town37 min from Kasol1 h 46 min walk from the road

Nakthan

Nakthan is the last village on the walk from Barshaini to Kheerganga, about an hour up from the road-end: tea, dhabas, water, and the start of the gorge.

What it is

The last village on the path from Barshaini to Kheerganga, about an hour up from the road-end on the true left bank of the Parvati. Fields, a few houses, dhabas that open for the walking season, and a water point. Beyond it the fields stop and the path enters the gorge; it is the place to fill bottles, eat something, and start the real walk.

Photos: Timothy A. Gonsalves (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photos Worldwide (CC0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Getting there

On foot only: from the bridge at Barshaini, up the left bank for about an hour on a clear, well-used path. No guide needed. The valley bus ends at Barshaini and a taxi from Kasol is typically ₹800–1,500 one way as of September 2026.

The day

A stop of twenty minutes on the way up — tea, water, a paratha — and the same on the way down. A few walkers who start late sleep here and finish the climb in the morning. The Kheerganga plan passes through at half past nine on its first day.

When to go

With the Kheerganga path: April to June and September to November. The dhabas shut out of season and the path above is snow from December to February.

Around it

Barshaini below; Rudranag and Kheerganga above; Kalga and Pulga on the slope behind the road-end.

Plans that include this

All Kasol itineraries →

Malana from Kasol — a day out to the village with its own rules, and how to behave there

Day plan · First visit · Temples & heritage

A one-day plan from Kasol to Malana: taxi via Jari to the road-end, an hour's climb to the village, how to behave there, and back to the river by afternoon.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

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The Parvati over its boulders at Kasol, pines on the bank

Kasol in two days — the river, the bridge to Chalal and Manikaran's springs

1 night · 2 days · First visit · Classic

A two-day Kasol plan for a first visit: the market and the footbridge, the pine walk to Chalal, Manikaran's gurdwara and hot springs, with measured road times.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

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Tosh village stacked on its slope above the Parvati

Three days in Kasol — Chalal, the road-end and Tosh, then Manikaran

2 nights · 3 days · First visit · Classic

The classic three days in Kasol: the river and Chalal, the taxi past Barshaini and up to Tosh, Manikaran's springs on the way out, with measured times.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

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The hot-spring pool at Kheerganga with the valley behind

Kheerganga from Kasol — the walk up the valley, a night by the spring, and down

2 nights · 3 days · Trekkers · Walks & treks

The Kheerganga trek done properly: Barshaini, Nakthan, Rudranag, a night by the spring, down via Kalga, Manikaran's tanks on the way out. Times and bands.

Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Nov

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Kasol in winter — three days with the snow at Tosh and the hot springs after

2 nights · 3 days · Couples · Snow

Kasol from December to February in three days: the half-closed town, a night in Tosh under snow with a stove and a quilt, Manikaran's hot tanks on the way down.

Best Jan–Feb · Dec

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Autumn trees below fresh snow on the Parvati range in November

Kasol in October and November — three clear days: Rasol, the harvest villages, Tosh at dawn

2 nights · 3 days · Photographers · Autumn

Three days in Kasol in October and November: clear skies after the rains, days of about 28 °C and nights of 10 °C, the walk to Rasol, Tosh at dawn, Pulga.

Best Oct–Nov

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Nearby places

hotspring · 3.9 km away

Nearby destinations

All destinations →

The wide flat meadow at Shangarh with forest behind it and a few people walking

Sainj

30 km away · 2 itineraries · 7 places

Kullu

35 km away · 6 itineraries · 11 places

Manali

38 km away · 40 itineraries · 29 places

The Tirthan river running green between boulders and forest

Banjar

43 km away · 16 itineraries · 18 places

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Questions people ask

Where is Nakthan?

One to two hours on foot above the road-end at Barshaini, on the true left bank of the Parvati, on the path to Kheerganga. It is the last village with fields and houses before the path enters the gorge; Rudranag is under an hour further, and the spring the longer, steeper half of the climb beyond that.

Is there anything at Nakthan?

Tea, a few dhabas that do breakfast and lunch in season, a water point, and a couple of rooms for walkers who want to break the climb. It is a working village first; walk through it quietly and buy your tea rather than your photographs.

Can I sleep at Nakthan instead of Kheerganga?

A couple of rooms take walkers, and some who start late from Barshaini break the climb here and finish it in the morning. It is not the meadow — no spring, no view down the valley — so it is a fallback, not a plan. Leave Kasol earlier and sleep at the top instead.