Bir (Beed) commonly known together with Billing (the paragliding take-off point) as Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh, India, is one of the best locations to spend your holiday, enjoy cold Himalayan weather, admiring nature and experiencing flying above 8000 feet via paragliding.
If you are considering a vacation in Himachal Pradesh, you will probably consider staying in or stopping by Bir, which is the famous location for paragliding. Bir is a small town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, and it is around two to three-hour drive away (50 kilometres) from Dharamshala.
Dharmshala is the residence of his holiness Dalai Lama and the headquarters of the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan government in exile).
Bir Billing is the second highest and one of the most popular paragliding spots around the world.
Why is Bir Billing so famous for paragliding?
Bir is famous for paragliding because of its incredible weather conditions throughout the year and remarkable landscapes of the valley and the Dhauladhar mountain ranges.
Bir is one of the most beautiful take-off sites all over the world with its breathtaking view and stable weather conditions.
With new facilities and improvements at the take-off and landing sites, many tourists come here to have this fantastic experience and enjoy a tandem paragliding flight.
Some others come here to learn paragliding and become a pilot.
Check out a beautiful video of paragliding from our youtube channel:
But what about safety? Is tandem paragliding safe?
Yes, as you can also see in the above video, people fly safely and enjoy the beautiful adventure as a passenger with a highly-skilled and experienced pilot.
There are many paragliding spots all over the world. And there are thousands of paragliding flights being made each day safely.
However, paragliding is an outdoor aviation sport, and there are risks involved in every game which can be minimized by the experience, skill level, and following safety procedures all the time.
You can read more about it in our blog post about paragliding safety.
OK, I want to do paragliding, but what is the cost?
Costs are different from different companies which can directly affect your flying experience and safety. One tip is to stay away if you find the price very cheap as compared to others. Usual rates are around 2000–2500 Rupees per person and video footage are optional (about 500 Rupees). I would recommend you to add a video option to your flight.
As you can see on Instagram, these professional pilots take epic photos and videos. Some of them are also well known Instagram influencers.
How to book a paragliding flight, and what is the process after that?
You can book by merely calling us or through WhatsApp, we also have an online booking option. But the best and fastest way is to call us and book a flight. If you are staying at Bir, we will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the take-off point. Your total costs include transportation charges.
The road to the take-off site goes through a beautiful forest. Your pilot will do the take-off preparations & gives you briefings about the flight.
Flight time takes around 15–30 minutes depending on the time of day, weather conditions and acrobatic manoeuvres (also called stunts) made by your choices. Acrobatic tricks are adrenaline, rush and fun.
Landing is the most natural part, and you will glide to the landing site with a big smile on your face.
This whole activity (from Bir to Billing take-off and from take-off to landing) can take around 1.5- 2 hours, but sometimes you might have to wait for the right wind conditions at the Billing take-off site. So we suggest you spare half-day or 3–4 hours at least and make your day plan accordingly.