Parvati Valley has a reputation. People arrive for a weekend and stay for a month. They miss buses, rebook trains, and invent reasons to delay departure. Kheerganga is where that effect is most concentrated. The trek ends in a natural hot spring on a mountain meadow at nearly 3,000 metres. There is nowhere better to understand why this valley holds people the way it does.
Getting to the starting point
Most trekkers base themselves in Kasol and take a local bus or shared taxi to Barshaini — the road head village where the trek begins. The journey from Kasol takes about 45 minutes and the road follows the Parvati River through increasingly dramatic gorge scenery. Alternatively, some people start from Tosh or Pulga — two villages accessible from Barshaini that add extra distance and altitude gain. These routes are less travelled and more beautiful.
Two trails — which one to take
Left bank via Nakthan
The more popular route. It passes through Nakthan village and follows the river closely for much of the lower section before climbing through forest. It is well-maintained and well-signed. Good for first-timers and in wet conditions when the right bank trail can be slippery.
Right bank via Rudra Nag
Quieter, more dramatic, and passes Rudra Nag — a waterfall tumbling out of the cliff face that is genuinely impressive in the post-monsoon months when the flow is high. The trail is narrower and less maintained in places but the scenery justifies the extra attention required underfoot. My preferred route up. The most logical approach is to go up one trail and come down the other.
The trail
The lower section from Barshaini passes through mixed forest — pine, oak, and walnut — with the river audible below. Small tea stalls appear at regular intervals selling chai, Maggi, and the kind of conversation that happens naturally when strangers share a narrow trail.
The middle section enters denser forest and the trail steepens. This is where most people who struggle will struggle. The remedy is simple: slow down. The forest is worth paying attention to.
The upper section breaks out of the treeline into a broad alpine meadow. Kheerganga itself is not a single point but a wide grassy basin with a stream running through it, several camping areas, a cluster of permanent teahouse structures, and the hot spring at the far end near a small Shiva temple.
The hot spring
There are two pools — a large communal one and a smaller one separated for women. The water is genuinely hot, naturally sulphurous, and arrives from underground via a pipe that feeds continuously. The setting is extraordinary: you are sitting in warm water at 2,960 metres with the Parvati Valley dropping away below you and snow peaks rising above.
The best time to use the pools is early morning before the day-trippers arrive, or in the evening after the crowds have settled into their camps. A soak after a day on the trail, with the stars coming out above and the temperature dropping fast around you, is one of the finer experiences Himachal Pradesh offers.
Staying overnight
Several local operators run tent camps on the meadow. You pay for the tent, bedding, and meals as a package. The food is basic mountain fare: rice, dal, chapati, and tea. Hot and filling and without ceremony. Nights at Kheerganga in clear weather are cold and extraordinary. The meadow sits in a natural bowl that catches the wind, so bring a proper sleeping bag even in summer. Wake up before the sun hits the peaks.
What to carry
- Two to three litres of water from Barshaini — stream water on the trail is not reliably safe without treatment.
- Trekking shoes rather than trainers — the trail is rocky in places.
- A warm layer for the evening regardless of how hot the day feels.
- A headlamp if there is any chance you will still be moving after dark.
- Leave behind everything you do not need. The weight of an overpacked bag over twelve kilometres of climbing is cumulative.
Parvati Valley tends to slow people down. If you want to keep moving east into higher, starker terrain, the Spiti Valley road trip is the next logical journey.