Tosh
Tosh is a village 7 to 10 minutes by road above Barshaini, 20 km and 50 min from Kasol: terraces facing the snow, old timber houses, rooms for a night.
Himachal Pradesh⛰ 1,640 m15 itineraries
Kasol and the Parvati valley
Kasol at 1,640 m on the Parvati: where to stay, the walks to Kheerganga and Rasol, Manikaran's springs, Malana's rules, IMD weather and copyable itineraries.
Kasol is a village on the Parvati river, 1,640 m up a side valley of the Kullu, where a two-street market has grown into the base for the whole valley. Manikaran's hot springs are a few minutes upstream, the road-end at Barshaini has the walk to Kheerganga and the road on to Tosh, and the closed village of Malana sits up its own gorge. People come for the walking, the river, and the slow café life on the far bank at Chalal.
From Delhi it is about 507 km by road. Free-flow routing says 7.5 hours, and traffic and hill roads usually add several more.
This guide is built from the data we keep for every place in the valley — road minutes measured on the actual road network, how long people spend at each stop, what a walk climbs — and from the stays and cafés that list on HimLocal. Every itinerary below is copyable into your own trip planner and editable there. For the whole valley in one list, see things to do in Kasol.
Photos: Pinakpani (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Timothy A. Gonsalves (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Raahul95 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photos Worldwide (CC0) · Ravi Raj Gupta (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
What Kasol is, and is not
Kasol itself is small: a market street along the road, a lane of cafés and guesthouses towards the river, and the footbridge over the Parvati to Chalal. It works as a base because everything the valley offers is within an hour of it: Manikaran at 8 minutes, Barshaini at 37, Tosh at 50, the Malana road-end at 43. And the walks start from the road rather than from a trailhead you must drive to.
It is not a mountain town in the way Manali is. There is no ropeway, no snow point, no pass to drive over. The valley is narrow and steep, the river is loud, and the days are made of walking, eating and sitting by the water. If that is what you want, three nights is right; if you want sights, two is enough.
Where to stay
- Kasol market and the river lane — guesthouses and hotels within a few minutes of the bus stop; the busiest and the most convenient for a one-night stop.
- Chalal — across the footbridge and twenty minutes along the river through the pines. Quieter, cheaper, and where people who stay longer end up.
- Choj — the hamlet at the end of the bridge road across the river: camps and guesthouses on the water, a little apart from the market noise.
- Tosh and Kalga — villages above the road-end: Tosh by taxi all the way, 50 minutes from Kasol; Kalga a short walk up from the bridge at Barshaini. For people who want to be above the valley rather than in it, and who will walk to breakfast.
When to go (and what each month is like)
The numbers below are India Meteorological Department normals for Bhuntar, the valley's airport station, read from the climate table on Wikipedia. Kasol sits well above the airport and runs a few degrees cooler in every month.
- March–April — days 23–27 °C at Bhuntar, cooler at Kasol; nights 7–10 °C. The valley greens up, the Kheerganga path clears of snow through April, and the cafés reopen.
- May–June — days 31–33 °C in the valley floor, the warmest months and the busiest; Kasol stays pleasant because of the altitude. Book Chalal and Tosh early.
- July–September — the monsoon: 136 mm of rain in July and 129 mm in August. The Parvati runs high and brown, slides close the Barshaini road for hours, and the walks are slippery. Cheap and quiet, and not the time for Kheerganga.
- October–November — the clearest skies; days 23–28 °C, nights 5–10 °C. The best walking weather of the year and the apple harvest in the lower villages.
- December–February — days 16–18 °C at Bhuntar, nights near freezing; snow above Barshaini and often at Tosh. Kheerganga is a serious walk in snow; the valley is empty and many cafés shut.
How to reach
- By road from Delhi — 494 km by road. Overnight buses run from ISBT Kashmere Gate to Bhuntar and Kullu; change there for the Parvati valley bus or a taxi. Some private buses run through to Kasol in season.
- By road from Chandigarh — 245 km; the routing model gives about 5 h of driving, slow through Mandi and the Aut tunnel, then 32 km up the side valley from Bhuntar.
- By air — Kullu–Manali Airport at Bhuntar is 32 km and about 70 minutes by taxi. Flights are few and weather-dependent.
- By rail — the nearest railhead is Joginder Nagar, 143 km and about 4 h by road; most people take the train to Chandigarh and the bus from there.
- From Manali — 75 km and about 2 h by road, down the Beas to Bhuntar and up the Parvati. A morning's drive; buses change at Bhuntar.
The walks
The valley's real attraction. Kheerganga is the classic: from Barshaini, up through Nakthan and past the Rudranag waterfall to a meadow with a hot spring, about four hours up and three down, a night in the camps at the top. Tosh is the easy one to reach: the road goes on past Barshaini, 7 to 10 minutes by taxi, and a few minutes on foot into the village. Rasol is the steep one, two to three hours above Chalal. Chalal itself is the easy one, twenty minutes along the river. Malana is a different matter: a taxi to the road-end below the village and a steep hour up, and a village with its own rules — do not touch the walls of the temples or the people, and ask before every photograph.
Money and small print
Prices below are typical local rates, given as bands, with the date we last checked; operators quote on the day and the rate changes with the season. Cash matters above Barshaini, where the signal goes and the card machines with it. We found no permit rule for Kheerganga or Tosh; the higher treks — Sar Pass, Pin Parvati — are guided expeditions, not walks.
Plans that include this
All Kasol itineraries →
Malana from Kasol — a day out to the village with its own rules, and how to behave there
Day plan · First visit · Temples & heritage
A one-day plan from Kasol to Malana: taxi via Jari to the road-end, an hour's climb to the village, how to behave there, and back to the river by afternoon.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov
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Kasol in two days — the river, the bridge to Chalal and Manikaran's springs
1 night · 2 days · First visit · Classic
A two-day Kasol plan for a first visit: the market and the footbridge, the pine walk to Chalal, Manikaran's gurdwara and hot springs, with measured road times.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov
See the plan →
Three days in Kasol — Chalal, the road-end and Tosh, then Manikaran
2 nights · 3 days · First visit · Classic
The classic three days in Kasol: the river and Chalal, the taxi past Barshaini and up to Tosh, Manikaran's springs on the way out, with measured times.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov
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Kheerganga from Kasol — the walk up the valley, a night by the spring, and down
2 nights · 3 days · Trekkers · Walks & treks
The Kheerganga trek done properly: Barshaini, Nakthan, Rudranag, a night by the spring, down via Kalga, Manikaran's tanks on the way out. Times and bands.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Nov
See the plan →
Kasol in winter — three days with the snow at Tosh and the hot springs after
2 nights · 3 days · Couples · Snow
Kasol from December to February in three days: the half-closed town, a night in Tosh under snow with a stove and a quilt, Manikaran's hot tanks on the way down.
Best Jan–Feb · Dec
See the plan →Kasol in October and November — three clear days: Rasol, the harvest villages, Tosh at dawn
2 nights · 3 days · Photographers · Autumn
Three days in Kasol in October and November: clear skies after the rains, days of about 28 °C and nights of 10 °C, the walk to Rasol, Tosh at dawn, Pulga.
Best Oct–Nov
See the plan →Operators
No operator has listed this on HimLocal yet. The prices above are typical local rates; you pay the operator on the ground.
Run a centre here? List it on HimLocal →Itineraries you can copy
All 15 →
Kasol in the monsoon — three days of what still works when the river is high
2 nights · 3 days · Slow travel · Monsoon
Kasol in July, August and September: what the rain closes and what it does not — Chalal, Manikaran's springs, a walk if the sky allows, the cheapest rooms.
Best Jul–Sep
See the plan →
Kasol from Delhi for a weekend — two overnight buses, two days in the valley
2 nights · 3 days · Budget · Classic
Kasol on two overnight buses from Delhi: out Friday, Bhuntar by dawn, the river and Chalal on Saturday, Manikaran's springs on Sunday, back by Monday morning.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov
See the plan →Kasol for couples — three slow days on the far bank, a steep walk and the springs at dusk
2 nights · 3 days · Couples · slow
Three quiet days in the Parvati valley for two: sleep in Chalal, climb to Rasol, take Manikaran's springs at dusk, breakfast at Tosh on the way out.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov
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Kasol on a budget — three days by bus, with the free walks and the langar
2 nights · 3 days · Budget · Classic
Kasol for three days without a private taxi: the valley bus from Bhuntar, a market dorm, the river path to Chalal, the lanes of Tosh, the langar at Manikaran.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov
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Kasol with friends — four days: a Tosh night, the Kheerganga walk, and Chalal to finish
3 nights · 4 days · Friends · Classic
A four-day Kasol plan for a group: a night in Tosh, the walk to Kheerganga and a night by the spring, down to Chalal, Manikaran on the way out.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Nov
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Kasol and Manali in five days — two nights on the Parvati, two on the Beas, the left bank between
4 nights · 5 days · First visit · Multi-hub · starts in Kasol
Two nights on the Parvati and two on the Beas: Chalal, Tosh and Manikaran, the Naggar road with the castle for lunch, then Solang, Vashisht and Hadimba.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov
See the plan →Going together
No one has started a group going to Kasol yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.
Places worth the drive
Sar Pass
Sar Pass is the four-to-five-day guided trek from Kasol over the ridge south of the Parvati: meadow camps, a snow crossing, a tarn on top, down to Barshaini.
Rasol
Rasol is a village with no road three to four hours' climb above Chalal, across the Parvati from Kasol: a hard short walk, tea on a terrace, the same path down.
Pulga
Pulga is a wooden hamlet half an hour on foot above Barshaini, across a stream from Kalga: old houses, apple trees, a deodar wood above it, and no road.
Nakthan
Nakthan is the last village on the walk from Barshaini to Kheerganga, about an hour up from the road-end: tea, dhabas, water, and the start of the gorge.
Manikaran
Manikaran is the pilgrim town eight minutes above Kasol where hot springs rise from the Parvati's bank under a gurdwara and a temple. Tanks, langar, timings.
Malana
Malana is a village up its own gorge from Jari, 43 min by road from Kasol and an hour on foot: a temple you may not touch, houses you may not enter, own rules.
Kheerganga
Kheerganga is a meadow with a hot-spring pool five to six hours on foot above Barshaini, the road-end 37 min from Kasol: path, camps, pool, season.
Kalga
Kalga is a wooden hamlet twenty minutes above the road-end at Barshaini, across the stream from Pulga: apple trees, a few rooms, and the Kheerganga path.
Jari
Jari is the village on the Parvati road 19 min below Kasol where the Malana road turns off: a tea stop on the way in, and the hairpins up to Malana's road-end.
Choj
Choj is the hamlet at the end of the bridge road across the Parvati from Kasol: camps and guesthouses on the water, minutes from the market, apart from it.
Chalal
Chalal is the village twenty minutes from Kasol on foot, over the footbridge and along the river through pines: guesthouses, cafés on the path, and quiet.
Barshaini
Barshaini is the Parvati valley's road-head, 16 km and 37 min above Kasol: a bridge, dhabas, the dam works, the road on to Tosh and the Kheerganga path.
Rudranag
Rudranag is a waterfall with a shrine and a dhaba on a footbridge, two hours on foot above Barshaini on the Kheerganga path: the lunch stop and halfway mark.
Gurudwara Sahib Manikaran
Manikaran Sahib is the Sikh gurdwara over the hot springs on the Parvati, eight minutes above Kasol: free langar, spring-fed tanks, steam over the river.
On the map
Open the Kasol map →The places a Kasol day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Things to do — the honest guides
Before you go
All articles →Things to do in Kasol — 11 in the Parvati valley, by distance
Eleven things to do in Kasol by measured drive time: Chalal, Manikaran's springs, Malana, Tosh, Kalga and the Kheerganga walk, with walkers' times.
Offbeat places near Kasol — 7 beyond the main street
Seven offbeat places near Kasol in the Parvati valley, from the bridge road at Choj to roadless villages above Barshaini, with measured drive times and walks.
Where to stay in Kasol — the market, Chalal, Choj, Tosh and the hamlets compared
Kasol has five kinds of bed: the market street, Chalal over the bridge, Choj on the river, the villages above Barshaini, the camps at Kheerganga. Compared.
What a Kasol trip costs on the ground — the honest price sheet
The Parvati valley's prices as bands with the date checked: rooms in Kasol and Chalal, taxis to Barshaini and Malana, Kheerganga's camps, the bus, what is free.
Malana's rules for visitors — what they are, why they matter, and how to keep them
Malana, up its own gorge from Jari, tolerates visitors on its terms: no touching the temple or the people, no entering houses, stay on the path. The rules, why.
The Kheerganga trek, honestly — the path, the night, the pool, and when not to go
Kheerganga from Barshaini: the path through Nakthan and Rudranag, five to six hours up and three to four down, the camps, the pool, the months and the costs.
Kasol or Manali? The Parvati valley's case, honestly made, and when to choose the Beas
Kasol and Manali are two hours apart and two different trips: walks, one road and a river against drives, a town and a pass. Who each suits; the plan for both.
How to reach Kasol
Kasol by overnight bus from Delhi to Bhuntar, 494 km; by car from Chandigarh, 245 km; by air to Bhuntar, 32 km away; from Manali in two hours. Compared.
The best time to visit Kasol, month by month
Best time for Kasol: October for clear skies and dry paths, April for green and quiet, May and June busy and warm. July and August are the wettest months.
Nearby destinations
All destinations →
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Questions people ask
How many days do you need in Kasol?
Two nights covers Kasol, Chalal, Manikaran and one walk to Tosh or Rasol. Three nights adds Kheerganga with its night at the top, which is the reason most people come. A week makes sense only if you are walking most days or working from a café.
Is Kasol worth it if you are not walking?
Less than Manali. The valley's attractions are the walks and the river; without them you have the market, the cafés at Chalal, Manikaran's springs and a taxi to Tosh. Two nights is enough in that case, and the quieter stay is across the bridge at Chalal.
Can you do Kheerganga as a day trip from Kasol?
You can, and it is a long, hurried day: about 37 minutes by road to Barshaini, five to six hours up, three to four down, and the road back. The night at the top is the point of the walk, so most people carry a small bag and sleep in the camps by the spring.
What is the best month for Kasol?
October for walking: the clearest skies of the year and warm days. April and May are green and busy. The monsoon months of July and August bring the heaviest rain, high water and closed roads; December to February are cold, with snow above Barshaini and many cafés shut.
How do you get to Kasol from Delhi?
An overnight bus from ISBT Kashmere Gate to Bhuntar or Kullu, then the valley bus or a taxi for the last 32 km; a few private buses run straight through in season. By car it is 494 km. Flights land at Bhuntar, 70 minutes away, when the weather allows them.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.