Serolsar Lake
lake · 40 min from Banjar
4 nights · 5 daysFirst visitMulti-hubbalanced
The Tirthan valley and Manali in five days — the river and Jalori first, then the left-bank road to Naggar, Solang and Hadimba
Five days across two valleys: the Tirthan at Gushaini, Jalori Pass and Serolsar lake, the left-bank road through Naggar, then Solang, Vashisht and Hadimba.
Two valleys that are the opposite of each other, in the right order: the Tirthan first, for the river and the ridge walk to Serolsar, then the left-bank road up the Kullu valley to Manali for the sights, the activities and the shops. The quiet half comes first because the bus from Delhi lands at Aut, at the mouth of the Tirthan, and the flight home leaves from Bhuntar, between the two.
Each valley is built from its own hub's data: road minutes measured from Banjar on the first two days and from Manali on the last three, dwell times from our rows, and the walks from the path. The transfer day is the plan's longest drive and its best road.
Photos: Manish57335 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Vishrutpanday (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Sukhjiwan Singh (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0) · Madhumita Das (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Itsarti (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
First visits that want both the quiet valley and the famous one, families who will walk one day and drive the rest, anyone flying into Bhuntar. Manali's own plans go deeper on that side — the Manali guide has all of them — and the Tirthan classic gives this valley its third day.
Day by day
Day 1
Up the Tirthan to the river
Off the highway at Aut and up the valley to Gushaini. The park's centre at Sai Ropa on the way, a homestay on the water, and the afternoon on the river path.
- 11:30Sai RopaThe Tirthan-side centre of the Great Himalayan National Park, 10 minutes from Banjar: the small museum and the ecozone paths, no permit needed for these.
- ↓ 8 min by road · 5 km12:30GushainiThe bridge and the homestays on the water, 18 minutes from Banjar — typically ₹1,500–3,500 a night in season with meals as of Sep 2026. Trout for dinner at ₹400–700 a plate.
Day 2
Jalori Pass and Serolsar lake
A taxi up the pass road to Jalori, 40 minutes from Banjar, the ridge walk to the lake and back, and the road down to Jibhi for the night.
- 08:30Jalori PassThe meadow at the top of the road with the temple and the dhabas. The taxi from Banjar is typically ₹1,500–2,500 one way and waits; start the walk before the cloud builds.
- 09:30Serolsar LakeAbout 5 km along an easy ridge path — 103 minutes up and 71 down by our measure — to a small round lake with the Budhi Nagin temple on its bank. Lunch at the pass after, then down to Jibhi to sleep.
Day 3
Down the Tirthan, up the Beas by the left bank
Jibhi's waterfall before leaving, then Aut, Bhuntar and the left-bank road up the Kullu valley to Naggar for the castle and lunch, and on to Manali by the evening.
- 13:00Naggar CastleThe old capital's timber-and-stone castle on the left bank above the Beas, with the valley below its courtyard and lunch on its terrace. The quiet road to Manali runs on from here through the orchards.
- ↓ 33 min by road · 20 km17:00Old ManaliAcross the bridge from the Mall: the lane of cafés and guesthouses under the deodars, and a room for two nights. Rooms and cafés here quote on the day; the bands are on our Manali guide.
Day 4
Solang, and the hot baths at Vashisht
The valley road north to Solang for the morning — flights, the ropeway, the meadow — then back down for the hot tanks and the temple lane at Vashisht in the afternoon.
- 09:00SolangThe meadow at the head of the valley with the paragliding counters, the ropeway and the walks. Operators quote on the day; the Manali guide carries the bands and the season.
- ↓ 23 min by road · 11 km15:00Vashisht TempleThe stone temple above the hot springs across the river from Manali, with the free bathing tanks beside it and the lane of cafés below. Late afternoon, after the day crowds, is the hour.
Day 5
Hadimba in the grove, the Mall, and the road
The temple in its deodar wood first thing, an hour on the Mall for the shops, and the road down the Beas to Bhuntar's airport or the highway bus.
- 08:30Hadimba Devi TempleThe pagoda-roofed temple in a grove of old deodars, the town's oldest thing and its best; empty before nine. Twenty minutes on foot from the Mall.
- ↓ 6 min by road · 2 km10:30Mall RoadThe pedestrian street for shawls, the bus stand and the taxi ranks. The airport at Bhuntar is down the valley; the Delhi buses leave from here in the evening.
Getting there
Through Aut on the Kullu highway, where the overnight bus from Delhi's Kashmere Gate stops before the tunnel; from there 24 km up the Tirthan to Banjar and 10 km to Gushaini. The plan ends at Manali, 90 km and about two hours from Banjar by road; Bhuntar's airport sits between the two valleys, 42 km from Banjar.
Where to stay
Gushaini on the river for the first night, Jibhi for the second so the pass day ends in a café rather than a drive, then Old Manali for two nights — walking distance from Hadimba and the Mall, and quieter than the town. Naggar itself has rooms for anyone who would rather break the transfer there.
Know before you go
- Cash for the Tirthan half: the ATMs stop at Banjar. Manali has every bank.
- Prices on the Tirthan days are bands checked in September 2026 and quoted on the day; Manali's bands are on the Manali guide.
- Take the left-bank road from Bhuntar to Manali through Naggar, not the highway — slower, emptier, and the castle is on it.
- Snow shuts Jalori in spells between late December and March; the plan is for spring and autumn.
- Book the Solang activities on the day at the counters; nothing needs booking ahead.
If plans change
Kasol instead of the Tirthan: the Kasol and Manali five days does the Parvati valley first.
The Tirthan alone, three days: the classic.
Manali alone: the Manali three-day classic and the rest of the Manali guide.
Places on this route
Other ways to do it
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See the plan →Questions people ask
How far is Manali from the Tirthan valley?
About 90 km and two hours by road from Banjar as of September 2026 — down the Tirthan to Aut, along the Beas past Bhuntar and Kullu, and up the valley. The left-bank road through Naggar takes a little longer and is the better drive, which is why this plan uses it for the transfer day.
Which comes first, the Tirthan valley or Manali?
The Tirthan, if you arrive by bus: it lands you at Aut, at the mouth of the valley, and the flight or bus home leaves from the Beas side. Manali first if you fly into Bhuntar in the afternoon and want the town's beds that night; then reverse the days and end at Gushaini.
Is five days enough for both the Tirthan valley and Manali?
Enough for the essentials of each — the river and Jalori on one side, Solang, Vashisht and Hadimba on the other — with one long transfer day between. The park needs a day more on the Tirthan side and Rohtang or the tunnel a day more on the Beas side; a week does both properly.