By road
~450-520 km from Delhi
North India · Himachal Pradesh
Kasol & Parvati Valley, Himachal Pradesh
Riverside trails and Israeli cafés · ~450-520 km from Delhi
Getting there
By rail
Joginder Nagar, ~144-145 km, a narrow-gauge line; Chandigarh (~296 km) is the nearest broad-gauge station
By air
Bhuntar (Kullu-Manali) Airport, ~30-40 km, with limited, often pricey flights
Best time to visit
March to June and September to November
Don't miss
Manikaran gurudwara and hot springs
Kheerganga
Tosh
Malana (from outside)
Things to do
Kheerganga hot-spring trek
Tosh village stays
Riverside camping
Where to eat
Sources: wikimedia, Photo: BenSalo · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Trekking shoes, layers, river-crossing sandals
A quieter corner
Chalal village, a forest stroll across the Parvati footbridge
About Kasol & Parvati Valley
- Mountains
- Riverside
Where it is
Kasol is a village in the Parvati Valley of the Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh, on the banks of the Parvati river at about 1,600 m, between Bhuntar and the hot-spring town of Manikaran.
History
The Parvati Valley has long been a place of pilgrimage, centred on the hot springs of Manikaran, sacred to both Hindus and Sikhs. From the late 20th century backpackers, many of them from Israel, began to stay for the season, and Kasol grew into a base for treks to Kheerganga and to villages such as Tosh and Malana.
People
The valley's villagers speak Kullvi and other Pahari dialects, and village deities, or devtas, are central to local life. Malana, higher in the hills, is known for its ancient village council and its own language, Kanashi.
Known for
- The Manikaran hot springs and gurdwara
- The Kheerganga trek
- Riverside cafés and camping
- Tosh and Chalal villages
- Pine forests along the Parvati
Did you know?
At Manikaran, food is cooked in the scalding natural hot springs, and Sikh tradition holds that Guru Nanak made a spring appear there to cook for the langar, the free community meal.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.