r/himachal

Showcasing our different tribes of different Regions of Himachal

Op

OC. This was my best flight ever. I will forever be grateful for this flight. The locals were amazing although the police asked me not to fly here again.

From my last trip to Gonbo Rangjon , a week ago

Did the Rupin Pass trek. Lots of fresh snowfall

Sharing some pics I captured when I visited Himachal Pradesh this March, marking my very first solo trip. For years, I’d traveled there with friends and family, mostly in winters chasing a dream to witness snowfall but the timing was never right. This time, traveling entirely on my own, luck was on my side. The absolute second I stepped off the bus, the flakes started falling. Looking out at those massive, quiet mountains blanketed in white felt completely therapeutic.

The real magic, though, was the independence. There was no one to depend on, no schedules to debate, just absolute freedom to do whatever I wanted. I know a lot of people go solo to meet groups or make fast friends, but I realized that, for me, solo traveling is about being truly alone with yourself. It’s about self-exploration. I managed to hike and explore Kasol, Kalgha, Pulga, Tosh, Barshaini, Chalal, and Rasol all by myself. Standing in the middle of the Parvati Valley, looking at what I pulled off, I've never felt prouder :)

Trip Details

• Start & End Dates - 25 Feb 26 to 2 March 26
• Route & Places Visited - Delhi ->Kasol -> Barshaini ->Kalgha ->Pulgha ->Tosh ->Rasol-> Chalal
• Number of Days - 4N/5D

Costs & Budget

• Total Trip Cost ~18K
• Daily Budget (approx) ~2K
• Major Expenses - Transportation

Accommodation

• I stayed mostly in Hostels in all the villages.

Transport - Bus/Taxi/Trekking

Mine has to be this.

This was the view from my tent during an overnight stay at Triund, Himachal Pradesh. Unzipping the tent to see the Dhauladhar range glowing under the morning sky was one of those moments that no photo can fully capture.

The trek, the chilly night, the silence, and then waking up to this made every step worth it. Camping in the mountains is a completely different experience from staying in a hotel.

If you're planning a Triund trek, I'd definitely recommend staying overnight if the conditions and local regulations allow it completely changes the experience.

What's the best view you've ever woken up to? I'd love to see your photos or hear your stories.

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"Somewhere between Manali and Leh, with a river on one side and mountains wrapped in clouds on the other. 🏔️🌧️"

Visited probably one of the most beautiful parts of Himachal during the 2nd half of June. It was around April when I got the thought of exploring these places. It was kind of a dream come true for me because a couple of years back I planned to do the Spiti circuit, and obviously I couldn't because some friends backed out.

So I planned the whole trip within a week and made reservations. (For context, I'm from Bengal. So I had to plan things beforehand).

Day 0: Kolkata - New Delhi

Day 1: Reached Delhi. Took an HRTC Volvo from Kashmere Gate ISBT (19:35) to ISBT Tutikandi-Shimla (04:50).

Day 2: Shimla - Kalpa: Took another HRTC bus from ISBT Tutikandi (06:10) to Kalpa (04:10). Stayed in Zostel.

Note:

There's only 1 Govt. bus that goes to Kalpa directly from Shimla (the one I took). All the other buses drop you off at Reckong Peo. But you can take local private buses from Reckong Peo to Kalpa, which takes around 30 mins. The first bus from Kalpa leaves at 7:30, and the last bus from r/Peo leaves at 6:45. If you're in luck, you can also get an HRTC going towards Roghi (twice a day), but it'll drop you off at the outskirts of Kalpa.
Fare: ₹25/-.

Day 3: Explored Kalpa.

Suggestions:

• Please have Siddu! It's a local dish available in both Sweet and Spicy variants.
• Visit the fort. It doesn't have any dedicated entry, so to reach there, you've to enter a primary school.
• Could hike to Chaka Meadows. It's a really beautiful kind of valley with a 180-degree view of Kinnaur Kailash.
• And if you want to feel some adrenaline, you could also hike or take a bus to Rolla Cliff. The same HRTC bus that goes towards Roghi passes over the same Rolla Cliff.

Day 4: Kalpa - Chitkul: Took another HRTC bus from Reckong Peo (09:30) to Chitkul (12:30).

2 Govt. buses run on this route (09:30 and 12:30) with a couple of private buses too. The road from Kalpa to Sangla is more like butter. But till Chitkul, you might get a feeling that the chances of seeing God are much more than the chances of getting back home. Jk! ;). We stayed in Zostel there too. Try to stay there during the visit. They've the best views.

Chitkul gets a bit crowded on weekends, so I would suggest you visit on weekdays. Could stay a day or two, if you want.

Day 5: Explored Chitkul.

There's a beautiful temple, a fort, and a Buddha temple that you can explore. The riverside is just mind-blowing. Can enjoy the sunsets there. Could also visit the ITBP post. Can or cannot have lunch at India's last dhaba cuz all the dhabas in Chitkul are India's last dhabas, and you can have much better meals in other restaurants there.

Day 6: Rest Day

Day 7: Chitkul - Sangla:

Took a private bus from Chitkul (12:30) to Sangla (13:30).

4 buses run between Chitkul and Sangla in a day: 2 Govt. and 2 private. Stayed in Zostel here too. They also have a very top-notch view! Actually, we had a booking for 2 days, but the Zostel there is a bit outside the city, and by then I was so bored that I decided to leave early.

Day 8: Sangla - r/Peo - Shimla:

Initially, my plan was to take a bus on the morning of the 9th day and reach Shimla by evening. Stay there for the night and leave the next day for Kalka. But instead of that, we took a random private bus to Karchham (12:45), then surprisingly we got an HRTC from Karchham (14:30) to r/Peo (15:00).

Note:

Frequent buses (both private and Govt.) are available between Sangla and Karchham, Reckong Peo, Chitkul, Bhabanagar, Rampur, etc.

I took the last HRTC bus from r/Peo (16:30) and reached Shimla (02:30) at midnight.

Day 9: Shimla:

Stayed at the ISBT for 4-5 hrs and explored the Mall Road a bit. Later I checked in to my Airbnb and slept the whole afternoon. Explored Shimla in the evening, had some drinks with some friends I made at the BNB, and slept again! Lmao!

Note:

Frequent govt. buses and private buses are available between ISBT Tutikandi (New Bus Stand) and the Old Bus Stand. It passes over the Shimla station too and drops you off at the Old Bus Stand. And from there you can hike till the Mall Road.

Day 10: Shimla - Kalka:

Took the toy train from Shimla (14:15) to Kalka (07:30). Had this on my bucket list for the longest time. Got a ticket in the Shivalik Deluxe Exp., and the best part was they served lunch and evening snacks.

Took the train from Kalka (23:55) the same day to Kolkata.

Commutation expenses:

1. Kolkata - New Delhi: ₹2,952/-
2. ISBT Kashmere Gate - ISBT Tutikandi: ₹1,135/- (Online booking available)
3. ISBT Tutikandi - Kalpa: ₹647/- (Online booking available)
4. Kalpa - r/Peo: ₹25/-
5. r/Peo - Chitkul: ₹193/-
6. Chitkul - Sangla: ₹60/-
7. Sangla - Karchham: ₹50/-
8. Karchham - r/Peo: ₹57/-
9. r/Peo - Shimla: ₹617/- (Online booking available)
10. Shimla - Kalka: ₹775/-
11. Kalka - Kolkata: ₹2,737/-

Total: ₹9,248/-

Note:

You can book tickets directly through HRTC's website or 3rd party aggregators.

Stays:

1. Zostel Kalpa (2N): ₹1,888/-
2. Zostel Chitkul (3N): ₹2,340/-
3. Zostel Sangla (2N): ₹1,678/-
4. Shimla AirBNB (1N): ₹900/-

Total: ₹6,810/- (Approx.)

Food depends on what's available and your preferences, but you can consider spending 500-700 per day.

P.S. You can text me for any further information.