Jogini Falls
waterfall · 8 min from Manali
2 nights · 3 daysTrekkersWalks & treksbalanced
Manali day hikes — three days on foot, home every night
Three days of walking from Manali with a bed every night: Jogini Falls from Vashisht, the Anjani Mahadev climb and the sanctuary forest, then a temple walk.
Manali has more good walks that end in your own bed than any other town in the range: waterfall paths, a shrine under a rock, an hour or three under old deodars, village temples on the hillside, and for the fit a real summit. This plan is three days of them, from an hour's climb to a whole day, with no tents and no pass.
The order builds. The Jogini walk on the first day sets the legs; the shrine climb and the forest fill the second; the third is a choice between a temple walk anyone can do and the summit of Patalsu for those who want the big one.
Photos: Gillian39 (CC BY 4.0) · Ktoya (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Prateekjain7792 (CC0) · Dinesh Valke from Thane, India (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Donvikro (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
Walkers who want to walk every day without camping; anyone training for a trek later in the trip; families with older children; solo travellers. Not for anyone who wants a night above the treeline — that is the Beas Kund or Bhrigu plan.
Day by day
Day 1
The waterfall walk
The classic first climb, from the village across the river.
- 08:30Vashisht TempleThrough the village and past the temple to the top, where the path starts.
- ↓ 8 min by road · 4 km09:15Lower Jogini FallsThe lower fall and its pool, with a small shrine beside it; the easier turn-round.
- 09:45Upper Jogini FallsAbout 46 min up from the village at an easy pace, about 19 min down; the tall one.
Day 2
The shrine walk and the forest
One climb above Solang in the morning, one hour under deodars in the afternoon.
- 08:30Anjani MahadevFrom the road above the Solang meadow, about 46 min up to the shrine under the rock, about 21 min down.
- ↓ 24 min by road · 12 km15:00Manali SanctuaryThe deodar path from the gate near Old Manali; an hour or three under the big trees.
Day 3
A summit day, or a temple walk
Patalsu for the fit with a guide; the Gaurishankar temple walk for everyone else.
- 08:00Gaurishankar templeAbout 24 min from town by road, then a walk of about 31 min up to a village temple with the valley below; about 19 min down.
- ↓ 1 h 20 min by road · 47 km10:00Patalsu PeakA big day walk to a summit above Solang, about an hour from town to the road head; done with a guide by most. We have no measured walking times for it yet — the trek page and the outfit's plan are the timetable.
Getting there
The overnight bus from Delhi, 513 km, or the drive from Chandigarh, 264 km and about 289 min. The first day needs no transport beyond an autorickshaw to Vashisht; the second and third need a taxi for the morning to the road heads on the Solang and Naggar roads.
Where to stay
Vashisht for the first night, with the Jogini path starting at the top of the village and the hot baths waiting at the bottom; Old Manali for the rest, near the sanctuary gate and the outfits. Our stays page shows both; the treks page lists the guides for Patalsu.
Know before you go
- Shoes with grip, a litre of water, a layer for the top, sun protection — the whole kit for the short walks.
- Mornings, always: the paths are dry, the light is in the valley, and the afternoon cloud has not come.
- The Jogini and Anjani stream crossings are on stones; simple in autumn, wetter in June, awkward in the monsoon.
- A guided day walk is typically ₹800–2,000 per person (as of Sep 2026); a group of four brings the per-head rate down. Ask what is included.
- Patalsu is a serious day; leave by seven, take a guide unless you know the ridge, and turn round on time.
- The Vashisht baths at the end of day one are the point of staying in the village.
If plans change
If you want a meadow day above the town: Lamadugh is a long climb through forest from the Hadimba side to a high meadow; the treks page has the route.
If the weather closes in: the sanctuary path stays safe in every season; keep it and drop the climbs.
If you want to sleep out after all: the Beas Kund plan starts from the same Solang road.
Places on this route
Other ways to do it
All Manali itineraries →
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A four-day Manali trip built round the Bhrigu Lake trek: a climb to Jogini Falls first, two days from Gulaba to the lake at 4,235 m and back, then the grove.
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A three-day Manali plan for a group: paragliding off the Solang ridge at dawn, the Jogini falls and hot springs on foot, then the Rohtang road to the snow line.
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See the plan →Questions people ask
What are the best day hikes in Manali?
Jogini Falls from Vashisht, about 46 min up through orchards and pine; the Anjani Mahadev shrine above Solang, a similar climb; the deodar path of the Manali Sanctuary from Old Manali; the village temple walks on the Naggar road. For the fit, Patalsu, a summit above Solang, and Lamadugh, a high meadow. None needs a tent.
Do I need a guide for day hikes in Manali?
Not for Jogini, Anjani Mahadev, the sanctuary path or the temple walks, which are village paths anyone can follow. For Patalsu and Lamadugh a guide is sensible unless you know the ridge; outfits in Old Manali and on the Mall run them by the day, typically ₹800–2,000 per person, less per head in a group.
When is the best season for walking in Manali?
March to June and September to November, when the paths are dry, the streams are crossable and the mornings are clear. July and August make the crossings awkward and the rock slick. December to February put ice on the shaded paths; the sanctuary walk and the temple walks still work at midday with care.
Can children do the Manali day hikes?
The first hour of the sanctuary path and the walk to Lower Jogini Falls, yes, for most children who like walking; the upper falls and the Anjani climb for older ones with shoes that grip. Patalsu is for fit adults. Go in the morning, carry water and something to eat, and turn round when the fun stops.