Have you been to the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP)? Most people I meet, haven’t even heard about it! However, lots of youngsters are now making the place popular, especially through Instagram. A trip to the GHNP is one of the most surreal experiences I have had in the Himalayas. With stunning valleys and awe-inspiring mountains, this is going to be a major tourist destination in near future. If you want to know more, treat this article as a guide to the Great Himalayan National Park.
There are some popular and happening hill stations in north India, but none more peaceful or serene than the Great Himalayan National Park. Places like Shimla, Darjeeling, Manali, Dalhousie, or Mussoorie provide a good weekend outing option. But if you are looking for peace of mind and an inner rejuvenation, look no further than the GHNP.
We first visited the Great Himalayan National Park in October 2019. And we were so enamored by the amazing experience that we have visited the place three more times since. In fact, we visited GHNP twice (March; August) in the same year- 2021! And then, we revisited in May 2023 with the larger family. Thus, we are in a good position to write this travel guide to the Great Himalayan National Park.
Great Himalayan National Park: A little fact sheet
Situated in north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, it has an average elevation of more than 4000 meters- ranging from 1500 to 6000 meters. This means an amazing range of flora (over 1000 species) and fauna- from the endangered musk deer and western horned tragopan (it’s also the logo of the national park) to snow leopards.
Awe-inspiring landscape:
I can’t even emphasize enough the beauty of the landscape. Stunning snow-clad mountain peaks, enchanting green mountains and pristine forests, lovely waterfalls, beautiful rivers, you can’t take your eyes off the landscape. Not for nothing GHNP is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (under the criterion of “outstanding significance for biodiversity conservation”). Quaint little villages with charming old houses sprinkled across the mountains are among my favorite visuals from the Great Himalayan National Park.
Read about more UNESCO heritage national parks in India: Kaziranga National Park | Sundarbans National Park
How to explore the GHNP
In the first part of this guide to the Great Himalayan National Park, let me give an overview of all the valleys in the GHNP area. Then in the next section, I’ll shed light on highlights of each of these valleys.
The GHNP consists of 4 valleys- Tirthan valley, Sainj valley, Parvati valley and Jiwa Nal valley. If you just want to enjoy the natural beauty of the area spread across 1171 sq.km, you can go to any of the lovely places in these valleys. Brief highlights of each of these valleys are given in a separate section below.
However, if you want to do a proper trekking within the GHNP to experience the flora and fauna across the various elevation ranges, you need to have more days on hand, and special trekking skills. One has to take a pass from either main Forest office in Shamshi or, their range offices in Sai Ropa Forest complex near Banjar in Tirtha valley, or Ropa in Sainj valley.
Trek starting points:
There are five major entry points to the core national park area:
- Gushaini for Tirthan Valley
- Neuli for Sainj Valley
- Seund for Jiwa Nal Valley
- Barshaini/ Pulga for Parvati Valley
Till now, we have been able to venture only into the lush green forest part; beyond that are the snow capped Himalayas where the snow leopards live. Once we had entered the national park area from Gushaini gate, and trekked around 3-4 kms, and the sample was quite wonderful.
While trekking in the forest, we came across old hanging wood bridges, like the one in the picture below. This hanging bridge over Tirthan river was quite fascinating, and such a lovely sight! It synchronized perfectly with the forest and added to the already magical ambience.
In the 4 times that we have been there till now, we have explored a different valley each time. However, we intend to do a proper trekking deep into the GHNP someday.
The forest department organizes 4 to 9 day treks (20 kms to 85 kms) for the enthusiasts. Visit GHNP website to know more. They allow only guided treks.
Highlights: Great Himalayan National Park
There are tens of small villages, and gorgeous meadows in the larger Great Himalayan National Park area. In order for you to form an idea of the four valleys, and plan your trip, let me list out a few highlights. The most popular places are: Kasol, Manikaran (in Parvati valley), Jibhi, Gushaini, Jalori pass (in Tirthan valley), and Shangarh in Sainj valley.
Parvati valley
The principal destination in the Parvati valley is Kasol. The small village is thriving with travellers in recent times. On our first visit, we stayed in a guest house in Kasol on the bank of Parvati river. The highlight for me was Parvati river itself. It flows eastward from the confluence with Beas river at Bhuntar. It’s neither too large nor too small for my liking; it’s just the perfect mountain river. Sitting on the bank of the river and listening to the river flowing by was such a rejuvenating experience! And the views of the Himalayas over the river was stunning.
One day, we trekked up to Malana village, an easy to moderate-level trekking. Malana is popular among youngsters for weed. But they say it has the world’s oldest democracy as well! (I have no idea if there is any truth in it though!) There were so many interesting things in that Malana trek that it deserves a separate blog. The other places of interest are Manikaran (famous Sikh Gurudwara), Chalal village, Tosh village.
Popular treks in Parvati valley:
- Malana trek (easy- moderate); 1 day
- Kheerganga trek (moderate); 2 days
Tirthan valley
Though Banjar is the largest market, Jibhi is the center of all attractions in the Tirthan valley. It’s a cute little village having a small waterfall and great views, of course. On our second and third visits, we stayed in Jibhi, and explored the nearby places. The serenity of the place is beyond words. We took morning strolls to the waterfall from our guesthouse, and sat idly staring at the majestic mountains.
The other major places of interest in Tirthan valley are Gushaini (where main trekking into the GHNP starts), Jalori pass, Serolskar lake, Raghupur fort, Chhoi waterfall, Sarchi village and Kothi Chehni village (with a heritage Haveli-tower; picture below). Each of these places are so interesting and full of stories that they deserve separate blog posts (another day!).
However, I would make a special mention of the Chhoie waterfall. The 2-3 kms hike takes about 3-4 hours to complete. When we had hiked to that waterfall in March 2021, we met none but only the local villagers, and just another couple on a long-term work-from-home sojourn. Deep inside the forest, the waterfall peacefully keeps streaming from a height of around 100 meters. We felt like spending half a day there; but we were there in the second half of the day!
Popular treks in Tirthan Valley:
- Trek to the entry gate of the Great Himalayan National Park (easy); 3 kms | starts from Gushaini
- Serolskar lake trek (easy to moderate); 5 kms | starts from Jalori pass
- Raghupur fort trek (easy); 3 kms | starts from Jalori pass
- Chehani Kothi and Myagi village trek (easy)
- Chhoie waterfall trek (easy to moderate); 3 kms | starts from Nagini village
Sainj valley
Not many people explore the stunningly beautiful Sainj valley. But if you are in the Great Himalayan National Park, please don’t miss this heaven of a place. Shangarh meadow in particular is absolutely gorgeous, and picturesque. In my view, it’s one of the most beautiful meadows in India, comparable to those in Kashmir and elsewhere in Himachal.
The road to Sainj Valley for most part is really good, and broad; but the last stretch of 8-10 kilometers is bad. The market near Shangarh is really tiny, and you won’t get much except for water bottles, basic packed snacks, rajma/kadi -chawal, siddu, maggie, omlette, or paratha. So, if you are planning for a picnic, you should carry your favorite food, drinks and fruits, etc.
Jiwa Nal valley
Jiwa Nal is the remotest part of the Great Himalayan National Park, lies just next to the Sainj valley. We were almost there, but couldn’t quite make it. We will make it one day very soon. However, we heard Forest department people advising that only very efficient trekkers having good sense of direction in the absence of habitation should venture into that valley.
Great Himalayan National Park : Travel tips
In this section of the guide to the Great Himalayan National Park, I put together a few helpful tips on timing, directions to reach, where to stay/ eat and what to do.
Best time to visit:
- Pleasant weather: Starting spring season in March, through the summers up to June, it has a lovely weather.
- For snow-fall lovers: If you love snow-fall, and snowy adventures, the winter months of November to February good for you. However, be careful about the slippery roads with snow-fall.
- Monsoon months of July- September are not the best time as the roads leading to the GHNP face frequent landslides. We were stuck on the highway for a long time due to landslide during our August visit. Besides, the roads are not good for driving. Otherwise, it would be in its pristine beauty with lush green forests in the rainy season.
How to reach:
- Best way: take a volvo bus from Delhi in the evening (approx. 470 kms; 13-14 hrs), and get down at Aut for Tirthan/ Sainj/ Jiwa Nal valley. Else, get down at Bhuntar for Parvati valley. Take a local taxi from there to your chosen destination. Local buses are also available for budget travelers.
- Nearest airport is Bhuntar, 60 kms away; flights available from Delhi.
- Railway: not suggested (nearest rail head: Joginder nagar, 143 kms away).
- Route map: Please follow this link for some cool/ helpful route maps of GHNP along with the spread of the 4 valleys.
Moving around:
Not much local travel option in the valley. So, one needs to hire a taxi to explore the region, or ride your own bike.
Where to stay:
Any of the places mentioned above has good home stay options. No need to book in advance except for peak season (March to June). We love to stay in Jibhi and Kasol. There is a Zostel in Laida village (Tirthan valley); should book in advance for this one though. Some of the popular guesthouses in the region are:
- Kasol valley: The Hosteller; the Highland (Choj); Nomads hostel (Choj)
- Tirthan valley: Zostel (Laida); Raju Bharti’s guesthouse; Tirthan view homestay; Sharda resort
Where to eat:
- Kasol: Moonlight cafe; Evergreen Cafe; Little Italy cafe; Bhoj Cafe; Panj tara Cafe; Jim Morrison’s cafe
- Jibhi: Cafe Old School; Reverberate cafe; Hope cafe; the Mystic Garden cafe; cafe Jungle Valley.
What to do at the Great Himalayan National Park
- Hiking/ trekking to explore beautiful waterfalls (Chhoi/ Jibhi)
- If you are more adventurous, you may choose to go for those longer treks inside the core area
- Stroll around the meadows (like the one in: Shangarh)
- Sit by the streams/ rivers (Parvati/ Tirthan valley)
- Go fishing (famous for trout fish)
- Visit a quaint heritage village (Sarchi/ Kothi Chehni)
- Visit (trek up to) an old fort (Raghupur fort)
- Enjoy local traditional food (esp. Siddu), or local refreshing drink made of lali guransh flower (Rhododendron Arboreum)
- Pluck some apples/ pears/ apricots/ plums/ cherries/ walnuts from a local orchard (different seasons)
- Take coffee in one hand and your favorite book in the other, and have a great time reading with a view of the majestic Himalayas.
An End Note...
The Great Himalayan National Park is so close to my heart that I want everyone to experience it. However, I’m wary of the popularizing this place. We have all seen the down side of tourism. Commercial tourism can harm the environment in a big way. The raw charm of the place, the serenity it offers can all be gone in a matter of a few years! So, purpose of this guide to the Great Himalayan National Park is not to promote unmindful tourism, but to help responsible travellers plan their trip well, and get the right kind of experience.
If you liked this guide to the Great Himalayan National Park, please comment below. Want to know even more details? Do let us know.
Jayvanti Einjen
Sainj valley is really lovely. We spent some good time there.
stampedmoments
Yes, sitting and strolling over the meadows in Sainj valley was a special experience.
Soumen Chatterjee
Though I have heard of the great Himalayan national park, but did not get oppertunity to explore the same , but after reading the blog, I am quite enthusiastic to visit all the vallies where each one has its own charm. It will surely give me piece of mind and just enjoy the natural beauty of the nature.
stampedmoments
Good to know.
There is risk of landslides during monsoons.
March to June is the best time.
Thanks a lot for the feedback
Jigesh Patel
Excellent!
stampedmoments
Thank you!
kmf
I have not heard of the Great Himalayan National Park before. This is a fabulous guide on what to expect and do!
stampedmoments
It’s true for most people; very few have heard of this amazing place.
But worth visiting; I have been there many times now.
Thanks again.
Amber
Do I need to book tickets even if I want to trek 3 kms from Gushaini to GNHP gate?
We are couple, do we need a guide?
stampedmoments
No, you don’t need tickets to trek 3 kms from Gushaini to GHNP gate.
Still it’s good to check at their office on the way.
You don’t need a guide to trek the first 3 kms; just keep walking on the trek; go up to the river, and come back.
It’s a nice experience.