Paragliding in Himachal Pradesh

When you are above the others at 3500 meters and ready to jump to feel like flying with support then this is exactly for you, if it gives you a thrill. Himachal Pradesh known as the paragliding capital of the country has quite a few such points from where you can get a bird's eye view of the lush hills and greenery from above.

It is an adventure enthusiasts paradise with several of these quaint villages that are a hub of adventure activities and sports. Moreover, the lovely clouds in the beautiful climate and the thrill gives such a beautiful feeling. It is both for the starters as well as the experienced paragliders.

Himachal Pradesh has quite a few places for you to experience this thrill. So, you can check out any of the below places for paragliding. There are training courses available at the Aero Sport Institute at Himachal Pradesh. As Himachal Pradesh has some of the best paragliding and parasailing spots, there are innumerable tour packages that cater to such tourists who would like to go for this flying activity.

In Himachal Pradesh there are two major areas that are known as a hub for Paragliding:

1. Paragliding in Bir Billing

During the months of March to November there are hundreds to thousands of tourists that crowd this major tourist attraction of Himachal Pradesh. Bir is an ideal place for the adventure activity such as paragliding. Around roughly 14 km distance situated north from Bir is also the Billing where there is the activities of paragliding. While the thrilled adventure enthusiasts land at Bir the original take off place is at Billing. The altitude differs around 800 m.

Although it seems dangerous to a first timer or a beginner to this sport, it is one of the most exciting ways to explore the region as you can literally get a bird’s eye view of the entire landscape below. It all looks like the view of a bird flying above. Moreover, you are harnessed to the instructor in the tandem jump and at the same time you feel assured that you are safe while you take one of the biggest adventures of your life.

It is supposed to have the necessary safety standards and there are many tourists that take part in this activity. This is one of the most popular destinations for paragliding in India. Also, in October 2015, Bir Billing co-hosted the very first official Paragliding World Championship. It was an amazing sight with over 500 free flying paragliders chilling out while nearly 150 trained professional paragliders were in a competition for the ultimate win.

2. Paragliding in Solang Valley

Solang Valley situated in one of the top tourist destinations in India. Manali is another paradise for the paragliders. Nestled amidst a picturesque setting this beautiful hill station is a hub for tourists and nature lovers seeking a quiet place. However, this nature lover's heaven is also a hub for several adventure activities and adventure sports. The most exciting and dangerous thrilling activity among such enthusiasts is definitely the paragliding.

This well known thrill sports among the adventure enthusiasts that involves a jump from a top height and then flying and landing down gives some spectacular views from the top over the lovely landscape. As you come down once your parachute opens up, you even cover quite a distance horizontally too. The paragliding experience at Solang Valley in Himachal Pradesh has amazing arrangements for this sport. It is for both the first timers and beginners or experienced and professional paragliders as well.

Here, the climate has to be favorable for the paragliding activities to take place, so it really changes as per the seasons. It is however, closed during the monsoons seasons due to heavy rains and sometimes there is flooding due to the massive water bodies such as River Beas, etc. making it difficult to hike up to a certain point or even fly.

At other times, the timings for this activity is generally 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM. Check for the latest timings and cost but to give you an idea it is anywhere from INR 600 – INR 1800. The daredevil flying activity pushes your boundaries and you realize the other side of you.