Soyal & Sajla · Sethan & Hamta Valley · Naggar & Roerich · Jana Waterfall
Starts and ends
at HOGS Panorama
For guests who say, “We’ve already done the touristy Manali. Show us something different.”
THE ITINERARY
DAY BY DAY
01
DAY 01 / 05
Arrival · HOGS · Local Manali
FIG. 01 — HADIMBA DEVI TEMPLE, AMONG THE DEODARS
Arrive and check in at HOGS Panorama.
After resting, explore Hadimba Temple and Dhungri Forest. Continue towards Old Manali for an easy walk through its lanes.
Rather than trying to cover everything on the first day, return to HOGS early. Spend your first mountain evening at Cafe DO NTHNG over coffee, food and views.
☾ Overnight: HOGS Panorama
02
DAY 02 / 05
Soyal Village · Sajla Waterfall · Village Life
FIG. 02 — THE FOREST TRAIL TOWARDS SAJLAPhoto: Vinayaraj · CC BY-SA 4.0
After breakfast, leave the busier parts of Manali behind.
Begin at Soyal Village. Walk along village paths surrounded by orchards, forests and mountain streams. Take time for photography and explore the area on foot rather than remaining inside the vehicle.
Continue towards Sajla Village and then Sajla Waterfall. The Soyal and Sajla belt is particularly suitable for travellers wanting a peaceful short excursion rather than Manali’s heavily commercial sightseeing circuit.
Enjoy chai or a simple local meal along the way. Return to HOGS by evening.
03
DAY 03 / 05
Sethan · Hamta Valley · Pandu Ropa
Prini
FIG. 03 — HAMPTA VALLEY, IN THE WARMER MONTHSPhoto: mkasiak · CC BY 3.0
After breakfast, leave from Prini and begin climbing towards Hamta Valley. The road itself becomes part of the experience as Manali gradually disappears below.
Reach Sethan, a small mountain settlement at roughly 2,700 metres.
Sethan VillageWalk around rather than simply stopping for photographs.
Pandu RopaSpend some time around the open landscapes and viewpoints accessible according to prevailing conditions.
Hamta ValleyTake a short nature walk around the lower valley instead of treating this as the full Hampta Pass trek.
Find a scenic spot for tea or a picnic-style break. Return to HOGS before dark.
After breakfast, head towards the heritage side of the Kullu Valley.
Start around Naggar, once an important historic centre of the valley. Depending on current access, explore the heritage area and then visit the Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery.
Continue uphill towards Rumsu Village. Walk through the traditional settlement, admire the old architecture and experience a very different side of the valley. Rumsu is also naturally paired with Naggar in slow-travel itineraries.
Then drive towards Jana Village through pine forests and orchards. Visit Jana Waterfall, Jana Gaon. The waterfall is reached through a short walk from the road area, and Jana is also well known for local Himachali food around the waterfall.
Have a traditional-style lunch before returning towards Manali.
☾ Overnight: HOGS Panorama
05
DAY 05 / 05
Breakfast · Coffee · Departure
FIG. 05 — ONE LAST LOOK AT THE VALLEY
Wake up without an itinerary.
Breakfast. Coffee. Views. Check-out.
04 / ALONG THE WAY
20 places · 8 experiences
Places you’ll meet on this journey.
Every place below appears in the itinerary. Open one to see what to do there, when it’s at its best, and a tip from your hosts.
Hidden Manali with HOGS is best for repeat visitors, offbeat travellers, couples and photographers. Its style: Villages + waterfalls + forests + local experiences.
For guests who say, “We’ve already done the touristy Manali. Show us something different.”
Not very. Every HOGS journey opens with a slow arrival and closes with a slow morning, so the days in between are not stacked back to back. Some days are deliberately kept light, and the higher-mountain days stay flexible with the weather.
If you would like more or less on your days, say so in your enquiry and we will talk it through.
This is exactly the journey we recommend when a guest says, “We’ve already done the touristy Manali. Show us something different.” It stays with villages, waterfalls, forests and local experiences.
SLOW MORNINGS · OFFBEAT VILLAGES · COFFEE AT THE CAFE · TIME WITH THE HOSTS · SLOW MORNINGS · OFFBEAT VILLAGES · COFFEE AT THE CAFE · TIME WITH THE HOSTS · SLOW MORNINGS · OFFBEAT VILLAGES · COFFEE AT THE CAFE · TIME WITH THE HOSTS · SLOW MORNINGS · OFFBEAT VILLAGES · COFFEE AT THE CAFE · TIME WITH THE HOSTS · SLOW MORNINGS · OFFBEAT VILLAGES · COFFEE AT THE CAFE · TIME WITH THE HOSTS · SLOW MORNINGS · OFFBEAT VILLAGES · COFFEE AT THE CAFE · TIME WITH THE HOSTS · SLOW MORNINGS · OFFBEAT VILLAGES · COFFEE AT THE CAFE · TIME WITH THE HOSTS · SLOW MORNINGS · OFFBEAT VILLAGES · COFFEE AT THE CAFE · TIME WITH THE HOSTS ·
WHAT MAKES THIS A HOGS JOURNEY
VAATAAVARAN / वातावरण
Not a tour. A way of travelling.
01
Slow mornings
No sightseeing alarm. Breakfast with mountain views comes before anything else.
02
Offbeat villages
Orchards, forest paths and streams, explored on foot rather than from the window of a car.
03
Coffee at the cafe
Days begin and end at Cafe DO NTHNG, right downstairs from your room.
04
Time with the hosts
Evenings with the people of HOGS, over a warm cup and good conversation.
