“Traveling on your own vs Travel packages for Himachal”, I am sure many have faced this dilemma at some point when planning trips or vacations to Himachal. So after traveling extensively across Himachal I think I can put the queries to rest
I personally feel that traveling on your own makes for insane experiences. And everyone should travel own their own to Himachal. With little time and effort you can plan and execute epic trip to Himachal without having to spend a fortune on travel packages.
Traveling On Your Own Vs Travel Packages for Himachal – Are Travel Packages Worth It For Himachal
So as I said, I personally feel that booking travel packages in Himachal is kind of futile. Why book expensive packages when with little time and effort you yourself can plan and execute a perfect trip.
So if you are not too nitpicking when traveling, then traveling on your own is always advisable and light on pocket or however you want it to be. So here are 8 major advantages of why I personally think traveling on your own in Himachal is better than taking travel packages.
Of course, if you feel that travel packages are better and help you in making a hassle free trip than I respect your opinion. But Just here me out is all I say.
By the way if you are looking for some incredible experiences in Himachal without having to book travel packages contact Yuthok Homestay, Rabbit House Homestay, Aastha Homestay. They will help you in every aspect of your trip and they have in depth knowledge about the area as they are the locals.
| Traveling on your in Himachal will always be cheaper than Travel packages |
| No Rigid Itineraries when traveling on your own to Himachal |
| Can choose homestays over hotels when traveling on your own in Himachal |
| Choose stay option as per you budget and comfort in Himachal |
| Having meals of your choice and trying out local food in Himachal |
| Take your sweet time when sightseeing while traveling on your own in Himachal |
| Know more about the culture of Himachal when traveling on your own |
| Explore more offbeat places when traveling on your own in Himachal |
1. Traveling On Your In Himachal Will Always Be Cheaper than Travel packages
Even though I personally never take any packages, I keep tabs on the travel packages being sold for Himachal. And trust me these traveler packages are quite expensive, at least most of them. You can easily take 2-3 trips to Himachal at the price of one such trip via travel packages.
| Planning a trip has become quite easy these days to be honest. You just have to decide which place you want to go. A quick google search will give all the information you need. Then you need to look for the hotels or hostels. book train or flights tickets. You can even directly go the destination and book the place of stay on the spot.
In this manner you can select the hotel, the place you eat at, the mode of transport as per your choice. If you choose a travel package you are at the mercy of the travel company. You might not like a hotel, or lets say any other service that is included in the travel package etc. So basically, if you are traveling to Himachal on your own you can decide your comfort, budget, itinerary as per you choice and your will. I personally never book any travel packages and would also advise you to do the same. Trust me its just a bit of research that you need. |
I just book my train or flights tickets to Delhi and reach Himachal and check out homestays in lesser crowded places. I’ve personally completed a lot of trips to Himachal at around 10k INR or less from Delhi to Delhi by traveling and planning on my own. So “Should you take travel packages for Himachal”. I would advise against it.
2. No Rigid Itineraries When Traveling On Your Own In Himachal
So more often than not, the itineraries of packages curated by these travel companies are quite rigid. Like I understand that having a fixed itinerary helps, but if you keep it little bit flexible then you’ll end up enjoying a lot more.
| Lets say you have taken a travel package to Parvati valley. And the travel package has only has 1 night in its itinerary for Tosh and 3 nights for Kasol. But when reach Tosh you find it so awesome that you feel like staying there more than just 1 night.
This was just an example, but I hope you get my point. See if you have flexible itineraries, you can stay at the place as long you wish, Go on impromptu hikes, discover new places etc. By the way here is blog on 47 hidden places in Kullu which I am sure you’ll love. I am not advocating to not have itineraries at all, but my point is at least leave room for some twists and tweaks and I am pretty sure you will not regret it. Travel packages don’t allow for such freedom and flexible Itineraries. |
I’ll give you my personal example, During my trip to Spiti 2018 we kind of followed a fixed itinerary and we werent even traveling via a travel company. Personally it was one of the best trips I had.
But after traveling to multiple places in Himachal over the years without any rigid itineraries I realized I had missed out on so many experiences on my Spiti trip due to such rigid itinerary.
3. Can Choose Homestays Over Hotels When Traveling On Your Own In Himachal
| If you book a travel package for Himachal, chances are that 9 out of 10 times you’ll be made to stay in hotels which is absolutely fine. But the real essence of traveling to Himachal are its homestays.
Sometimes its good to experiment. By staying in homestays, you stay with the locals at their homes, eat the food that they would and experience or witness the harsh lives of the local folks in Himachal. For me that is the true essence of traveling to Himachal. |
Of course, many want that peace of mind and comfort on vacation which is why they book a travel package. But trust me now many budget homestays along with experiential one’s have come up in Himachal. And the best part is the take care of almost all your travel needs like hiking, sightseeing, cultural tours, village tours etc.
Most of the travel companies do not offer such homestays in their travel packages. The reason is quite simple, they will not be able to make great profits out of it. They tend to make a lot of money when bulk booking rooms in hotels.
So this is the of the reasons why I personally feel that traveling on your own is better than taking travel packages for Himachal. By the way in case you are planning to travel Kasol anytime soon, here is a detailed blog on where to stay in Kasol under 1000 INR.
4. Choose Stay Option As Per You Budget And Comfort In Himachal
If you travel on your own in Himachal you are free to choose your stay as per your comfort, budget. But if you opt for a travel package than you have no option but you stay at the place they have included in the package.
Of course, they might tell all the details beforehand, but if you book a stay as per your comfort and budget the trip will be definitely more enjoyable to be honest.
| Planning the trip and traveling on your own will give you complete freedom. Lets say if you took a travel package to Manali, and you did not quite like the place of stay for whatever reason. You are stuck with it, cause you have already paid for it.
Now consider the same scenario but you are traveling on your own, you choose a place to stay but don’t like it again for reasons best known to you. You can immediately look for another place the next day. |
By the way in case you are planning to travel Kasol anytime soon, here is a detailed blog on where to stay in Kasol under 1000 INR.
5. Having Meals of Your Choice and trying a lot of Local food In Himachal
A lot of travel packages that are there in the market, do include at least Breakfast, and Dinner. Some include all the 3 meals. But my point is you’ll hardly get to eat any local or traditional cuisine of the valley in case you take the travel package with food included.
| Lets say you don’t like the food they are offering or you want to try local or traditional cuisine or eat at a place of choice, you’ll have to shell out extra money. Again, this will increase your miscellaneous expenses.
But if you were traveling on your own you could eat wherever you want as per your own wish as per your own budget. Like trying out local food at the Dhabas or eat at the cafes. Trying out traditional or local cuisine in Himachal is definitely a must in my opinion. |
So everything is in your control. And if suppose you don’t like a place you ate at, you can definitely skip and try a new one. By the way here is a blog on best valleys to explore in Kullu district. I am sure you’ll like it.
6. Take Your Sweet Time When Sightseeing While Traveling On Your Own In Himachal
When you are traveling on your own, you can explore places at your own will and at your own sweet time. Same freedom cannot be enjoyed when you have taken a package with a Travel Company. You are obliged to follow the rules they have laid out.
| Most tourist companies while sightseeing give a stipulated amount of time to explore the places of interests. Now some places you might find more interesting than the others and you might want to spend more time there.
So if you travel alone, you can spend the time at the places which you like at your will. Therefore, I’ve always preferred to travel without any packages even before I was traveling solo. |
And if you haven’t traveled on your own in Himachal just try it out once, and I am sure you’ll love it. By the way here is a blog on 27 travel tips for a hassle free Spiti trip.
7. Know more about the culture of Himachal when traveling on your own
So as far as I know most of the travel companies which sell travel packages to travelers have little regards for including cultural aspect of Himachal in the Itineraries. And of course, this kind of tourism is still a niche and only a handful of travelers want to truly know about the unique culture.
| But that being said, cultural tourism, along with rural tourism where in you get a sneek peek into the lives of Locals, their culture, tradition, festivals etc is definitely gaining popularity these days in India.
So if you are one of those who wants to dive deep into the cultural aspect of the Himachal along with exploration of some insanely picturesque places make sure you don’t buy a travel package. I’ve been lucky enough to witness quite a few festivals and know more about the cultural aspects of Himachal and trust me its quite intriguing and I want to keep on learning more about it. So if you are like me don’t ever think about taking a travel package to Himachal. |
By the get to know and witnessing the unique culture of Himachal is one of the 31 promising reasons to visit Himachal Pradesh.
8. Explore More Offbeat Places When Traveling On Your Own In Himachal
Lets say you have taken a travel package to Shimla in Himachal, and while interacting with a local he/she tells you that Jubbal in Upper Shimla is quite beautiful and lesser crowded. He/She shows you the pictures. You like it and now you are bummed that your travel package does not include it.
Now you know why traveling on your own can be beneficial. You can make impromptu plans, go on hikes, include offbeat locations in your itinerary which the travel package would have never done for you.
And its kind of obvious why travel companies or packages do not usually include lesser known places. Arranging the logistics is kind of difficult for them as the places are not popular, they will not get huge returns when bulk booking in lesser known places.
And of course, lesser known places usually do not have huge hotels or guesthouses. By the way, I have a really interesting blog on the state of offbeat places in Himachal. Be sure to check it out and let me know your thoughts about it.
To conclude, I think now you have fair idea about Traveling on your own vs Travel Packages for Himachal. To be honest traveling and planning on your own for Himachal trip is not that difficult, with some much useful information available on social media and internet.
But if you still want to take a travel package try searching for sustainable eco tourism kind of travel company which lets you stay in homestays, helps visiting offbeat places, helps in witnessing the local culture to have a complete experience.