When it comes to offbeat places in Kullu district, there is no dearth of them. Kullu district is much more than just Manali, Kasol, Tosh, Jibhi etc. Amongst such offbeat and lesser explored valleys in one such Sub valley in Upper Kullu called Fojal or Fozal. And Trust me Fojal valley trip will just epic.
As of now the tourism infrastructure is non-existent in Fojal valley. But Fojal is full of pretty bucolic villages, insane meadows, pretty temples. And its quite accessible from the Main town of Kullu and nearby areas.
Personally, I have hiked all the way to Fojal valley from a road head near Raison as a day trip and it was just an incredible experience for me. So in this blog I’ve shared all the relevant details related to making Fojal valley trip and also my hiking experience to a circuit trip to Fojal.
Fojal Valley Trip – Escape The Maddening Crowds Of Touristy Places
So Fojal valley is very non-touristic place and is one of the sub valleys of Upper Kullu near Manali where you truly get to experience the true beauty of Himachal. The landscapes of higher reaches of Fojal valley are just spell binding.
And this blog is going to be all about such relevant details. From rustic villages with beautiful temples and hiking in upper areas in Fojal valley, it will surely mesmerize you. By the way, here is blog on Sainj valley itinerary one of the sub valleys in Kullu.
if you are like me who loves exploring such rustic villages and going off the beaten path, then this is the perfect place. I personally hiked to Fojal, and could not explore more villages and places in Fojal.
| Location
Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India |
| Accessibility
Throughout the year. Except for days when there is heavy snow during winters. |
| Weather
Very cold in winters. Cold in Spring. Pleasant in Summers and Monsoon. Mildly cold in Autumn. |
| Things to Do
Visit rustic villages like flyan, shalingcha, kukdi, Meha, Bulang, Dhara, Fojal, etc. Hike all the way to Fojal valley Raison, Visit incredible temples in the villages, Paraglide from Fojal valley |
| Ideal number of Days
Currently a day trip only can be recommended as there are no stay options. So you would want to have solid local contact who would let you stay in their home or make multiple day trips while staying in Yuthok Homestay near Raison. |
| Where to stay
No stay options currently in Fojal valley, but eventually homestays will come up. Until then you should probably stay at Kullu or at Yuthok Homestay (+91 7018369494 ) in Raison which is quite close to Fojal. |
| Is Fojal Valley Safe
Yes, it is absolutely safe for everyone. |
Where Exactly is Fojal Valley
So Fojal valley is located in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, India. To be even more precise, it is located in Upper Kullu valley on the right bank of River Beas. Just some 20 odd km from Main Kullu towards Manali.
If this sounds confusing, you need not worry. Fojal valley even though offbeat is very close to the main Chandigarh Manali highway. The beautiful valley houses many pretty rustic villages and incredible meadows, enchanting forests.
The main town in the valley is also named Fojal and there is a diversion you take in order to reach Fojal. Apart from the main town of Fojal there are many pretty rustic villages which may or may not have roads. I’ll explain how to reach Fojal in more in the next section.
Here is detailed blog on beautiful valleys and sub valleys you can and should explore in Kullu valley. Let me know your thoughts about it.
How To Reach Fojal Valley From Delhi
Reaching Fojal is not that difficult. The main town of Fojal valley can be easily reached from Raison in Kullu. Also there are many other link roads which lead to Fojal but I’ll stick to the main one.
Also most travelers when they come to Kullu district usually transit from either Chandigarh or Delhi. So I am going to be considering Delhi as a transit point to reach Fojal and explain the route on the basis of that.
So I am dividing reaching Fojal valley from Delhi in 3 parts
- Reach Delhi To Travel to Fojal
- Board volvo buses to going towards Manali
- Get down at Kullu and take a private Cab or Bus to reach Fojal
Reach Delhi To Travel to Fojal
So one of the best way to travel to any valleys of Kullu district is to choose Delhi as your starting point. So doesn’t matter from which state you are from India or even the world. Delhi is well connected with all the parts of India by Flights and trains.
Plus, there are international flights as well from all across the globe to Delhi. Here is where you can book flights from. And here is where you can book trains to Delhi from any part of India.
Boarding a Bus going towards Manali
Once you reach Delhi, you have to board buses going towards Manali, one of the most famous destinations in Himachal and India. There are a lot of buses going towards Manali either volvo or ordinary of both private and HRTC. You can book HRTC buses here. And book private buses on Redbus.
Most of the buses leave during the evening starting from 5.00 PM to 10.00 PM. And you are in Kullu by morning depending on when you boarded the bus.
Get Down At Kullu And Take A Private Cab or Bus to Reach Fojal
So once you reach Kullu, you can get down at Kullu itself. Even though Fojal valley is an hour further from Kullu towards Manali, but you’ll get the necessary bus or Cab to reach fojal from Kullu as it is the main town around Fojal.
So you can either hire a cab or board a private local bus from Kullu bus stand to reach Fojal. If you are commuting using your own vehicle or Self driven car, then there is a diversion to Fojal near Raison which you need to take.
The directions are pretty clear and you can easily make out the diversion to Fojal while towards Manali. Or you can ask the locals as well once you reach Raison. Also, mind you that there are no places to stay in Fojal, so please keep this in mind while planning your trip.
So from Delhi you need to going towards Manali by taking Delhi-Chandigarh-Manali national highway. Then, you should get down at Kullu. And can take a cab or Bus to Fojal.
What To Do In Fojal and Things to See In Fojal
So there are no touristy things or spots as such in Fojal that you can explore. But there are much more exciting things you can do and see in Fojal. If you truly want to see the culture and rustic life of Himachal and Kullu, Fojal is the right place to be at.
By the way, here is a blog on 47 hidden places in Kullu and it features lesser places explored places like Fojal in Kullu valley.
Visit the Insane Rustic villages of Fojal valley
For instance, you can explore the rustic villages of Dhara, Meha, Kukudi, Bhullang, Flyan, Shalingcha, Neri, Kathi and Runga. Most of these villages are still rustic untouched by the touristic world and house pretty temples of Folk deities which revered with zeal in Kullu district.
I personally just hiked in the upper reaches of Fojal, during my fojal valley trip and descended down to one of the villages Dhara. It was completely pitch dark so could see much.
Its rustic village like these in Fojal where you can see the traditional architecture and that is one of the 31 promising reasons to visit Himachal.
Hike All The Way To Fojal Valley From Raison
You can hike all the way to Fojal from Raison. So Raison is another untouched but easily accessible places in Kullu district and Britishers loved this place and when I visited I realized why. There are multiple places routes you can reach Fojal from Raison.
Witnessing majestic peaks of Pir Panjal range, Visiting ancient remote villages, Walking through insane meadows, how does this sound ? Awesome Right !. Experience such grandeur of Fojal and Kullu by hiking.
Adventure Junkies Will Love To Paraglide in Fojal Valley
And last but not the least you can do paragliding. Yes if you are an adventure Junkie you can Paraglide from Fojal as it one of the sites recognized in Kullu.
Ideal Number of Days, Itinerary, Cost for Fojal valley
So this is the unfortunate part of Fojal valley. As there are no stay options in Fojal, you can just make day trips to different places in Fojal and just return back to nearby places in Kullu.
So due to this, I cannot curate a fixed itinerary. But you can club a trip to Fojal valley with your Kullu valley Itinerary. And I just have a perfect Kullu valley Itinerary for you that will help you in visiting some of the most unheard and impeccable places in Upper Kullu.
So if you are staying in Kullu valley for a longer duration you can and should make multiple trips to different places in Fojal. And if you a somehow get a solid contact in Fojal who are letting you stay at their own homes, then you should stay there for at least a week.
As far cost aspect is concerned again you won’t be staying in Fojal for multiple days. So, You’ll just incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses on your day trip.
Where to Stay In Fojal valley and Where To Eat
So one of the main reasons why Fojal valley is still not famous as other sub valleys of Kullu district is due to the fact that there are no accommodation options in Fojal. You can stay only at a locals houses and that too the chances are very less.
As due to traditional beliefs of the locals, they don’t let outsider easily stay in their homes. So unless you have a solid local contact only then you might be able to stay in one of the villages in Fojal. Eventually a lot of homestays will come up in the area,
When it comes to eating, same you might find a few road side eateries but I am not very sure. So if you are on a day trip to Fojal (which I recommend due to lack of stay options ) you should carry packed food along with you.
Also, Raison is one of the best places to stay if you want to visit Fojal. Raison is quite close to Fojal and Yuthok Homestay (+91 7018369494 ) in Raison is the best homestay I have personally stayed in Kullu and Himachal in general. The host Rajeshwar Thakur Ji is incredible and he will arrange a memorable trip to Fojal valley.
Is Fojal valley Safe to Visit for Travelers
Yes Fojal valley is absolutely safe for travelers be it solo travelers, couples, families. But here me out. The valley is not known for tourism so if venture out in some of the villages and curious villagers ask you about certain things don’t take it in a wrong sense.
Due to absence of tourism infrastructure if you want to explore the valley, then I think its better to have a local accompanying you and if you are staying at Yuthok Homestay, then you will have no problems whatsoever as Rajeshwar Ji can accompany you.
So Just respect the locals if venturing into the villages and most of them will just be curious as to why you have visited such a non touristic rural place but that’s about it.
My Spellbinding Experience of Hiking To Fojal valley
So this is kind of my personal experience of an insanely pretty day hike from one of the roadheads near Raison to all the way up to Dhara village in Fojal. And if you also want to do the same hike, you can reach out to Rajeshwar Thakur fromYuthok Homestay (+91 7018369494) in Raison.
This will be kind of a travelogue, so lets dive into it. And is dividing into 4 sections. So sit back and enjoy.
Driving to near road head near Ancient remote village of Upper Kullu
After a not so good nights sleep due to working late in the night, I wake up at 7 in the morning. Getting ready quickly and we leave by around 9 in the morning after having a quick breakfast. I am pretty excited as today will be hiking all the way to Fojal.
Just before leaving Rajeshwars mother warns me about the hike. And tells me to be careful as it was going to be a long hiking day as per my standards. Anyways, the plan is to do kind of do a circuit hike to Fojal and back to Rasion in Yuthok homestay.
And due to the Pandemic, the buses were not running from where we were going to start the hike from. Plus, it would have made no sense to take Rajeshwars Ji Car as were aiming for circuit hike.
So we had hired a private cab and set off to road head from where the hike starts. Eventually we reach the start point around 10 and commence the hike. I have no idea what was coming for me on this incredible hike.
The road head from where we started our circuit hike to Fojal valley near Raison.
The Hard Climb to the Remote village of Parvi
We are going to climb from orchard to reach ancient villages and as per Rajeshwar Ji it was the safest route. The trail was not very well-marked and the dense grass and foliage were making it even tougher.
I was having a really hard time to climb to its steep gradient. To my disbelief he just disappeared within minutes while I kept struggling. This happens every time I climb with a local. Anyways, after Rajeshwar made it to the marked trail, he came back for me and kind of rescued me. YES ! that’s how much I was struggling.
My heart was in my mouth for a few minutes but Rajeshwar Ji just held my hand and dumped me onto the marked trail without me falling and seriously injuring myself ! PHEW !.
Eventually after there was no danger of falling, I looked around and as we approached the ancient village of Parvi, I was just spellbound by insane vistas. On one side I could see the Majestic Chaplang Tibba (Fugni Top) in mighty Dhauldhars, while on the other side I could clearly spot Deo Tibba and Indrasan in Pir Panjal.
Eventually we made it to ancient village of Parvi. Please note that you cannot carry leather, Alcohol, Cigarettes inside the village of Parvi. Folks outside of Himachal are most probably not allowed unless you have local of Upper Kullu accompanying you.
Anyways, the village was incredibly scenic and seemed it was stuck back in time with all the houses traditionally Kathi Kuni Styled. And Parvi is one of those rare remote villages which is yet to have mobile and internet connectivity yet in Kullu.
First Glimpses of Famous Duo Deo Tibba and Indrasan in Pir Panjal ranges as seen from somewhere near remote Parvi village. The steep climb to remote village was demanding for me that I could hardly take any pictures. When the things eased out on the trail a bit and I could catch my breath I looked around and witness these peaks for the first time. Of course, clicking their pictures seemed no brainer. And these are some moments when I feel the absolute need of having a DSLR to click.
Not everybody is allowed at this remote village. Going all alone without any local accompanying will not be very well received. The instructions at the entrance of the villages say that you are not allowed to bring in tobacco, Alcohol, leather items, Cigarettes etc. Failing to do so will attract a fine.
A kullvai woman in her traditional attire in the ancient and remote village of Parvi.
Pretty Ridge walk to Enter Fojal valley with Splendid views Deo Tibba and Indrasan
After experiencing Kullavi hospitality from one of the friends of Rajeshwar Ji in ancient Parvi village we started an easy climb towards a meadow near Parvi village. Eventually we reached a meadow from where we were supposed to cross over to Fojal side.
From the meadow I could again see Deo Tibba and Indrasan peaks very clearly. Along with the famous duo I could see the Peaks of Parvati Ranges as well from. From here it was beautiful level walk until we reached another clearing from where we would be descending to Fojal side.
But before that we side tracked to get even grander views of peaks. It indeed an amazing experience to have Stuffed Bhataru in Lunch while witnessing the pretty snow capped peaks of Pir Panjal.
A pretty meadow above Parvi village eventually leading towards the Fojal valley.
A beautiful level walk from meadow above Parvi village finally leading to the Fojal.
We are finally now in Fojal. A descend all the way to the village of Dhara in Fozal from here is the way forward. But we side tracked a bit to get the Grander views of Snow capped peaks.
Descending To Dhara Village in Fojal Valley from the Beautiful Meadow of Humshu
So after returning to the main clearing from where we were supposed descend, we starting to get down in a hurried manner as we are short on time as it would soon turn dark.
While descending I witnessed at least 3-4 more clearings or meadow likes areas, the most I had seen in my life and in a day. After non stopping descending we stopped for a quick break at the meadow of Humshu in Fojal. Initially we had planned to have tea here and relax but there was no time for it.
Being an Autumn day, it would turn exactly dark at 6.00 PM. So we had no choice but to quickly descend. Well, it was kind of disappointing that we were just moving quickly without getting to appreciate the incredible landscapes all around but we had no choice.
Eventually after the perpetual descend we made it to village of Dhara just in the nick of time. Few minutes here and there and we would have had to descend in complete darkness. And Did I mention that I ran into mountain traffic while descending (Sheeps, Goats, Cows ! YES thats your everyday mountain traffic).
And the due to it being dark we could not talk a walk in the village and visit its beautiful temple. Then due to me be being dead tired we straight away called for the cab and reached Raison. That was it about my Fojal valley trip.
Pretty mountains of Fojal devoid of snow in a Dry Autumn month. This was clicked from one of the clearings or meadows out of infinite ones that I encountered that day.
A visibly tired me posing for a click at the meadow of Humshu in Fojal valley after a quick stop during a non-stop descend so that we make it to Dhara village before it turns dark.
To conclude I am sure now you have an idea how about Fojal valley trip and how to go about. The absence of staying options makes it tough but being in close proximity to both Kullu and Manali makes it easier.
Plus insane meadows, rustic villages, beautiful temples will leave spellbound and make you acquainted to the true beauty and culture of Kullu. So if you like treading on off the beaten path, do pay a visit this incredible valley of Kullu.
In case of any queries regarding fojal valley trip reach out to me and I’ll be happy to help you guys.
