Are you looking for a Barot valley Itinerary for a thrilling odyssey in the Himalayas ? Well you have come to the right place and the perfect blog you need for a delightful trip.
Therefore, based on my travels to Barot, I have come with this super fun barot valley itinerary that will help you experience the beauty Barot in its purest form. So lets get started.
Barot Valley Itinerary – An Epic Sojourn In Himalayas
Surrounded by towering pines, lofty peaks, verdant valleys, ancient villages Barot valley is a true gem in Himalayas which is more accessible now then ever.
Barot valley get its name from Barot town which was propelled into limelight as a hydel power project established by the Britishers.
But the actual valleys are Chuhar valley in Mandi district with Barot being the main town. And Chota Bhangal with Lohardi and Rajgundha being prominent places in Kangra. I’ve covered places both the regions in my 10-day travel itinerary for barot.
| Day 1
Board overnight bus going towards Manali. |
| Day 2
Get down at Mandi. Board another bus to Ghatasani and further to Lohardi. |
| Day 3
Visit the rustic village of Polling. Hike to Pashakot Dev temple. Overnight at Lohardi |
| Day 4
Explore the rustic villages of Swar and Judhar. Overnight at Lohardi |
| Day 5
Start Early from Lohardi and move towards Baragran. Overnight in Rajgundha |
| Day 6
Hike to Hanumangarh OR Hike to Plachak. Overnight at Rajgundha |
| Day 7
Leave early from Rajgundha and reach Barot. Overnight at Barot. |
| Day 8
Visit the rustic villages of Jharwar, Khaliyal, Meyot. Overnight at Barot. |
| Day 9
Today hike to the Winch Camp and Head gear. Overnight at Barot |
| Day 10
Start early. Explore Lapas village and Lapas waterfall. Reach Mandi by evening & board overnight bus to Delhi. |
Day 1
Board overnight buses going towards Mandi. All the buses going to Manali go via Mandi. There are plenty of private and ordinary buses you get from Delhi.
Most buses depart during the evening and the night time from Kashmiri gate, Majnu ka Tilla. So choose the bus accordingly.
Here is where you can book online. If you wish to go by HRTC.
By the way, here is a detailed blog on how to reach Barot in case you are first time traveler.
Day 2
Now depending upon the bus you took, you might reach Mandi either in the morning like around 6 AM or in the wee hours of morning like 4 or 5 AM.
Well now you need to find a bus going towards Jogindernagar/Palampur/Dharamshala and get down at Ghatasani.
Don’t worry even if you reach very early you might be able to find a overnight HRTC bus going to Ghatasani. But if you not you’ll get plenty of buses starting 7 Am.
Once you get down at Ghatasani, you’ll find buses going towards Lohardi at regular intervals. Lohardi is the last road head in Chota bhangal region and some 7 km from Barot.
Once you reach Lohardi, check into Thakur Ji homestay (+91 9418770108), the rooms are basic but the hosts are very amiable, friendly and will help you in your explorations.
After resting for a while, if you some time on your hand. You can visit the villages of Kharimalhan and Anderlimalhan which is around 4 km from Lohardi. Stay for the night in Barot.
The beautiful village of Anderlimalhan near Lohardi !
Day 3
Today you’ll be visiting one of the most picturesque villages in the Chota Bhangal region. The village of polling is a sizeable village with sea of traditional styled houses, scenic vistas and amiable locals.
If you’ve inclination of learning about the hard life of Himalayan folks and their day to day life, Polling is the perfect place to be at. After sauntering across the village and marveling at landscapes, head to Dev Pashakot which is around 2-3 km hike from Polling.
The temple is surrounded by dreamy pine forests and dedicated to Dev Pashakot one of the most revered and feared deities in region. Expect to witness some jaw-dropping vistas of Chota bhangal on the trail to temple.
Polling is around 2-3 km from Lohardi and is accessible by road. While the temple is only reachable on foot. Overnight at Lohardi. In case you need any further motivation to visit barot, here are 11 compelling reasons why barot is worth it.
Visit to Polling was one of my highlights in Barot valley.
Day 4
Are you reading for another exciting day in Barot valley itinerary ? Today you’ll be heading to the village of Judhar via Swar village near Lohardi. In my opinion, one can never get tired of visiting Himalayan locales with scenic views.
While Judhar can be reached via an uphill an moderately steep hike, You should opt for a gentle climb via Swar village. That way you get the best of both the villages.
The trail to Swar is a well-marked and wide forest trail amidst towering pines which is a delight. Once you reach Swar the scenic vistas of high mountains and beautiful homes will refresh you.
After exploring the village for a while ask for directions to Judhar from the locals, the trail is well-marked. Judhar has even grander views of the mountains with traditional styled houses.
On the way back, ensure that get down via the trail which is shorter. Ask directions from the locals to ensure you are on the correct trail. Total hiking distance should not exceed more than 13 kms for the whole circuit trip
Experiencing goodness of locals was one of my most cherished moments. I was invited for tea in Swar village & invited for a meal in Judhar. Experiences like these is what matters at the end of day.
Day 5
Bid your goodbyes to Lohardi, today you’ll be heading to Rajgundha via Baragran. In case you have an extra day, stay in Loahrdi for another day.
Try hiking to the villages of Cherna and further to Bardhani mata temple which locals speak very highly off and has insane views.
But If you don’t head to one of the most popular places in the Barot region, the dwelling of Rajgundha.
The prominence of the place is obvious with calming views of Uhl river along with towering pine forests and awe-inspiring views of Thamsar Jot and other high mountains behind which lies the remotest area of Himachal and Kangra, Bara Bhangal.
Start early so that you reach Barot on time and further get the bus to Baragran on time. From Baragran you can opt to hike or look for a cab because the road to Rajgundha was just awaiting completion of bridge when I had visited in December 2021.
Plenty of stay options are available between Kukargundha and Rajgundha in form of camps, guesthouses. There is a even Zostel here.
Accompanied by Mangat Ram Ji, my homestay host from Barot, The quick trip to Rajgundha was a wonderful experience amidst snowy vistas. In frame, Kukargundha.
Day 6
Today will be another hiking day. You can either choose between Hanumangarh perched above Rajgundha or Plachak, The gateway to Bara Bhangal.
Travelers, hikers, locals speak very highly of Hanumangarh which offers almost a 360-degree view of Dhauldhar ranges and other high mountains on a clear day.
While Plachak is the gateway and one of the campsites to Thamsar Jot, the pass beyond which lies the mysterious and the remotest region of Himachal, yes you guessed it right, Bara Bhangal.
Both Hanumgarh and Plachak can be done as day hikes for individuals with decent fitness. Overnight at Rajgundha.
Day 7
After going on some adventure-filled hikes and journeys in Chota Bhangal, now its time to experience the beauty of Chuhar valley. Start early from Rajgundha, hike down to Baragran. Board a bus to Barot. And reach Barot by afternoon.
Once you reach Barot, check in to Verma homestay (+91 9816008262) or there are plenty of guesthouses, hotels and homestays. The homestay is located across Uhl river, but its a bit less crowded then main market area of Barot.
After resting for a while if you have time, you can explore the main village of Barot, or hike to Kahog village or visit Colonel Batty house perched above Barot. Stay in Barot for the night.
Day 8
Today, you’ll be again going village hopping. But now the villages of Chuhar valley will be on your agenda.
From Barot, villages of Jharwar, Khaliyal, Choti Jharwar, Meyot are the last villages of Chuhar valley. Like the villages of Lohardi, they are typical villages with scenic vistas and rustic vibe.
Unlike, some of the villages in Chota bhangal, you don’t not have to hike if you don’t want as there is road connectivity to all the aforementioned villages.
The last village on the road is Meyot which is around 16 km from Barot village.
If visiting ensure that you tag along with a local or hire a guide, cause these villages are not much into tourism and might question you in case you are visiting solo.
Would you want to take a stroll across such a dreamy village, Chuhar valley in a nutshell for you !
Day 9
Want to witness a colonial era engineering marvel while hiking and witnessing awesome landscapes, Winch Camp and head gear the perfect hiking trails.
Winch Camp and Head gear are a couple of stations and beautiful vantage points which fall on the funicular railway line setup by Britishers from Jogindernagar to Barot in the colonial era.
The hike is a moderate and one needs to start very early to make it back on time. Ensure that you hire a guide or are an expert in navigation to avoid losing the way getting into trouble.
I personally had this trail on my agenda but ended up cancelling it due to personal reasons.
Day 10
Get ready to bid your goodbyes to Barot valley. Today is the last day of your itinerary for barot valley. If you an inclination towards waterfall, today will be one of the most satisfying days for you.
Lapas waterfall is perched near Lapas village. To reach the waterfall you need to hike a bit. I personally went to Lapas village and just saw the waterfall from a distance.
Please start early, you can reach the waterfall by vehicle and little bit of hiking, while a road goes all the way to the village. If you don’t have a vehicle you can reach by hiking from Barot. Ensure you have a guide along with you.
Try to finish your trip by afternoon and hop on to an afternoon bus to Ghatasani. Board a bus going towards Mandi from Ghatasani and try to make it to Mandi by evening. Catch an overnight bus back to Delhi from Mandi.
Village of Lapas, Although waterfall was visible to me, but it was far away so I could not get a decent picture of the Lapas falls.
To conclude, I hope this super detailed barot valley itinerary will help plan your trip and experience the beauty of Barot to the fullest.
In case you have any queries on Itinerary for Barot valley, be sure to drop them in the comments, I’ll be happy to help you out.