I feel like I’m on top of the world. Honestly, I feel like I’ve climbed a giant mountain, and I’m just standing right on top with my arms wide open and breathing rarified air.
Just the same feeling you experience once you are in Tosh, a village lying at the height of 7900 feet on top of a hill surrounded by mountains from all the sides. Tosh offers some breathtaking views of the Parvati Valley. In recent years this village has gained popularity amongst tourist as it is very close to the famous Hippies Town – Kasol.
On way to Tosh Himachal from Barshaini
Mountains as seen from Tosh Himachal
How to reach
From Delhi take a bus which is heading for Manali and get down at Bhuntar which is around 50 Km before Manali. From Bhuntar, you will find many HRTC buses to Barshaini. The buses take a halt at Kasol and Manikaran and then proceed for Barshaini. From Barshaini you can trek all the way to Tosh, which is around 5 km or you can take a shared cab that would cost around 100.I would suggest you trek all the way as it is all worth it. For bus booking, you can check HRTC Online booking system.
Getting around Tosh Himachal
The tarmac road ends at the start of Tosh village and one has to walk over a wooden bridge to enter the village. The whole village is located on a hilly terrain and there are no motorable roads. Also, the village is quite small and all places are easily accessible walking around. Get ready, pick a camera and go lost in nature!!!
On way to Tosh Himachal from Barshaini
Houses at Tosh Himachal
Kasol was the main reason what brought me to this region of Himalayas. Hearing so much about this place, I always wanted to experience the Hippie culture. After spending a remarkable day in Kasol, I along with my college friends headed for Tosh. Since it was that time of year when it snows heavily in this region, roads were only opened till Barshaini.
But I would say we were lucky enough for the road to be closed, as trekking on the road route from Barshaini to Tosh was spine-tingling.
Houses at Tosh Himachal
The village has become quite popular with travelers who are looking for a peaceful escape from daily life, meditation/yoga, and clean air. The visitors who come to Tosh are mostly backpacker from Israel and Europe. The distinct smell of Marijuana is the first impression of Tosh.
About to arrive at Tosh Himachal Village
Beautiful Tosh Himachal Village surroundings
Things to do
There is nothing much to do in Tosh than to explore the surroundings. With every step you take there will an upsurge in love for this place.Such breathtaking views it provides of the beautiful Parvati Valley. In addition, as Tosh is becoming quite popular among the backpackers, many trance and psychedelic parties are being organized here.
The Valley View
Nearby Tosh, there are many treks you can choose from, Kheerganga being the most popular.
The Tosh Himachal Village
Where to stay
With its proximity to the famous hippie town Kasol, tourism is growing at a rapid pace in Tosh. Massive construction work of guesthouses and hotels is under process. Currently there are few stay options, Ashwin café, Pink Floyd and hotel Hilltop being the favorite ones.
Tosh Himachal village surroundings
Tosh Himachal
The tent that I carry with me is Quechua Arpenaz 2 Tent. It has enough space for 2 people.
What to Eat
Most of the café provides you menu comprising of Indian, European and Italian food. However, food is expensive in Tosh as it takes quite an effort to bring raw materials up here.
Trying Maggi with a cup of tea at such altitude and chilly surroundings could be a moment you would cherish for entire life.
Heavy snow on roof Tosh Himachal
Best Time to visit
Tosh Himachal has a pleasant weather throughout the year. The best time to visit Tosh is from April until October since in winters the whole village is covered in snow and becomes quite hidden. However, if you want to enjoy the snow, you can opt for November to February.
On your trip to Tosh, you could explore the nearby Kasol, Manikaran and Kheerganga trek as well. For Manikaran, you can check out my post Take a dip into the natural hot springs at Manikaran near Kasol. For Kasol check out my post- Kasol Himachal – Stoner’s escapade in the mighty Himalayas. Information and detail on Kheerganga Trek are underwriting and would be shared in a couple of days.
Cute Kids at Barshaini
The pristine beauty of Tosh is untouched by modernization and fast-paced life. The hippie culture of this village will surely transport you another world. Have you ever tried Hash? Are you looking for some peaceful days in your life? Tosh is waiting to welcome you!!! “You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!”
Do follow me on Instagram as I am regularly posting travel posts and stories over there. Also, you can message me on Instagram if you want to join me on my next trip.
Are you looking for some essential travel gear? Check out my blog post on What’s in my Backpack.
Hope you would have enjoyed reading the article. To get regular updates on upcoming blog posts from On a Cheap Trip, please subscribe by entering your name and E-mail address in the Newsletter below. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest as well as on Twitter.
48 thoughts on “Tosh, Himachal – The Last Hippie Village in Parvati valley”
I would like to ask which camera lens do you use for those mountains pictures in your blogs
18-55mm lens and camera is Canon 1200D
My son loved kasol and tosh. He went all over HP on his bike. He would send me voice messages while riding … screaming .. this is beautiful maaa i love youuuu
I came to know that he used to tell his friends
If ever i die, you will find my spirit in these mountains
He is gone now
I need to come there ..i need to come find him and be with him
I dont know how to
What should i do
Adi’s mama
indeed it is tough .but this is life mama .stay strong .ur son is in heaven . in peace ..
You should also visit choj village.
You should definitely visit parvati valley. In the mountains and snow you will find peace. And find you son resting in peace.
My dear lady,
I am so sorry for your loss. It is terrible to lose a child. The only solace I can offer is that he never had to suffer the loss of a Mother who so obviously loved him so much. I am planning to visit the area soon and will offer a prayer for you both when I am there.
Best wishes Jim.
What hpnd to your son
😭😭😭😭😭😭❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️
What is the trek route for Kheerganga from Kasol?
Can we hot tosh village on the way to kheerganga or is it at different direction?
From kasol you can opt for a shared taxi till barshaini. From Barshaini you can opt for Rudra Nag route or the Kalga route. Kalga is the easier among the two. Tosh is just 3 kms from barshaini . You can stay at Tosh and start your trek from there as well.
Hey Abhishek
Great article bro. breathtaking pictures. Me and my friend are planning to visit manali for 2 weeks from jan 25 to feb 6. Is it possible to put up a tent and camp in nature during this time in and around tosh and kasol? Also is it possible to get a taste of that delicious m cream in tosh?
Thanks and regards
Thank you Siddharth 🙂 Yeah you can put up tent and camp there but it would be really cold there. So do take proper sleeping bags and inners. Your m cream is available everywhere over there.:) You can also plan a day visit to “m” village 🙂 Happy traveling!!
Hey Abhishek
The “m” village has been closed for tourists from last year. http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hasish-village-malana-s-deity-orders-restaurants-guest-houses-shut-to-save-culture/story-LBj0YA3NtbrdGmJEln2w1J.html
Will the stuff in tosh be as good as the stuff from the m village?
Thanks and regards once again
Malana has been closed for staying is what I have heard.I know about this news:) But still, I guess visiting is allowed on a day trip.Ask people in Kasol about the same, they might have more info. Don’t worry about the stuff, it’s amazing over there…Haha!!
I am a mother of a son who is going with his friends to Tosh. Do people just smoke marijuana and waste their time there? Is it not harmful to the body and mind? Why this eulogising of a blatantly illegal and harmful practice?
Hey Reema, that isn’t the case. I agree the place is a paradise for the stoners, but apart from it the place has so much to experience. Snow mountains, Parvati valley and the beautiful river make the place worthwhile to visit. I can’t comment on how harmful it is.
Wow thiis such a beautiful destination that one can spend a perfect time for relaxation over there. Himachal has always been an all time favorite travel retreat for us and the best part of it all is that I am never bored of travelling across these places they always seem new and enhancing.
Hi there!
Your blog is quite informative. Can you tell me when did you visit this place? I want to know, during which time we get to see this much of snow that I am seeing in your photographs.
You have also mentioned about roadblocks due to snowfall – shall I expect any roadblocks up to Barshaini in December end?
And do you have any knowledge on when did snowfall start this year in Tosh?
Hey Anindita, thanks a lot for you appreciation. I visited the place in third week of January and it was fully filled with snow. The routes are generally open till Barshaini, but from there onward you would need to trek till Tosh. Its an amazing 1- 1.5 hrs of walk. I am not sure when does it starts, but as per weather update the snow has already started.
Let me know if you need any more info. Happy travelling 🙂
Anindita Sadhu, there is mentioned november to Feb is the best time to see heavy snow fall.
We have plan to visit Himachal in March. We were wondering whether staying in Tosh is a good idea or not. Now I don’t have any doubt, we would surely try to visit Tosh. Very informative blog with amazing photographs !!
Hey buddy amazing detailed blog for Tosh, many thanks for that. December last week is okay to visit Tosh?? Because it’s my birthday week and I want to spend some time with myself in the lap of nature. I am solo backpacker but Himachal in winters is new for me.
Hi Mohit, thanks for the appreciation. There would be a lot of snow in Tosh at that time of the year and most of the routes will be closed. If you are ok with the freezing temperature and little bit of trekking, you can visit the place in December.
Thanks for sharing this information. I want to visit & stay at Tosh for a week . I want to know that is there budget aford able acomodation options available.
You are welcome Rajesh. There are many accommodations available in Tosh and most of them are in range of 300 per night. I guess that would be feasible for you. You don’t need to pre book any stay option. Just go there and you will get one. You can check out Ashwin café, Pink Floyd and hotel Hilltop. Happy journey!!
Please tell me the rates of homestay or any ‘tent for rent’. I am not willing to spend much on luxury. The cheapest the best. I will not be carrying a tent, will I get tents on rent basis over there?
You can stay at Gurudwara which is very budget stay. Yes, you can get tents on rent basis!Wish you a happy stay a Kasol 🙂
I came here after putting Tosh in google 🙂
Hi,
I would like to travel solo to Tosh from Chandigarh. This would be my first solo travelling experience and I am a little scared. What are the things that I should keep in mind while travelling to Tosh? Also, would it be a right time to visit in a weekend in the Monsoon season?
Thanks
Thanks for reading Shubham. Great to hear that you are planning to travel solo.You don’t need to be scared at all as it is absolutely safe traveling in Himachal. People are really helpful out there and you will really enjoy every moment out there in the lap of Himalayas.
Monsoon won’t be that great option as there are frequent landslides in that area.I would suggest you to visit somewhere in Mid Oct -Nov.
Let me know if you have any more queries.Wish you a great trip 🙂
Away from the touch of modernization, Tosh finds its root deeply embeded in the natural beauty. I visited there couple of days back and this place will always call me back to explore more.
Yes, the place is simply amazing and there is so much to explore.
is it a good time to visit karol malign tosh parvati valley in november end?
Hey!! It depends on what you actually want to experience.At that time of the year it will be probably snowing out in those areas.But the views would be breathtaking.
Beautiful pictures and very well written. Great job at making things so simple for everyone!
Thanks a lot Brother 🙂
Bhai…will definitely visit Tosh.
Yes you should visit Tosh !!!
?
🙂
great place to hide
Haha exactly 🙂
After reading the blog, I can’t wait to see Tosh or even Himachal Pradesh 🙂
Awesome Dear 🙂
Yes, you should definitely visit dear 🙂 Let me know if you any queries regarding the itinerary.
Dear Abhi , We two couples around 60 age would like to visit tosh valley . we all physically fit. Upto which place we can travel by car.Kindly provide me a 7 days tour program in toss. Thnks n regds.
Utpal Mitra, Kolkata
Nice to hear that. It depends on what time of the year you are visiting. Other than winters you can drive all the way till tosh. In winters you can drive till barshaini and from there tosh is like an hour walk. Out of seven days 2 days you can spend in Kasol.1 at Manikaran.1 for the kheerganaga trek if you are ok trekking.2 days at tosh. Also you can explore near by village of Malana.
Let me know if you have more queries. Wish you a great journey 🙂 Cheers.