Camping Places in Himachal Pradesh | Complete Guide
Himachal Pradesh is a state of North India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the eleven mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks and extensive river systems.
Himachal Pradesh is full of mountains, rivers, and camping grounds and is the perfect destination for camping lovers. The other reason Himachal is loved by travel enthusiasts is the camping options available on trekking trails present in the state.
Planning a camping trip this summer? Himachal Pradesh has a vast diversity of options, but these places are some of our favourites across the state.
Camping Checklist!
Don’t leave home without the following:
- Quality tent (sized one person larger than expected capacity)
- Sleeping bag (five degrees warmer than expected low temperature)
- Cooler (if car- or boat-camping)
- Camp stove and fuel
- Sleeping pad
- Firestarter
- Illumination
- First-aid
- Communication device
- Sunscreen and hat
- Knife and/or multi-tool
- Map and compass
- Food and hydration
Offbeat Camping Places in Himachal Pradesh
Barot Valley
Barot a village, originally developed in the 1920s for Shanan Hydel Project is now a tourist location in the Mandi district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated 40 km from Jogindernagar and 65 km from Mandi, the District Headquarter. The road route includes terraced fields and thick cedar forests, rising to Jhatingri at the hilltop. The remains of the summer palace of the former rulers of Mandi are located here. Through the little village of Tikkan, the road carries on to Barot. The town has a range of outdoor activities, including a trout breeding center, from where fish are released into the Uhl river. A 30 km section of the river is used for angling.
Barot is a frequent backpacker and day tourist destination. Many trekking trails pass through Barot, including trails to Bada Bhangal, Rajgundha, Manali, and Kullu.
If you are looking for a quiet and offbeat place that is not populated you should definitely visit Barot for a camping and fishing experience.
Accessibility
By road
- Barot is situated 25 km off National Highway 20. The diversion to Barot is from a village, Ghatasani, on the Mandi-Jogidernagar road, 14 km from Joginder Nagar and 65 km from Mandi. This Ghatasni-Barot road passes through Jhatingri and Tikkan. From Tikkan, the road runs along the Uhl river till Barot.
Railway
- The closest railway station is at Jogindernagar, the terminus of the narrow-gauge railway line connecting Jogindernagar to Pathankot.
By Air
- By air from Delhi to Bhunter (Kullu) or Gaggal (Kangra) airport and then by road to Barot.
Jibhi
Located in Tirthan Valley in Kullu, Jibhi is a go-to place if you are looking for an offbeat place which is not much populated and not much visited by tourist. We can say that Jibhi is still untouched by tourists. This is the kind of place which fills your soul with fresh energy and is the perfect getaway to ditch city life for few days.
While you are here you can enjoy trekking to Lambri Top is located in the Tirthan Valley of Himachal Pradesh. If you are in TirthanValley and looking for a short adventure you should choose this amazing trek experience. The trek starts from Jalori pass. There are many camping and homestay options available in Jibhi from where you can start your journey for this trek. If you have a couple of days more you can also visit Great Himalayan National Park and enjoy the flora and fauna of the valley.
While you will be reaching Jibhi you will find a couple of posters for angling tours. You can enjoy fresh cached Trout straight from the river,
Jibhi is becoming a traveler’s paradise and is one of the most visited places in Kullu valley. You will find a lot of backpackers here and it is gradually becoming famous among travelers.
Accessibility
By road
- Jibhi is approachable by road from where you can take a Taxi/cab till Jalori pass. Trek starts from Jalori pass.
- By Road, The simplest way to travel to Jibhi is to board a bus for Manali from Delhi and disembark at Aut. From Aut you can hire a local taxi or board a bus to reach Jibhi.
Railway
- The closest railway station is at Jogindernagar, the terminus of the narrow-gauge railway line connecting Jogindernagar to Pathankot.
By Air
- By air from Delhi to Bhunter (Kullu) or Gaggal (Kangra) airport and then by road to Jibhi.
Chail
Chail is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is 44 kilometers (27 mi) from Shimla and 45 kilometers (28 mi) from Solan. It is known for its salubrious beauty and virgin forests. If you are looking for a place which is as beautiful as Shimla but with less crowd, you should definitely look for camping at Chail. There are a lot of camping spots and also hotels, camps where a camping option is available at Chail.
Chail is also frequented by hikers as it offers wonderful views of the lower Himalayas. It has good trekking points from Junga, Kufri, and Ashwani Khad at Solan. Many Eco camps are held here. There are many camping sites for campers and hikers, so camping in Chail is the most sought-after activity for enthusiasts.
Also while you are here you can visit Kufri, Shimla, Chail Sanctuary, Sadhupul, Chail Cricket ground, and Chail Palace.
Accessibility
By road
- Chail is well connected by road from Chandigarh, Delhi, and Shimla. From Shimla, via Kufri, the distance is 45 km and via Kandaghat is 49 km. Kalka is 86 km from Chail. Regular buses ply between Chail and major cities like Shimla, Chandigarh, and Delhi.
Railway
- Kalka-Shimla railways, the narrow gauge line is good for coming to Chail. The toy train runs on this World Heritage Site. The nearest railway station to Chail is Kandaghat.
By Air
- The nearest airports are Chandigarh(120 km) and Shimla. Shimla Airport is located at Jubbarhati which is 37 km from Kandaghat.
Dharamshala
Dharamshala (also spelled Dharamsala) is the winter capital city of Himachal Pradesh. Dharamshala is famous among travelers for its scenic beauty, Buddhist monasteries, Tea Gardens, Temples, Treks and is surrounded by dense coniferous forest consisting mainly of stately Deodar cedar trees.
There are a lot of famous places like McLeod Ganj, Bhagsunag, Dharamkot, Naddi, Forsyth Ganj, Kotwali Bazar, Kaccheri Adda, Dari, Ramnagar, Sidhpur, and Sidhbari. This place is also famous for its Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, which offers opportunities to the youth of the state to prepare for their future in the game.
Another reason Dharamshala is famous due to multiple trekking trails emerging from Dharamshala which are famous among the trekking community. There are treks like Triund, Kareri Lake, Himani Chamunda, Indrahar Pass, Toral Pass, Bhimghasutri Pass, Bleni Pass etc. All these trails have Amazing camping spaces and are loved by travelers.
Camping in Triund – Ealy morning view
Besides camps on treks, there are a lot of Glamping options available in Dharamshala. You can find camping places in Himachal in Campshala.
Accessibility
By road
- Travel by bus is available till Dharamshala which is well connected by Govt as well as a lot of private Volvo buses coming every day from Delhi.
Railway
- The nearest railway station is Pathankot from where you can take a local bus to Kangra or Dharamshala. If you have additional time you can also board the Kangra train which is a narrow-gauge line that goes through mesmerizing paths.
By Air
- The nearest airport is Kangra. From Kangra, you can easily find local buses and Taxis till Dharamshala.
Parvati Valley
What comes to mind when someone speaks about Himachal? Well, most travelers know it for Kasol, Malana, Kullu, and the list goes on. We wanted to cover these places separately but why not Talk about Parvati Valley itself? Parvati valley is travelers’ haven and camper’s second home. The detailed information on the valley can be found on Wikipedia.
Well, so the overall Parvati Valley Experience starts when you reach Bhunter (Kullu) which is a beautiful place and also has Kullu Airport. There is a lot of camping, Glamping, and hotels available at Kullu.
From here you can follow the Parvati River towards Kasol which is also called Mini Israel of India due to a high percentage of Israeli tourists here.
Kasol is a hamlet in the district Kullu of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated in Parvati Valley, on the banks of the Parvati River, on the way between Bhuntar and Manikaran.
It is located 30 km from Bhuntar and 3.5 km from Manikaran. Kasol is the Himalayan hotspot for backpackers and acts as a base for nearby treks to Malana and Kheerganga. There are several camps and very good café available at Kasol.
Tosh is another place to visit in Parvati Valley. Wooden houses in the village are excellent examples of the architecture of Mountain people. Tosh is economical than its neighbor town Kasol. The guest houses and the hotels are available both at the entrance and far end of the village Alongside the village is the Parvati River, which begins at the Mantalai Glacier within Parvati Valley, which is a feeder valley for the Parvati Valley.
The village is reached by taking a bus from Bhuntar to Kasol, and a one and half hour car ride to the area along Manikaran and Barshaini Roads, and then a one-hour hike. It is described as a “traditional village turned hippie colony”. Another good thing about Tosh is that you can see local culture and tourism growing hand in hand here.
There are lot of treks in Parvati Valley, Kheerganga, Malana, Rasol to name a few. While you are there you can also plan a trek to Kheerganga and camp at a café or in your own tent at Kheerganga.
Malana is another place to visit while you are there in Parvati Valley. Malana is an isolated village that follows its own laws and customs. There are a lot of documentaries, blogs, the content available for Malana.
So these are the top offbeat places that are on our list. Let us know in the comments section if you know of any awesome camping place which we are missing and we will add that to the list.
Looking to rent/buy camping gears for your next trip? YOu may find them here.
Happy Camping!
