Kaisdhar trek for beginners is one of the best and easiest hikes there is in the beautiful Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh. If you are someone who has never trekked or hiked before in the Himalayas, Kaisdhar trek is the perfect hike to kickstart your hiking journey.
So in this blog, I am going to be sharing all the relevant details you need to successfully complete the Kaisdhar trek for beginners through dreamy pines and beautiful landscapes based out of my hiking experience.
Kaisdhar Trek for Beginners – An Insanely Scenic Hike In The Beautiful Kullu Valley
Kaisdhar is basically a ridge (Dhar in local language translates to ridge) near Kullu town famous for its colonial era forest rest house. The trail to Kaisdhar is quite beautiful and beginner friendly with almost no strenuous climb.
Perfect for beginners who want to get a glimpse into the world of hiking and trekking. Even families with kids can hike to this wonderful meadow. And spend a quality time together amidst the picturesque vistas of the beautiful Kullu district.
Even though you can easily make it to Kaisdhar on your own, but if you still require a local guide to accompany you at Kaisdhar, here is the contact of Rajeshwar thakur you’ll guide to Kaisdhar and beyond to Chambgarh.
Where Exactly is Kaisdhar ?
Kaishdhar perched at around 2500 m, is basically a ridge located in the Lower Kullu valley. The main attraction in Kaisdhar is the beautiful forest rest house built during colonial era.
The setting of Kaisdhar is absolutely mesmerizing with mountains of Lug valley visible on one side and dreamy pine forests on the other side.
The Journey to Kaisdhar from Lot is equally awe-inspiring with snow-capped peaks of Pir Panjal visible while passing through ethereal dense forests of Deodhar.
Kaisdhar basically acts as a divide between Maharaja valley (Pah Nalah and area around it) and Lug valley. And can be either reached from Lot village or Peej village.
By the way, here is a list of 47 hidden places like Kaisdhar in Kullu district which I am absolutely sure you’ll fall in love with.
How To Reach Kasidhar ?
So as I mentioned earlier, there are two ways to reach one is via Peej village and the other one is hiking for around 6 km from Lot village near Kullu town. I’ll consider the route via Lot village for this blog, as I personally also hiked via Lot village.
To reach the pretty village of Lot, you first have to drive for about an hour from or around 20 km from Kullu town (type Charmali if you are using google map for directions). There are local buses going to Lot as well. But just confirm the timing of the bus once at Kullu bus stand.
Once you reach Lot village, the actual hike or trek to Kaisdhar will commence. Kaisdhar is at a distance of around 5-6 km from Lot village. And will take less than two hours even if you walk at a relaxed pace.
By the way, here is a detailed not so typical Kullu valley itinerary which features some of the most unexplored places in Upper Kullu.
First you need to drive about 20 km to Lot village from Kullu town. Then its an easy hike of 5-6 km from Lot to Kaisdhar passing through insane landscapes and ethereal Deodhar forests.
Route from starting point – The Lot village
The trail to Kaisdhar from Lot village is well-marked and around 5km from Lot village. There is only one point right after you exit the Lot village where you can lose your way.
So as you walk some km or so from Lot village towards Kaisdhar, you’ll find two trails at one point. One going down and other gradually climbing up. Take the one which is gradually climbing up.
If you take the trail which is going down you will lose your way and your time would be wasted. So do keep this mind.
Apart from this section on the trail, there is nothing confusing and you just need to follow the trail which is wide enough for even horses to walk. The trail is an absolute delight with dreamy pines and snow-capped peaks of Pir Panjal visible in the distance.
From Kaisdhar, there is an insanely scenic vantage point known as Chambagarh which used to be a watch tower back in the day. The remnants of the fort or watch tower are still visible from Chambagarh.
The hike to Chambagarh is totally an uphill climb and you would need at least a couple of hours to reach Chambagarh. And taking a guide is absolutely necessary as the trail is not well-marked. You can reach out to Rajeshwar Thakur if you want to go to Chambagarh.
See the trail going up, Yes you need to take that trail and you’ll reach all the way to Kaisdhar. This is the only kind of confusing point on the trail where you might lose your way.
How Difficult Is The Kaisdhar Trek for Beginners ?
Kaisdhar trek is as easy as it can get in the Himalayas. Most of the hikes and treks, even the short ones in Himalayas and Himachal surely involve at least a short arduous uphill climb.
But the trail to Kaisdhar is a gentle one with only gradual uphill sections. You can walk at a relaxed pace without running out of breath due to the altitude.
A perfect hike for novices to get started in the Himalayas. By the way, here is a detailed blog on one of my most memorable hikes in Upper Kullu, The fojal valley hike. I am sure you’ll love this one.
Most of the trail to Kaishdhar from Lot village is either a gentle climb or a level walk like you seen in the picture. So its quite easy to be honest.
Where To Stay In Kaisdhar ?
Well the hike to Kaishdhar is quite short and you can easily make a day-trip and go back to your base at Kullu or Manali. But in case you wish to stay there are several options as well. By the way, if you want to spend a quality time away from the maddening crowds of Kullu or Manali, Yuthok Homestay in Raison will be a great option.
The best option is to stay at the forest rest house at Kaisdhar. The forest rest houses rooms are usually quite large and cozy and pretty inexpensive. But currently due to the covid pandemic, the rest house might not be hosting travelers.
The second option is to stay at the camps, set up by locals of the nearby villages. right on the meadow before the actual Kaisdhar forest rest house. I am not quite sure about the price.
The third option is to take your own tent and camp at the meadows near the Kaisdhar and soak the beautiful vistas on offer.
The famous colonial era forest rest house at Kaisdhar !
Where To Eat At In Kaisdhar ?
If you are on a day-trip, you can just carry packed food with you and you should be just fine. But there is a shop and Dhaba right at the Kaisdhar.
So you can have tea, snacks etc if you want at the Dhaba. And if you are staying at the forest rest house itself, the care-taker usually cooks you some basic meals.
So food should not be an issue while on your trek to Kaisdhar. By the way, here is a detailed blog on 23 awesome reasons why should visit Tirthan valley a beautiful sub-valley in Kullu district.
The lone shop right at Kaisdhar. There is small Dhaba as well near to this shop where you can have some snacks and tea.
Is It Safe to Visit Kaisdhar ?
Absolutely ! Kaisdhar is quite safe in my opinion. The place is seldom frequented by travelers and tourists and you’ll mostly find locals of Kullu or nearby villages.
There is no danger of camping at Kaisdhar meadows. And if you are staying at Forest rest in Kaisdhar it is absolutely safe in my opinion.
The only danger might be during the winters if there is a lot of snow. The trail could be blocked by snow and could be slippery.
But as the trail is quite wide enough, there should be any problems as such. But before starting your hike to Kaisdhar, you should definitely check with locals of Lot village once, whether the trail is heavily snowed out or is traversable.
To conclude, I hope I was able to provide you with all the relevant detail pertaining to Kaisdhar trek for beginners. In case you have any further queries reach out to me in the comments below.