Waterfalls and short walks around Manali
This is the slow plan: no pass, no permit, no queue. Two days of walking to water — the two Jogini falls above Vashisht, a shrine under a rock above Solang, a roadside cascade on the Rohtang road, and the meadow at Gulaba.
The walks are short in distance and honest in effort. The Jogini path climbs through orchards and then forest; the pull to the upper fall is steep but short. Bhrigu Lake, which starts from the meadow at Gulaba, is different: a trek rather than a walk, with its own four-day plan, and not part of this one.
It suits the visit after the first one, when the temples are done and the point of the valley is the valley itself.
Photos: Ktoya (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Gillian39 (CC BY 4.0) · Timothy Gonsalves (CC BY-SA 4.0) · In Transit (CC BY 4.0) · Donvikro (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
Walkers, second visits, couples who want a quiet trip, and anyone recovering from a long drive. Not for the monsoon weeks, when the paths are mud and the falls are too full to approach, and not for deep winter, when the upper paths are under snow.
Day by day
Day 1The Jogini falls
2 stops
The Jogini falls
One walk, up and back — start early while it is cool, and there is time for both falls.
- 08:00Upper Jogini FallsFrom Vashisht village through orchards to the lower fall, then the steeper pull to the upper one. Ordinary shoes in dry weather.
- 10:30Lower Jogini FallsOn the way down; the pool is the place to sit.
Day 2Up the Solang and Rohtang road — the shrine, the fall, the meadow
3 stops · 52 min on the road
Up the Solang and Rohtang road — the shrine, the fall, the meadow
One road, three stops in order — the shrine above Solang first, then further up to the roadside fall, then the meadow at Gulaba for the view. Bhrigu Lake starts from the same meadow, but it is a trek, not a walk, and it has its own plan.
- 07:30Anjani MahadevA shrine under a rock overhang above Solang; a gentle walk in from the road.
- ↓ 40 min by road · 21 km10:15Rehala FallsThe roadside cascade further up the Rohtang road; ten minutes on the way to Gulaba.
- ↓ 12 min by road · 7 km11:15GulabaThe meadow where the Rohtang road leaves the trees: grass, snow peaks across the valley, and colder air than the town. Walk up the slope rather than along the road. The trek to Bhrigu Lake starts here — see the four-day plan for that.
Getting there
Any arrival works — the first walk starts across the river at Vashisht, a short taxi hop from the bus stand. If you arrive on the overnight bus from Delhi, take the morning slowly and start the Jogini walk after nine; the light on the falls is better late morning anyway.
Where to stay
Vashisht puts the first walk at your door and the hot baths at the end of it. Old Manali is the alternative if you want the cafés. Our stays show both, the map shows the Jogini path leaving the village, and the treks page has the longer walks that start from the same road. For the Gulaba morning, a stay on the Solang road at Palchan or Kothi shortens the drive.
Know before you go
- The Jogini path is unmarked in places; ask at the last house in Vashisht which way, and keep to the orchard side until the forest begins.
- Swim below the lower fall, not the upper one; the pool is calmer and the rocks are not.
- At Gulaba, walk up the meadow rather than along the road: the view opens after a short climb, and the road is where the traffic stops.
- Carry water for both days — there is a stall at Vashisht and nothing reliable after Gulaba.
- Rehala Falls is a roadside stop; take the photograph and move on, the day is above it.
- Ordinary trainers are fine for Jogini in dry weather; for Gulaba, a warm layer, because it is much colder than the town.
If plans change
If you want the high lake: Bhrigu Lake starts at Gulaba and is a trek, not a walk — take the four-day plan, which sleeps at the meadow camp.
If the road is closed beyond Solang: Rehala and Gulaba are the first stretch to shut for snow. Do Anjani Mahadev and turn back, then take the forest path in the Manali Sanctuary above the temple to round out the day.
If you want a third day of water: the hot springs at Vashisht Temple are the reward — an hour in the tanks and an early night.
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
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Questions people ask
How hard is the walk to Jogini Falls?
It is a village path that climbs through orchards and then forest to the lower fall, with a steeper, shorter pull to the upper one. Most people manage it in ordinary shoes in dry weather. It is unmarked in places, so ask directions at the last houses in Vashisht and give yourself the whole morning.
Can Bhrigu Lake be done in a day from Manali?
Only by a strong walker in the long days of summer, and even then it is most of the daylight there is. It is a trek, usually done over two to four days with nights at the meadow camps, and it has its own four-day plan. This plan stops at the meadow at Gulaba, where the trek begins.
Are the waterfalls worth it in the monsoon?
They are loudest then, and also least approachable: the paths turn to mud, the pools are unsafe and the roads close after slides. In July or August, see the falls from the road and keep the walks for a dry spell, or come back in September when the water is still high and the ground has dried.
Do I need a guide for these walks?
Not for Jogini or Anjani Mahadev — they are village paths with people on them. Not for the meadow at Gulaba either. A guide becomes worth having only if you go on towards Bhrigu Lake, where the route is easy to lose in cloud — and that is the trek, not this plan.