Bhrigu Lake from Manali — a four-day trek plan
Bhrigu Lake is the other classic short trek from Manali. It climbs from the meadow at Gulaba on the Rohtang road through forest to open meadows above the treeline, and on the second morning crosses to a small glacial lake at 4,235 m on the ridge east of the pass. It is higher than Beas Kund and gains its height faster, which is why the standard plans put a night at the meadows.
This plan runs the trek the way the outfits do, over four days. A climb at valley height on the first afternoon; up to the meadow camp on the second; the lake and back to the camp on the third; down to the road on the fourth morning. The trek days are in outline; the outfit's plan is the timetable, and the treks page has the outfits we know.
Photos: Karan Manocha (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Vishalwiki2606 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Biswarup Ganguly (CC BY 3.0) · Sharvipul (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
Fit walkers with a long weekend who want a high lake and a night above the treeline; second-time trekkers who did Beas Kund and want the next step. Not for anyone new to altitude who has one day — the height comes fast — and not in July and August, when the meadows are in cloud.
Day by day
Day 1Arrive, and one climb for the legs
2 stops · 8 min on the road
Arrive, and one climb for the legs
A walk on the first afternoon, not a drive.
- 10:00Vashisht TempleThe hot baths first, then the path up from the top of the village.
- ↓ 8 min by road · 4 km12:50Upper Jogini FallsAbout 46 min up through orchards and pine; about 19 min down. A first climb at valley height.
Day 2Gulaba to the meadows
1 stop
Gulaba to the meadows
Drive to Gulaba on the Rohtang road, then four to five hours up through the forest to the camp above the treeline, where the night is spent for the altitude.
- 07:00GulabaAbout 35 min from Manali; the trek leaves the meadow here and climbs through forest to the high camp.
Day 3The lake, and back to the camp
1 stop
The lake, and back to the camp
From the camp to the lake in the morning — three to four hours more — and back down to the meadows for a second night. The lake and the whole descent in one day take most of the daylight there is; the second night is what makes it a good trek rather than a hard one.
- 10:30Bhrigu LakeThe lake at 4,235 m, reached from the meadow camp while the sky is still clear. An hour at the water, then back to the tents before the afternoon cloud.
Day 4Down to the road, then the grove and the Mall
2 stops · 6 min on the road
Down to the road, then the grove and the Mall
Down from the camp to Gulaba in the morning, the drive back past Kothi, where the gorge at the bridge makes the tea stop, and an afternoon at valley height.
- 13:00Hadimba Devi TempleThe cedar grove after three days above the trees.
- ↓ 6 min by road · 2 km17:00Mall RoadThe evening walk and a last dinner.
Getting there
The overnight bus from Delhi, 513 km, or the drive from Chandigarh, 264 km and about 289 min. Gulaba is about 35 min above Manali on the Rohtang road, below the permit checkpost, so the road head needs no permit; the outfit usually includes the drive.
Where to stay
Vashisht or Old Manali for the first night, near the outfits and the hot baths; the outfit's tents at the meadows for the next two. Our stays page shows the town; the treks page lists the outfits.
Know before you go
- Book a fixed departure ahead in June and September; ask what is included — tents, food, guide, porterage, the drive to Gulaba.
- Take the version with two nights at the meadows. The second is the difference between a hard trek and a good one, and the sunsets are there.
- Warm layers for the night at the meadows, rain gear in September, sun protection always; the meadows have no shade.
- Snow on the route into June and a half-frozen lake; September and early October are the clear, cold, best weeks.
- The Jogini climb on day one is on purpose — a first hour of uphill at valley height before the real one.
- Leave the meadows as you found them; carry everything out.
If plans change
If you want the gentler classic: the Beas Kund plan, a single valley with no fast height gain.
If you want the crossing: Hampta Pass, four to five days into Lahaul with a guide for everyone.
If the weather closes in: the day-hikes plan keeps you walking below the cloud.
Places on this route
Going together
No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.
Other ways to do it
All Manali itineraries →
More places nearby
All of Manali →
Nearby destinations
All destinations →
Questions people ask
How high is Bhrigu Lake and does altitude matter?
About 4,235 m on the figure in its Wikipedia infobox, on the ridge east of the Rohtang road above Gulaba. That is high enough to matter: the trek gains height quickly, and the standard plans put a night at the meadows rather than going straight to the lake. Go slowly, drink water, take the extra night.
How long is the Bhrigu Lake trek?
Two to three days from the road head at Gulaba, about 35 min from Manali. Walkers give four to five hours to the meadow camp and three to four more to the lake, then three to four down. Most groups sleep two nights at the camp; strong walkers do it in two days, three is kinder.
When can you trek to Bhrigu Lake?
Late May to mid-October. Snow lies on the route into June and the lake is half frozen; July and August are green and wet with cloud on the meadows; September and early October are the clearest and coldest and the best of it. Outside that window the ridge is under snow and it is a different outing.
Do I need a guide for Bhrigu Lake?
For most people, yes — for the camping, the route across the meadows in cloud, and the altitude. Trekking outfits in Manali run it as a fixed departure through the season with camping, food and a guide included and quote by the day. Ask at the outfits in Old Manali and on the Mall and compare what is included.