancelled when IMD Shimla issues an alert (PTI via The Week, 6 January 2026).

Will there be snow at Triund in December? Possibly, but don't bank on it

Snow on the Triund ridge in December depends on whether a western disturbance arrives, and recent Decembers have often been dry. The peaks of the Dhauladhar above you are usually white; the meadow you camp on may not be.

• Winter 2023–24: Triund's first snowfall of the season came on 1 February 2024 (The Tribune, 2 February 2024). That December was bare.

• December 2025: Himachal recorded 0.1 mm of precipitation against a normal 38.1 mm, a 99% shortfall and the sixth-driest December since 1901 (PTI via The Week, 1 January 2026).

• The peaks get snow most winters. The photo below, from 27 December 2015, shows the usual December split: white summits, bare hills.

If snow is the whole point of the trip, watch the IMD Shimla forecast and book late, or move the trip to January and February. If you just want cold views of the Dhauladhar wall, December works well even without snow on the ground. For the same question one valley over, see our guide to Kheerganga in winter.

How cold is Triund at night in December?

Plan for a day high of about 5°C and nights around −2°C at the top, with a real chance of a much colder night. These are averages from ten Decembers (2016–2025) of the Open-Meteo historical weather model for Triund's height, so treat them as estimates rather than station readings.

• Average daytime high: 4.7°C

• Average night low: −2.4°C

• Coldest night of the month: −9°C or colder in 6 of the 10 Decembers

• McLeodganj, about 800 m lower, stays several degrees warmer, with most December nights above freezing

Wind on the open ridge makes it feel colder than the number. A sleeping bag rated to about −10°C is the safe choice for a night in a tent; ask your camp what they supply before you pack.

Triund fees and camping rules (no change reported as of November 2026)

Entry costs ₹100 per person per day, paid at the Forest Department's checkpost at Gallu, and a tent at the top costs ₹550 for two people with the entry fee included. Those rates date from January 2024, when the Forest Department halved the original ₹200 entry fee and ₹1,100 tent fee; registered local guides of licensed adventure operators pay nothing (The Tribune, 15 January 2024).

• Camping is not banned. It is regulated. When the fee started in December 2023, the rules also capped Triund at 400 trekkers a day and 40 people overnight in 20 tents, under a Himachal High Court order (The Tribune, 4 December 2023). We couldn't confirm whether those caps are still enforced.

• Many older pages still say camping is "banned". The current system is a fee and a cap, not a ban.

• We found no online booking for Triund tents. Arrange yours through your hotel or host before you start up, rather than hoping for space at the top.

Triund trek in December: day trek or a night at the top?

Both work in December, but the short day decides the plan. Sunrise in McLeodganj is between 7:07 and 7:25 am and sunset between 5:19 and 5:30 pm through December (Open-Meteo), so you get about 10 hours of light.

For a day trek:

1. Take a taxi from McLeodganj to the Galu Devi temple trailhead (about 4.4 km by road), which saves about 2.7 km of walking. From there it is about 6 km to the top.

2. Start walking by 8 am.

3. Set a turnaround time of 1:30 pm, at the top or not.

4. Be off the forest section before 5 pm. Nobody should be on the trail after dark in December.

For a night at the top, you get sunset and sunrise over the Kangra valley and the Dhauladhar wall in alpenglow, at the cost of a night near or below −2°C. As listed on 6 November 2026, the hosted McLeodganj, Triund & Bir trip on GoWeekender planned a 9:30 am start from McLeodganj and a 4:30 pm camp check-in, which shows how long a relaxed group with breaks really takes.

A night at the top only works if the weather holds: an IMD Shimla alert cancels permissions, so keep a McLeodganj night as your plan B.

The route, and what snow changes

Triund is about 6 km and roughly 750 m of climbing from the Galu Devi temple trailhead, and snow or ice turns it from a steady walk into a careful one. HP Tourism puts the trek at about 10 km from McLeodganj and calls the last stretch, the "22 gruelling curves", the demanding part (Himachal Tourism). The Tribune gave about four hours up and two down from McLeodganj's main market (The Tribune, 22 July 2018). The legs below won't add up to exactly 10 km, because the road and the footpaths to Galu Devi take different lines.

• McLeodganj (2,082 m) to the Galu Devi temple (also spelt Gallu): about 2.7 km on foot by the shortest path, or a taxi.

• Galu Devi to Magic View café: about 1.8 km, at roughly 2,400 m. In winter, don't count on any café being open. Carry water and food.

• Magic View to the top: about 4 km more through oak and deodar forest, ending in the switchbacks below the ridge.

After snow, the same trail gets icy, and ice is worse on the way down. Carry microspikes and a trekking pole each, and turn back if the switchbacks are glazed and you don't have them.

The descent is where groups get into trouble, and 112, or the district disaster helpline 1077, is the number to call if you're lost. On 1 January 2026 four friends from Delhi lost their way coming down near the upper Bhagsunag waterfall, phoned the district disaster authority, and were found by McLeodganj police within four hours (PTI via The Week, 3 January 2026). Come down the way you went up, together, in daylight.

Don't go beyond Triund in December

Stop at Triund in winter. Snowline café sits at about 3,150 m by Open-Meteo's elevation data, above the 3,000 m line that Kangra's winter orders have banned, and the trail beyond it, past Laka Got towards the Indrahar Pass, only climbs. Those slopes hold snow and ice through winter, and searches there take days: in June 2025 a trekker who slipped near the snowline above Triund was found only after about a week (The Tribune, 16 June 2025).

Getting to Triund from Delhi

The usual way is an overnight Volvo from Delhi to McLeodganj, about 500 km by road. On 6 November 2026, EaseMyTrip listed four Volvo semi-sleepers for Saturday 7 November at ₹1,319 to ₹2,318 one way, taking about 10 hours 41 minutes (EaseMyTrip). For Friday 11 December it showed only one so far: a Volvo AC semi-sleeper leaving at 9:10 pm and arriving at 7:55 am, for ₹1,769. More December buses usually appear closer to the date, so check again then.

An evening bus puts you in McLeodganj in the morning. Use that first day to rest and acclimatise at 2,082 m, and trek the next morning, not straight off the bus.

Fixed costs per head for a group of four in December

The fixed costs per head for a do-it-yourself December weekend come to about ₹3,650 to ₹3,800 before stay, food and taxis.

• Volvo, Delhi to McLeodganj and back: about ₹3,540, at the ₹1,769 EaseMyTrip listed for Friday 11 December 2026 and a similar fare home

• Day trek: ₹100 entry

• Night at the top instead: ₹275 each, two to a tent (₹550 per tent, entry included)

• Not included, because we couldn't find published rates: a night in McLeodganj, meals, the taxi to Galu Devi, and sleeping-bag, mat or microspike hire

The group maths that matters is on the shared items. Four people fill one taxi, one room and two tents, so agree the taxi fare before you get in and split it four ways. Have one person pay for shared things and log them in a shared note, then settle up by UPI once you're back.

If you'd rather not sort tents and transfers yourself, there is a hosted McLeodganj, Triund & Bir trip on GoWeekender with a night at Triund. As of 6 November 2026 its listed departures run only to late November, so check the cards above or the trip page for December dates, and ask the host to confirm the SP permission for your date. It also suits someone going solo who wants a group to trek with. Every bookable Triund departure is on the Triund page, and if you're still looking for people to go with, start with finding travel buddies in Delhi.

December, January or February at Triund?

Is it worth it? Yes, if you want cold Dhauladhar views and can live without snow underfoot; if snow is the point, pick late January or February instead.

• December: days around 5°C at the top and snow only after a western disturbance. Recent winter orders have arrived between late November and early January

• January: the coldest month in the model data (nights average about −5°C), usually better odds of snow, and more IMD alerts that cancel permissions

• February: still cold, snow lingers or arrives late (Triund's first snow of 2023–24 came on 1 February)

What to pack for Triund in December

Pack for a day near freezing and a night well below it.

• Layers: thermal base, fleece and a down or synthetic jacket

• Hands and head: gloves, a warm cap and a buff for the wind on the ridge

• Feet: trekking shoes with grip, wool socks, and microspikes if snow has fallen

• Light: a headlamp each, even on a day trek

• Food and water: at least 2 litres each and snacks, since cafés may be shut

• Night at the top: a sleeping bag rated to about −10°C and a mat

Frequently asked questions