Himachal Pradesh, nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, is known for its breathtaking mountain landscapes. With snow-capped peaks, gushing rivers, verdant valleys, and quaint hill towns, Himachal offers a myriad of trekking opportunities for adventure seekers. From easy day hikes to challenging multi-day treks, there are trails to suit both novice and experienced trekkers. As we go on the exploration of treks in India, Salam Travellers lists the top 8 most beautiful trekking places in Himachal Pradesh for your next trekking exhibition.
Also read: Top Trekking Destinations in India for Adventure Lovers
Himachal Pradesh Tourism
Himachal Pradesh, a northern Indian state, has seen a surge in tourism in the first half of 2023. The number of tourists visiting the state crossed the one-crore mark, the highest in the last six years. This is attributed to the state government’s efforts to improve tourism infrastructure. Himachal Pradesh is aiming to attract 5 crore tourists annually. The state is also focusing on sustainable tourism practices.
Also read: 10 Best Fort Treks in Maharashtra
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated, “The numbers tell a compelling story of tourism growth, with approximately 87 lakh domestic and 2 lakh foreign tourists visiting in the year 2018, around 88.57 lakh domestic and 2 lakh foreign tourists in 2019, 21.63 lakh domestic and 41,803 foreign tourists in 2020, 19.73 lakh domestic and 2843 foreign tourists in 2021, and 86.35 lakh domestic tourists and 7032 foreign tourists in 2022.”
Also read: Top 10 Treks of Karnataka for Family
Trekking in Himachal
The state boasts some of the most beautiful mountain treks in the country that take you through pine forests, alpine meadows, glacial lakes, and high mountain passes. Trekkers are treated to magnificent views of the Himalayas as they traverse through remote villages to reach emerald-green pastures and serene lakes. The cool mountain air, the sound of gurgling streams, and the warm hospitality of the locals make trekking in Himachal a rejuvenating experience. Starting with the easy ones, we walk you through the top 8 most beautiful trekking places in Himachal Pradesh.
Also read: 8 Famous Treks in Maharashtra for Hiking This Summer
1) Prashar Lake Trek
The Prashar Lake is situated in the Mandi region of Himachal Pradesh. Arranged at a height of 2730 meters above ocean level, Prashar Lake is a staggeringly high-elevation lake encompassed by snow-covered tops.
Also read: 7 Places to Visit Kalimpong
The Prashar Lake trek starts in a village called Baggi. It takes about 6-7 hours to complete the round-trip trek from Baggi to Prashar Lake. The trail passes through dense forests of pine, deodar, and oak trees. You need to cross a bridge over the river Prashar to reach the lake.
The Prashar Lake is quite big, with crystal clear blue waters. It remains frozen from December to March. There is a three-story pagoda-like temple dedicated to Sage Prashar situated by the lake. This temple is made of wood and stone and looks beautiful.
Also read: Top 10 Treks of Uttarakhand for Summer
2) Beas Kund Trek
The Beas Kund Trek follows the course of the Beas River up to the glacial Beas Kund Lake. Situated at an altitude of 3,660 meters, this alpine high-altitude lake is fed by the melting glaciers of the surrounding Pir Panjal mountains.
The trek starts in Solang Valley near Manali and takes you through forests, meadows, streams, and moraine ridges. The hike up to Beas Kund offers spectacular views of snow-capped peaks such as Shitidhar and Friendship Peak. You also get to see glaciers up close on this trek.
Also read: Top 10 Adrenaline Pumping Things to Do in Lonavala Hill Station
3) Hampta Pass Trek
The Hampta Pass Trek connects the lush green Kullu Valley with the stark landscape of Lahaul & Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. This moderate-difficult trek takes you through forests, meadows, rivers, and high mountain passes.
Also read: 9 Best Adventure activities in Gulmarg
The trek starts from the village of Jobri in the Kullu Valley. The first day is an easy hike through pine and deodar forests to reach Chika, a meadow campsite at 10,006 feet. The next day crosses the Rani Nallah River and climbs up to Balu Ka Ghera (11,900 feet). You get spectacular views of the Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal mountain ranges from here.
The third day is the toughest part of the trek as you cross the high Hampta Pass (14,035 feet). It can be challenging due to the steep ascent and rocky terrain. On a clear day, the views are breathtaking – snow-capped Indrasan Peak on one side and the Lahaul Valley on the other.
Also read: Top 10 Adventurous Things to Do in Meghalaya
4) Bhrigu Lake Trek
The Bhrigu Lake Trek is one of the most beautiful high-altitude trekking places in Himachal Pradesh, known for its sacred lake. Located at an altitude of 4,300 meters (14,100 ft) in the Kullu district, Bhrigu Lake is fed by glaciers and is considered to be sacred to Hindus.
Also read: 8 Things to Do in Pahalgam in the Winter
The trek to Bhrigu Lake begins in the village of Gulaba, near Manali. The total trekking distance is around 14 km and takes about 2 days to complete. The trail passes through dense forests, meadows, and streams before reaching the icy lake. Some of the highlights along the route include the Rola Kholi meadow, Pandu Ropa, and Vashisht temple.
The hike to the lake is moderately difficult, but the breathtaking views of the Pir Panjal ranges make it worthwhile. Once at Bhrigu Lake, trekkers can take in the serene beauty of the turquoise blue waters with the snow-capped mountains reflecting in them. According to legend, the sage Bhrigu meditated at this lake, and hence it was named after him.
Also read: 7 Adventurous Things to Do in Malana This Summer
5) Chandratal Lake Trek
Chandratal Lake, meaning “Lake of the Moon”, is one of the most scenic high-altitude lakes in the Himalayas. Located at an altitude of 4,300 meters above sea level in the Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh, Chandratal is a high-altitude glacial lake that is fed by melting snow from the surrounding mountains.
Also read: 8 Top Offbeat Places in Kashmir in Summer
The trek to Chandratal Lake starts from Batal and takes you through breathtaking landscapes of steep rocky mountains, green meadows, clear streams, and snowfields. The crystal clear blue waters of the lake perfectly reflect the mountains, cliffs, and skies, giving it an almost surreal beauty. As the lake’s water keeps changing colors with the sky above it, it truly lives up to its name, “Lake of the Moon.”
The moderate 4-5 hour trek to Chandratal Lake takes you through some of the most stunning alpine scenery and offers panoramic views of the Spiti Valley. As you reach the lake, camping under billions of stars with the crystal clear reflections of the night sky and mountains in the lake is an experience a trekker will never forget.
Also read: Top 8 Things to do in Tala Kaveri
6) Kheerganga Trek
The Kheerganga Journey is one of the most famous trips in Himachal Pradesh. Located in the Parvati Valley, this moderate-difficulty trek takes you through villages, forests, and meadows. The trek ends at Kheerganga, which is a high-altitude meadow with a hot water spring.
Also read: Document Requirement for Kashmir Trip – Ultimate Guide
The total trekking distance is about 12 km one way, and it takes about 4-5 hours to reach Kheerganga from Barshaini. The trail passes through dense pine and deodar forests before opening up to the meadows of Nakthan village. From Nakthan, you climb through open hillsides and cross a stream over a small bridge to reach the Kheerganga hot spring.
The natural hot spring is located at an altitude of about 2960 meters. After the tiring uphill trek, the hot water spring comes as a relief for sore muscles. You can take a rejuvenating dip in the warm sulfuric water of the hot spring, which is considered to have medicinal properties. The water flows from the mountain and has formed a pool near the small Shiva temple.
Also read: Top 6 Adventurous Things to Do in East Sikkim
7) Pin Parvati Pass Trek
The Pin Parvati Pass trek is considered one of the most breathtaking and thrilling trekking places in Himachal Pradesh. This high mountain pass sits high up at an altitude of 5,319 meters above sea level and provides stunning views of the Pin Valley on one side and Parvati Valley on the other.
Also read: What to Pack for the Kashmir Trip in October
The Pin Parvati Pass trek starts from the quaint village of Barsheni in the Parvati Valley. The trail passes through lush green meadows, pine forests, rocky mountain faces, and gorgeous valleys. Trekkers get to camp alongside rivers and streams that provide the most serene experience.
The highlight of this trek is crossing the Pin Parvati Pass, which connects the Parvati and Pin Valleys. The last day of the trek involves a steep climb up to the pass, which is an arduous but extremely rewarding hike.
Once at the top, trekkers are rewarded with a breathtaking 180-degree view of snow-covered peaks. You can see the Pin Valley on one side and the Parvati Valley on the other, which makes for a stunning vista.
Also read: Top 10 Things to Do in North Sikkim
8) Triund Trek
The Triund Trek is one of the most popular short treks in Himachal Pradesh. Located in the Dhauladhar ranges, Triund offers mesmerizing views of the snow-clad peaks and the Kangra Valley.
The trek starts from Galu Devi temple near Dharamkot village, passing through dense forests and steep meadows. The 9 km uphill trek takes around 4-5 hours to complete. The trail is well-defined but gets challenging at some points due to loose rocks and steep ascents.
As you reach the top, the magnificent views of the Dhauladhar peaks like Hanuman ka Tibba and Indrasan leave you spellbound. You can also see the Gangotri and Siang groups of peaks from Triund. Camping at night amidst the stars with the snowy mountains all around makes it a surreal experience.
Also read: Places to visit in India with family on a low budget
Are you ready to test your stamina?
Himachal Pradesh is a trekker’s paradise, offering some of the most stunning mountain treks in India. From easy day hikes like Triund to multi-day treks across high mountain passes like Pin Parvati, there is something for every level of trekker.
The treks highlighted here showcase the incredible diversity of landscapes in Himachal. You can walk through lush green meadows and forests in the Kullu Valley on treks like Hampta Pass and Beas Kund. In Lahaul and Spiti, you’ll be awestruck by the otherworldly beauty of turquoise blue lakes against a backdrop of jagged snow-capped peaks on treks to Chandratal and Bhrigu Lake.
For those seeking a greater challenge, climbing mountain passes like Pin Parvati will test your endurance while rewarding you with magnificent Himalayan vistas. With so many incredible trekking places in Himachal Pradesh to choose from, you’ll want to return to the Great Himalayas again and again.
I hope you enjoyed our walkthrough of the 8 most beautiful trekking places in Himachal Pradesh. Stay tuned for more adventure guides from Salam Travellers.
