Naggar Castle

What it is

The castle the rajas of Kullu built when Naggar was their seat, around 1460 — a stacked building of deodar beams and dry stone in the valley's own kath-kuni manner, with courtyards, carved wooden balconies and a small temple inside the walls. The state tourism corporation runs part of it as a heritage hotel; the rest is open for a small ticket. The view from the balconies takes in the whole width of the valley, which is the real reason the rajas built here.

Getting there

Naggar is about 19 km down the valley from Manali on the left-bank road, roughly half an hour by taxi; the road through Aleo and Jagatsukh is slower and prettier than the highway on the other bank. Buses use the highway and stop at Patlikuhl, from where a shared taxi climbs to the village. The castle is at the top of Naggar, above the temples.

When to go

Any month; the castle is open all year and Naggar is lower and milder than Manali. Mornings are quiet, afternoons in season bring the tour cars. Autumn, when the orchards are picked and the poplars turn, is the best of it.

Around it

The Roerich estate above the castle, where the painter Nicholas Roerich lived and worked, has a gallery of his Himalayan canvases and the family house. The village below has the old stone Tripura Sundari temple and a lane of cafés. Rehala Falls are on the road above, and the Manali side of the valley is half an hour back. Our stays page shows guesthouses at Naggar for anyone who wants the quiet overnight.

Plans that include this

All 21 plans that stop here →

1 night · 2 days · CouplesTemples & heritage

Naggar and the left bank — two days below Manali

A night at Naggar below Manali: the castle from around 1460, the temples and the Roerich gallery; then lunch at the Jana Falls dhabas and a temple walk.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Dec

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1 night · 2 days · First visitClassic

Manali in two days — the first time

A two-day Manali plan for a first visit: the temples and Old Manali on foot, then Solang in the morning and Naggar Castle after lunch. No permit, no pass.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

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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

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2 nights · 3 days · FriendsRoad trip

A Manali weekend from Delhi — two nights, one overnight bus each way

A Delhi–Manali weekend by overnight bus: the town on foot the first morning, Solang and Sissu through the tunnel on the full day, Naggar on the way to the bus.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Dec

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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

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2 nights · 3 days · Slow travelTemples & heritage

Temples and heritage of the Manali valley — three days

Three days of the Manali valley's temples: Hadimba, Manu and Vashisht in the town, then Jagatsukh, Naggar Castle and the stone temples below, and one hill walk.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

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