Are you looking for a handy barot valley travel guide to help you plan your trip and have authentic experiences. Well this blog is what you exactly need.
Therefore, based on my epic journeys and experiences, I’ve come up with the comprehensive Barot valley travel guide that will come in super handy if your planning to embark on a journey to this gem of Himachal.
Barot Valley Travel Guide – How To Plan A Trip To Barot
Having traveled across Himalayas over the last few years, A destination does not impress me too easily these days, but oh boy, Barot valley came in as a pleasant surprise.
Hiking to scenic villages, sauntering across surreal pine forests, witnessing eccentric customs, and impeccable vistas of Barot valley, really made Barot one of my favourite regions in Himachal.
Therefore, I’ve decided to curate Barot valley travel guide, so that my fellow travelers are able to experience Barot in its truest form. By the way, here are 11 reasons to visit Barot valley in case you need any further motivation to visit Barot.
How To Reach Barot Valley ?
Barot valley is quite accessible and is not far from the main Mandi-Pathankot national highway. So Barot valley can be easily approached from major cities of North India and Himachal.
Here is a detailed blog that I’ve already done on how to reach barot from Delhi and other places in Himachal. But I’ll mention in brief so that you have an idea.
- First reach Ghatasani from wherever you are (Delhi, Mandi, Bir, Dharamsala)
- Then board a bus going towards Lohardi or Baragran. Both will go via Barot town.
- Depending on your destination you can get down at Barot or travel further
- Buses ply at regular intervals until late afternoon from Ghatasani.
- If you have your own vehicle, do not forget to take diversion at Ghatasani towards Barot.
Itinerary for Barot valley
While most itineraries don’t go beyond 3-5 days for Barot. Trust me there is so much to do in Barot that even 7-10 days would feel short once you actually visit Barot region.
Therefore, I’ve come up with a 10-day itinerary for Barot valley which covers both Chota bhangal area and Chuhar valley. Of course I understand that many don’t have the luxury of long leaves. So feel free to cut down the itinerary or even add days.
Here is a complete blog on super detailed itinerary for barot valley, but in case you don’t want to go through the whole thing, here is brief version of it.
| 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. |
Things to Do in Barot & Places to Visit Barot
Here are some fun things to engage in and beautiful places to visit while traveling to Barot valley.
Relax and Enjoy The Gurgling Sound of Lamba Dug & Uhl river
Lamba dugh and Uhl river are two major rivers in the Chuhar valley & chota bhangal region. And are the highlights of the region.
Having beautiful streams and rivers meandering across the valleys always increases the beauty of the region many folds. And Barot valley is no different.
Ensure that you don’t to close to the rivers especially during the monsoons. Venturing too close to rivers, rivulets, streams in the Himalayas has been fatal for many.
Stroll Across the Pristine Villages Of Barot valley
If you are regular readers of my blog, I am sure you know how much I love visiting rustic villages & locales of Himalayas.
And Barot valley was no different. There are plethora of beautiful villages with insanely scenic landscapes and full of traditional Himalayan houses.
Strolling across such villages and engaging in conversations with the locals gives you true insight into the Harsh life in the mountains which looks so fairytale-like from an outsiders perspective.
Lofty peaks, scenic village, towering pines. Barot in a Nutshell for you. Scenes from Polling village on a crisp winter afternoon.
Experience The Scenic Beauty of Rajgundha
Well if there is one place which is synonymous with Barot valley, its has to be the beautiful Kukargundha and Rajgundha villages.
Perched at relatively higher altitude of around 2600 m, Rajgundha is surrounded by lofty peaks, towering pines & meandering river Uhl rising from glaciers near Thamsar Jot. Rajgundha is also one gateways to elusive and remote Bara Bhangal region.
From the past few years social media has brought Rajgundha into limelight. And it is more accessible now then ever. With road connectivity.
Dreamy landscapes on the way to Kukar Gundha and Rajgundha.
Grandeur Of Lohardi Is Not To be Missed
If there is one region in Barot that can compete in terms of beauty with Rajgundha it has to be Lohardi in Chota Bhangal.
A base for adventures beyond, Lohardi is surrounded by 11 traditional villages, numerous trekking trails, and overall incredible landscapes. Dehnasar and Sari Jot being two multi-day treks from Lohardi.
Lamba dugh flowing calmly at the town of Lohardi !
The Rustic beauty of Chuhar valley is must have experience
I had a little bit of idea about Chota bhangal region, but Chuhar valley was something new for me. But to be honest, experiencing the rustic beauty of Chuhar valley was one of highlights.
The villages around Barot town like Kahog, Naman, Tarwar, Kao, Jharwar, Khaliyal, Meyot, Ruling, Galu, Lapas are few rustic villages incredible scenic vistas. As tourists hardly venture here, ensure that take a guide along with you.
So if you have a liking for off-the beaten places, Chuhar valley will be a perfect destination for you.
Rustic charm of Chuhar with scenic landscapes really impressed me. In frame, the village of Lapas.
Hit the Pristine Trails In The Beautiful valley of Barot
Both Chuhar valley and Chota bhangal have numerous scenic trails ranging from day hikes to multi-day trails. Plus none of the mainstream treks are located in Barot which means lesser footfall and authentic experiences.
Day hikes can be embarked to villages, temples, clearings which are easily approachable and have marked trails. Connect with locals to get information of such offbeat day hikes.
Some multi-day hikes include, Bara Bhangal trek via Thamsar Jot, Sari Jot, Dehnsar lake, Pajaund Galu to name a few.
Snowy trail enroute Dev pashakot temple near Polling.
Pay Your Respects At The Ancient Shrines Of Barot Valley
Several ancient temples exist in Chota bhangal and Chuhar valley. Some of them are wooden temples with incredible show of craftsmanship in the form of incredible carvings.
Lohardi area has two prominent shrines. One is beyond polling dedicated to Dev Pashakot surrounded by huge pine trees. While the other is Bardhani Mata temple perched above the village of Cherna which is said to amazing landscapes.
There are numerous such temples and shrines even in Chuhar valley. With one at the main village of Barot. While others are spread across different villages of the valley.
Dev Pashakot Temple amidst towering pines and beautiful landscapes.
Visit The Shanan Hydel Power Project & Colonel Batty House
One of the main highlights of Barot town is the lakes formed by the Shanan hydel project on the River Uhl & Colonel battey house.
The lake has emerald greenish color and would appear different depending on the season. To have the best views of go on the trail to Kahog village. The hydel project was established by the Britishers.
There is also beautiful colonial era house where colonel battey used to live at Jalan village. I made it to far-flung villages around barot, but somehow colonel battey houses eluded me which is was close to where I stayed in Barot town.
Shanan power houses in Barot town.
Witness the Eccentric Customs & Festivals of Barot valley
Both Chuhar valley and Chota bhangal have thriving and eccentric customs and rituals. Witnessing festivals is the best way to get to know more about the unique culture of barot valley.
I was fortunate enough to witness one of the main deities of Chuhar valley while on rounds to the several villages of Chuhar valley while in Galu village.
Shaman of Deity performing specific rituals at village of Galu, Chuhar valley.
Go Trout fishing In Barot Valley
Trout fishing and trout fishes are one of the USP’s of Barot region. Angling is also done in Uhl river near Barot.
In case you want to personally it fishing a shot, enquire at place of accommodation. Most of the hotels and guesthouses have provisions for the same.
Plus there are many cafes and food joints which serve trout fish across Barot valley in case you are interested.
Where to Stay in Barot Valley ?
Basic guesthouses, hotels, homestays are widely available in Barot town. You should be able to find a place as per budget in Barot. Although peak summer might have inflated prices. I stayed at Verma homestay in Barot.
Basic guesthouses are available in Lohardi as well. No proper homestays appear to exist in the remote villages of Lohardi as of now. But they might come up in the future.
Forest rest houses can be a choice, and there exists one in the remote village of Swar near Lohardi. There is one PWD rest houses at Barot as well.
Rajugundha is seeing a lot of accommodations popping up each passing year. There is already a Zostel, along with numerous campsites and few basic guesthouses. More properties are now expected come up with road connectivity in place.
Zostel Rajgundha covered in light snow.
What To Eat Barot ?
From what I observed there are a few cafes in Barot town, but none of them popular like the cafes in Manali, Kasol, Jibhi, Dharamkot etc. Basic dhabas and food joints are available in main areas like Barot and Lohardi.
Rajgundha may or may not have cafes, but hippie like cafes are sure to come up in the future with more accessibility now. Basic food joints and Dhabas are available in Rajgundha.
Lohardi has the same story. Basic Dhabas available but there are no good cafes with varied cuisine currently.
One thing is for sure that food although basic but is decent in the Dhabas of Barot and Lohardi. And is really inexpensive. All the meals in the day can limited to maximum INR 300.
How is The Mobile Network & Internet Connectivity in Barot valley
Both Jio 4g and Airtel 4g work in the main town of Barot. So working remotely from Barot town is not a problem.
In Lohardi, only BSNL 4g works, but the speed is terrible. So working remotely from Lohardi area is not feasible and you either should have leaves or make weekend trips if you are remote worker.
Rajgundha has Jio 4g working but the speed I cannot be sure of. But don’t worry, In case you want to work remotely, opt for zostel where they WIFI in their hostel.
To conclude, I hope this barot valley travel guide will be great help to you.
In case of any queries relating to barot valley travel guide, do let me know in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer.