Sainj valley itinerary will be of a great help to those who are looking to visit this picturesque valley for the very first time. Off late, Sainj has become quite popular amongst travelers due to its insane beauty and pristine nature.
Sainj is perfect for those who are looking to escape the crowd and get a glimpse into the unique culture of Kullu. Rustic village, pretty meadows, pristine rivulets and ancient temples of Sainj valley will surely steal your heart.
And after spending about a month in Sainj, I have curated not one Sainj valley itinerary but two of them. One itinerary focuses on popular tourist places in Sainj, while the other focuses more on hiking and going offbeat in Sainj,
Sainj Valley Itinerary – Witness The Grandeur Of This Magical Valley
Before visiting Sainj I had a perception that Sainj is not that big of a valley. But oh boy I was so wrong. Now even after spending a month I feel that a lot has been missed such was the beauty of Sainj.
So here I am now helping out my fellow travelers by curating a couple of epic sainj valley itineraries. As mentioned earlier the 7 Day Sainj valley Itinerary focuses mostly on popular places along with small day hikes.
While the 15 day Sainj valley Itinerary focuses more on visiting the offbeat and rustic villages along with fair amount of hiking in the valley.
By the way, you should definitely checkout 16 beautiful valleys like Sainj valley to explore in Kullu district.
Ultimate 7 Day Sainj Valley Itinerary To Experience The Beauty of Sainj
7 day Sainj valley itinerary will be really helpful for those looking to explore a bit of Sainj. In this itinerary, I have mostly focused on the more popular places in Sainj.
Sainj as a whole is still quite under explored, but even the popular places are not so crowded when compared to some other places in Kullu. If you have a week in hand then this a perfect itinerary to spend peaceful time in the mountains.
In order to reach Sainj valley you have to reach Aut. Once you reach Aut you’ll get frequent buses going towards Sainj. From Sainj all the places of interests are quite near actually.
Here is a brief 7 day Sainj valley itinerary. By the way if you want ever hire cab in Sainj contact Devendar Bhai (+91 9816316319) or Guddu Bhai (+91 8091055766).
| Day 1
Board overnight bus to Aut from Delhi. |
| Day 2
Get down at Aut early morning. Take a bus to Ropa forest house in Sainj from Aut. Reach Upper Neahi village. Overnight at Aastha homestay in Upper Neahi |
| Day 3
Hike to Sari Kanda from Upper Neahi. Spend the night at Upper Neahi. |
| Day 4
Leave for Shangarh today. Chill at the majestic meadows of Shangarh. Stay at the secret homestay in Dagahara village. Overnight at the Homestay. |
| Day 5
Hike to Jugnahu Thatch or even higher meadow if the time permits. Overnight at the homestay. |
| Day 6
Leave for Kamtan village in Raila today. Spend the night in the beautiful Rabbit house homestay. |
| Day 7
Explore the area around Kamtan in the day. Board overnight bus from Aut back to Delhi |
These insane vistas of Sainj really stole my heart and I am sure it will steal yours too.
Day 1
Take an overnight bus to Aut on Chandigarh Manali highway from Delhi. You get a lot of buses both private and HRTC from Kashmiri gate Majnu ka tilla going towards Aut. They usually start around 5 pm in the evening.
If you want to go by HRTC which is the state transport corporation of Himachal here is the link to book the tickets online or you can also book via Redbus (includes both HRTC and private)
Day 2
Get down at Aut early in the morning. From Aut you need to take a bus going towards Neuli. Once you have boarded the bus you need to get down at Ropa forest house before Neuli.
From Ropa rest house there is link road going towards Upper Neahi village. The distance from Ropa rest house to Upper neahi is around 4-5 km. You hire a private cab which cost you around Rs 400. You can contact Devendra Ji (+91 9816316319) for the cab.
Alternatively you can hike as well. It is another 30 mins uphill walk to Upper Neahi where the roads. Check in to Aastha homestay (+91 828795110) the only homestay in Upper Neahi.
Relax and just take a stroll around the beautiful rustic Upper Neahi village. You can chill at the meadows of Dalogi and visit the sacred and famous Pundrik Rishi lake.
If time permits you can also hike to Deori and Manyashi village. Overnight at Aastha homestay. By the way check out my blog 47 incredible hidden places in Kullu.
Day 3
Today you will be hiking to the meadow of Sari Kanda near Upper Neahi villages. You have to hike around 6-7 km in total to reach this majestic meadow and back at homestay.
The view from Sari Kanda will be just otherworldly and you’ll be able to spot the impeccable peaks of GHNP Sainj area from here.
Day 4
Today you’ll be heading to the most famous place in Sainj which is Shangarh. Although Shangarh is famous for its pretty meadow, there is much more to Shangarh.
Check into the Secret Homestay (+ 91 8626808707) in Daghara one of the best places to stay in Shangarh. Then after relaxing for a bit, head to famous meadow of Shangarh with iconic Shunghchul Mahadev temple.
There are lots of pretty villages around Shangarh which you can easily make a visit by hiking around. I did the same and just fell in love those pretty rustic villages. Spend the night at the homestay.
You can either reach Shangarh by hiking from Upper or by road. Even though I went by road I would suggest you to hike all the way.
Day 5
Today you’ll be going on a short hike to pristine Jugnahu Thatch which is basically a meadow. The hike is around 7 km in total from homestay and back. You can also venture further to a higher meadow if time permits.
Hiking to Jugnahu Thatch was one of the best experiences I had in Shangarh. And I am pretty sure it would be yours too, after witnessing the pretty snow-capped peaks of Sainj from this splendid meadow.
Day 6
Bid your goodbyes to Shangarh and head to the pristine village of Kamtan. Check into the beautiful Rabbit House Homestay (+91 9805188083) in Kamtan village and the only homestay in Raila area.
The homestay is a 100 year old wooden house, hosted by hosted by Bicky Ji (Balmukund thakur) and his lovely family. that will make you feel at home away from home. And they will make to serve you some lip-smacking delicacies.
After relaxing head for a short hike to the meadows of Bhatkanda while exploring the ancient Dhalyara Kothi also known as Twin Tower Temples of Raila. The distance of the hike will be around 11 km.
Its not always easy to explore offbeat places in Himachal and here some of challenges that I have face during my quest to explore remote places in Himachal. Let me know your thoughts about them.
Day 7
Today explore and hike around Kamtan village. You can hike to the Lesser known Ringu Nag Kothi which is just 2.5 km from Kamtan.
Prepare to leave bid your goodbyes to Sainj and reach Aut by evening. Board an overnight bus to Delhi from Aut.
Perfect 15 Day Sainj Valley Itinerary For Those Who Love Slow Travel
15 day Sainj valley itinerary is perfect for those who like to slow travel. For this Sainj valley itinerary I’ve focused more on hiking and exploring the hidden gems along with the popular ones.
Trust me it was not that easy to find the offbeat places in Sainj, but after interacting with the locals I now have much better idea of Sainj valley as a whole.
And with that experience I have curated this itinerary. By the way here is a detailed blog on 5 epic backpacking itineraries to Himachal.
In order to reach Sainj valley you have to reach Aut. Once you reach Aut you’ll get frequent buses going towards Sainj. From Sainj all the places of interests are quite near actually.
Here is the brief itinerary for Sainj valley. By the way if you want ever hire cab in Sainj contact Devendar Bhai (+91 9816316319) or Guddu Bhai (+91 8091055766.
| Day 1
Board an overnight bus to Aut from Delhi. |
| Day 2
Get down at Aut early morning. Take a bus to Ropa forest house in Sainj from Aut. Reach Upper Neahi village. Overnight at Aastha homestay in Upper Neahi |
| Day 3
Hike to Sari Kanda from Upper Neahi. Spend the night at Upper Neahi. |
| Day 4
Leave for Shangarh today. Stay at the secret homestay in Dagahara village. Overnight at the Homestay. |
| Day 5
Today head to the village of Barshangarh and explore the Barshangarh waterfall. Overnight at Barshangarh. |
| Day 6
Hike to Shumga Top and Sara lake. |
| Day 7
Continue your Hike to Shumga Top and Sara lake |
| Day 8
Descend back to Shangarh. Relax and Spend the night at Shangarh. |
| Day 9
Visit the ancient Manu Rishi temple in Shenshar. And if time permits also visit the tower temples in Talyara village in Shenshar area. Overnight at Ropa forest rest house |
| Day 10
Today head to one of the hidden gems of Sainj, Kalogi in Dhaugi area. Overnight at Kamtan village in Raila |
| Day 11
Relax at the Kamtan village and hike to the meadows of Bhatkanda Overnight in Kamtan village. |
| Day 12
Head to Murda Thatch today from Kamtan village. Camp at the meadows. |
| Day 13
Descend back to Kamtan village. And explore around Kamtan village. |
| Day 14
Today you can head the lesser frequented places of Bhallan and Kandha (Rote) OR You can just relax. Overnight at either Kamtan village or Ropa Rest house |
| Day 15
Relax for the day wherever you are and reach Aut by evening. Board overnight bus to Delhi from Aut |
These insane vistas of Sainj really stole my heart and I am sure it will steal yours too.
Day 1
Take an overnight bus to Aut on Chandigarh Manali highway from Delhi. You get a lot of buses both private and HRTC from Kashmiri gate Majnu ka tilla going towards Aut. They usually start around 5 pm in the evening.
Day 2
Get down at Aut early in the morning. From Aut you need to take a bus going towards Neuli. Once you have boarded the bus you need to get down at Ropa forest house before Neuli.
From Ropa rest house there is link road going towards Upper Neahi village. The distance from Ropa rest house to Upper neahi is around 4-5 km. You hire a private cab which cost you around Rs 400. You can contact Devendra Ji (+91 9816316319) for the cab.
Alternatively you can hike as well. It is another 30 mins uphill walk to Upper Neahi where the roads. Check in to Aastha homestay (+91 828795110) the only homestay in Upper Neahi hosted by incredible Mahi bhai and family.
Relax and just take a stroll around the beautiful rustic Upper Neahi village. You can chill at the meadows of Dalogi and visit the sacred and famous Pundrik Rishi lake.
If time permits you can also hike to Deori and Manyashi village. Overnight at Aastha homestay.
Day 3
Today you will be hiking to the meadow of Sari Kanda near Upper Neahi villages. You have to hike around 6-7 total to reach this majestic meadow and back.
The view from Sari Kanda will be just otherworldly and you’ll be able to spot the impeccable peaks of GHNP Sainj area from here.
Day 4
Today you’ll be heading to the most famous place in Sainj which is Shangarh. Although Shangarh is famous for its pretty meadow, there is much more to Shangarh. You hire a cab from Upper Neahi.
Check into the Secret Homestay Secret Homestay (+ 91 8626808707) in Daghara one of the best places to stay in Shangarh. Then after relaxing for a bit, head to famous meadow of Shangarh with iconic Shunghchul Mahadev temple.
There are lots of pretty villages around Shangarh which you can easily make a visit by hiking around. I did the same and just fell in love those pretty rustic villages. Spend the night at the homestay.
Day 5
Today head to the beautiful village of Dagahara which is around 4 km from the meadows of the Shangarh. There is link road going to Barshangarh village. There is also a pretty waterfall here which you must visit.
Spend the night at one of the homestays in Barshangarh village. By the way here is detailed blog on the current state of offbeat places like Barshangarh in Himachal. Feel free to let me know your thoughts.
Day 6
Today you’ll be starting your hike to Shumga Top and Sara lake. The village of Barshangarh is the start point of the trek. Shumga top is one of the most pristine hikes in Sainj and you’ll be able to spot a lot of snow-capped peaks Sainj from here.
You also get to witness beautiful Lapah village enroute Shumga top. You can take help of Secret homestay folks for you trek to Shumga Top.
Day 7
Continue you hike towards Sara lake and Shumga today. Incredible hikes like the Shumga trek is one of the 13 reasons why himachal attracts solo travelers.
Day 8
Today descend back to Shangarh from your hike to Shumga top and Sara. Relax at Shangarh after a tiring yet extremely rewarding hike in the GHNP area of Sainj. Spend the night at Shangarh.
Day 9
After some incredible days spent hiking and exploring around Shangarh its time to head one of the most ancient temples in Sainj and Kullu in general. Today you’ll be heading to the famous Manu Rishi temple in Shenshar area.
You can hire a private cab to reach here. As far as I know there are no public buses running in Shenshar, but not fully sure so confirm once with the locals. If time permits head to the lesser known Tower Temples of Sainj in Talyara village in Shenshar area.
After exploring the Shenshar area in day time you can stay for the night at the Ropa rest house.
Day 10
Today head to Kalogi in Dhaugi area, one of the true hidden gems of Sainj. There is beautiful temple adedicated to Baliul Mata located on meadow near Kalogi and certainly is one of the most beautiful areas in Sainj.
The place is located at a relatively higher altitude and hence you get an isane view of different peaks and areas of Sainj. You will have to hire a 4X4 or a camper to reach as public transport does not go all the way to Kalogi.
Spend the night at the beautiful Rabbit House Homestay (+91 9805188083) in Raila Area in Kamtan village.
Day 11
Relax at the beautiful Rabbit house homestay in Kamtan village and the only homestay in Raila area.
The homestay is a 100 year old wooden house, hosted by a beautiful local family that will make you feel at home away from home. And they will make to serve you some lip-smacking delicacies.
After relaxing head for a short hike to the meadows of Bhatkanda while exploring the ancient Dhalyara Kothi also known as Twin Tower Temples of Raila. The distance of the hike will be around 11 km most of which is by road.
Impeccable traditional styled temples and architecture is one of the 31 promising reasons why you should be visiting Himachal also known as Dev Bhoomi
Day 12
Today you’ll be hiking to the pristine meadow of Murda. The hike is an uphill climb and takes at least 3-4 hours to complete. But is very rewarding to say the least with amazing view from the top.
Also if you have never had a camping experience, then this is the perfect hike to experience the same. In case, you want to trek here you can take help of the Rabbit house homestay folks, they will ensure that you have a perfect
Overnight in Tents at Murda Thatch.
Day 13
Today you’ll be deciding back to Kamtan village after a wonderful hike to Murda Thatch. But before descending if you are not tired, then you should try to trek further to Shocha and then descend Kamtan.
After the tiring hike relax and spend the night at Kamtan village in the Rabbit house homestay.
Day 14
Today you’ll be heading another one of the hidden gems of Sainj which is Bhallan village. The village is typical Kullavi village with beautiful houses almost 90 percent of which are still exist in traditional style.
After visiting Bhallan you can head to Kandha in Rote. From here you get an ultimate view of Sainj valley along with all the snow-capped peaks. Since both Kandha and Bhallan are offbeat places they are connected only link roads.
This means you have to shell out a quite a bit if you are alone by hiring a private cab. But if you are in group, then it should not be expensive at all. Overnight you can stay at Kamtan village in Raila or in Ropa forest rest house
Day 15
Today is your last day in Sainj. So you can relax and look back at all insanely picturesque places you visited in Sainj valley.
Reach Aut by evening and catch an overnight bus back to Delhi. You should be able to reach Delhi early in the morning.
By the way if you have more time on your hand, you can visit two of the most remote places in Sainj which are the villages of Shakti and Marur. They are at least 17 km from the nearest road head and are located in the core of zone of GHNP.
To conclude, I hope that Sainj valley itinerary will be quite helpful to you and will help you to have a hassle trip to this scenic valley of Sainj in Kullu district. I am pretty sure that pretty villages, beautiful hiking trails of GHNP, insane meadows will result into an epic trip.
If you have any queries regarding Sainj valley itinerary feel free to drop them in the comments and I’ll be glad to help you out.