Kothi

What it is

The last village on the pass road, a scatter of old houses above the point where the Beas has cut a deep slot through the rock below the bridge. The snowsuit stalls begin here; the meadow at Gulaba is a quarter of an hour above; Solang and the tunnel are minutes away on the other road. Kothi is where people stay who want the snow and the meadow without the town.

Getting there

About 11 km and roughly 21 min from the bus stand, up past Palchan where the roads divide — Kothi is on the pass road just above the fork. Every Rohtang taxi passes through; there is no regular bus beyond Palchan.

The gorge

Stop at the bridge. The river below has cut a channel so narrow and deep that you hear it before you see it; a viewpoint by the road gives the long drop. Five minutes, best in the morning when the light gets in. It is the one thing everyone drives past.

Staying here

Guesthouses and tented camps rather than hotels, with cold clear nights, the gorge below and the town half an hour back. It suits snow trips in January, trips built round Solang, and the trek start at Dhundi. Many close in deep winter; our stays page shows what we know is open, and the camping guide has the camps.

Around it

Gulaba above for snow and the checkpost, Solang across on the other road for the meadow, Nehru Kund and Bahang below on the way back to town. The map has them all within twenty minutes.

Plans that include this

All 12 plans that stop here →

Day plan · FriendsRoad trip

Manali to Sissu — the day trip through the Atal Tunnel

The Manali–Sissu day trip through the Atal Tunnel: about an hour each way, no permit, open all year. Timings, what to see in Sissu, and lunch at Solang.

Best Jan–Jun · Sep–Dec

See the plan →

2 nights · 3 days · FamilyClassic

Manali with parents — three gentle days, short walks, no altitude

A three-day Manali plan for travelling with parents: everything by car with a short walk at the end — the grove, the museum, the meadow, the baths, the castle.

Best Mar–May · Sep–Nov

See the plan →

2 nights · 3 days · First visitClassic

Three days in Manali — the classic first visit

A three-day Manali itinerary: the temples and Old Manali on foot, Solang and the Atal Tunnel to Sissu with no permit, then Naggar Castle on the way out.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Dec

See the plan →

2 nights · 3 days · FriendsRoad trip

Manali to Sissu and Lahaul — three days with a night across the ridge

Three days from Manali with two nights at Sissu: the tunnel and the meadow on the way, the Chandra valley to Koksar and Gondhla's tower house, the gorge home.

Best May–Jun · Sep–Oct

See the plan →

2 nights · 3 days · PhotographersClassic

Manali for photographers — three days of light

Three days of Manali's best light: the cedar grove at dawn and Old Manali at dusk, the pass road early for the widest valley, the tunnel to Lahaul's thin sky.

Best Jan · Mar–Jun · Sep–Dec

See the plan →

2 nights · 3 days · FriendsAdventure

Manali with friends — three days of paragliding, waterfalls and the snow line

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.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

See the plan →