Is Kullu worth a stop?

Hi, In Kullu, the "capital" of the valley of the same name, I’ve passed through three times, but since my destination was Manali, I’ll admit I don’t remember much about it... It’s situated by a river and is relatively spread out.

As for distances, one time I took a flight to get as close as possible to Manali (to cross the Zanskar on foot). It was during the summer monsoon. I think the plane was supposed to land in Kullu? But due to bad weather, it landed in Chandigarh instead, I think, and we had to figure out how to get transport to Manali.

Anyway, for just an extra hour, I’d go straight to Manali.

One spot I really liked was the Parvati Valley. Manikaran, with its Sikh temple, and as you go up the valley, there are some nice villages—kind of like a thermal resort. I’ve forgotten the names... Back then, you could sleep in the Sikh temple as long as you weren’t a hippie or didn’t smoke! They even served me a free meal. But that was ages ago!

Hi Jean-Michel, and thanks for your reply!

What you're saying matches the impression I got after reading several posts on VF and searching on other platforms (ChatGPT is super helpful!): it's better to head straight to Manali!

In the meantime, I’ve added the Parvati Valley to my plans (with Kasol as a base), and from there, I plan to head back down to Jaipur. The issue, as always in India, is finding a good combination of transport. I only use public transport since I travel a lot—I avoid taxis for long trips because they really add up in the budget!

Heading back to Chandigarh and taking a night train from there to Jaipur seems like a solid option. There are two trains leaving from Chandigarh: the first at 17:55 and the second at 19:45. I’d aim for the second one since it gives me more time to get to Chandigarh station, and it arrives in Jaipur at 06:10, which is early but manageable.

Taking a bus from Kasol to arrive in Chandigarh on time seems tricky. So, I’m reconsidering the Kullu option! Leaving from Kullu would save me 2 hours on the bus ride to Chandigarh, especially if I leave in the morning.

So now I’m looking at this combo: - Travel from Kasol down to Kullu - Spend a night in Kullu - Take an early morning bus from Kullu to Chandigarh - Catch the night train to Jaipur

I think this should work—there must be plenty of buses leaving Kullu in the morning!

What do you think? Any other readers with experience in Kullu who can chime in?

PS: I got the train schedules from the India Rail website. I could always account for possible delays to give myself more time, but I’d rather not. India changes fast—maybe trains are more punctual these days?

Going back down to Chandigarh and taking a night train from there to Jaipur seems like a good option.

I think so, yes. And in that case, I’d definitely spend the night in Kullu. There are plenty of places to stay.

My last trip to India was back in 1991. After that, I only had layovers in Delhi on my way to Nepal. My info on transportation will be completely outdated. You could start by asking Moushika for those details on "the other" forum and check out her travel journal on Manali and the area—she went there recently. P.S.: On esky.fr, I found one-way flights from Delhi to Chandigarh for 31 € (luggage included or not?)