Great Himalayan National Park

The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) is a World Heritage Site (WHS).

The Ecozone is the buffer zone between the Park and the rest of the region. It comprises villages and lands within a 5km radius around the Park. Villages located in the Ecozone are supposed to be closely associated to the protection of the park. Their culture and traditional livelihood have to be protected and a special emphasis is normally given to the development of the villages.

The majority of inhabitants of the Ecozone are agriculturalists ; they are almost self-sufficient for their own subsistence. They grow wheat, corn, rajma, (organic beans) and many vegetables and spices. They also grow fruits that are sold to larger markets in India. The region is well known for its apples and apricots.

Many of the villagers have large herds of sheep and goats. Both are used for wool and for their meat. Goats are often offered to the local Devatas (gods) on special occasions and also served as one of all-time-favourite delicacies of the region.

Since the creation of the Great Himalayan National Park, local community’s access to the Park has been prohibited. The park used to be an important source of livelihood for local communities be it by collecting medicinal plants, wood, or grazing their cattle.

Hence creation of the Park resulted in an important loss of income for the local community. Himalayan Ecotourism social and environmental objectives aim at facilitating availability of alternative sources of income so that welfare of the locals and protection of the Park are ensured.

The GHNP and the Tirthan Valley Ecozone are a hub of biodiversity. It only takes a glance to spot exceptional species of birds. The more patient and experienced naturalists can see the rare and ‘difficult-to-spot’ mammals. Many are on the Red List of threatened species. The process of conservation of these species by the Park is essential to their survival.

A trekker must respect the environment he travels in. The main cause of extinction of animal and plant species is the destruction of the ecosystems. The GHNP and the Ecozone community are dedicated to protect and manage these exceptional natural environments.

Best time to visit Great Himalayan National Park GHNP is April, May, June, and then October and November.

Avoid the monsoon between July and August as it rains a lot and the paths become slippery and there are chances of landslides.

Avoid the winter months of December to March. GHNP receives heavy snowfall in winter.

The ecozone of the Great Himalayan National Park is just 1 hour off the main Delhi-Kullu-Manali road. There are regular overnight Volvo buses from Delhi and Chandigarh to Kullu and Manali.

Inform the conductor of the bus that you need to be dropped at Aut town just after the tunnel. We can arrange a taxi to pick you up from Aut from where it is 1.5 hours to Gushaini – the main starting point for treks to the Great Himalayan National Park.

See next section for more information and maps for getting to GHNP.

A bus is the preferred option to travel from Delhi to GHNP via Aut.
There are comfortable Volvo buses (min Rs 1000) from Delhi to Manali. Most of the busses start in the evening from Delhi. You have to get off the bus at Aut early morning, and take a taxi (about Rs 1000) or local bus to Banjar or Sainj. Or we can arrange your transportation from Aut by sending our own taxi.

You can also come from Shimla going through Jalori pass (Shimla – Banjar, 8 hours drive). Be aware that Jalori pass is closed in winter because of snow (December to March).

If you come by your own vehicle, the shortest route goes through Chandigarh, Bilaspur, Mandi and Aut. Then you need to move to Banjar or Sainj, the two main entries to the Park (Delhi – Banjar, 12 hours). The road to GHNP diverts before reaching Aut. Just before Aut, there is a tunnel (the only tunnel on the road from Delhi).
Do not enter the tunnel.
Just at the entrance of the tunnel there is a smaller road on the right. Take this one. After crossing a dam and then a bridge, either you continue straight to Sainj (for Sainj valley), or if you need to go to Banjar (for Tirthan valley), you need to cross the next bridge on your right to reach the small town of Larji. Turn right after the bridge and continue straight to Banjar (about 20 km from Larji).

Apart from the sublime beauty of the Himalayan mountain range that the Great Himalayan National Park is famous for, you will encounter an array of flora including medicinal plants such as henbane and purple Jerusalem sage while trekking in GHNP. The vegetation varies based on the altitude and includes forests with pine, deodar, oak, and horse chestnut trees as well as sprawling alpine meadows. The flora of GHNP also comprises rhododendrons, fungi, and shrubs.

The Great Himalayan National Park is home to over 31 species of mammals, 209 species of birds, and a variety of invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles! This abundance of wildlife is because of the different ecosystems that fall within the protected area and that are located at different altitudes ranging from 1800m to above 6000m.

The mountains are home to the Himalayan Black Bear, the Himalayan Tahr, the Himalayan Brown Bear, and the Phantom of the Mountains—the Snow Leopard. Himachal Pradesh’s state bird Western Tragopan, or Jujurana, which is an elusive and endangered species, is found in these forests. There are other pheasants too such as the monal, koklass, white-crested kajeel, and cheer pheasant.

Birders have the opportunity to spot a variety of other birds of the Himalayas here, which includes the:

• Long-tailed Minivets,
• Yellow-bellied Fantails,
• Wallcreepers,
• White-collared and Gray-winged blackbirds,
• variegated laughing thrush,
• Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler,
• Spectacled Finch and Golden Bush Robin,
• Blue-capped Redstart,
• Black-throated Thrush,
• Black-throated Accentor,
• Little Forktail,
• Crested Kingfisher,
• Blue Whistling Thrush,
• Yellow-billed Magpie,
• Greyheaded and Black-crowned flycatcher-warblers,
• Bar-tailed Treecreeper,
• Lammergeiers,
• Himalayan Griffon Vultures
• Golden Eagles.

While in the Great Himalayan National Park, you can only stay in tents as there are no guest houses, hotels, or forest rest houses within the Park premises.

During all our treks (and when camping), you will be sleeping in imported, light-weight European tents with sleeping mats and sleeping bags. The equipment is secure and comfortable and built for even harsh weather conditions. The tents are carried by our porters who are part of the staff that accompanies all treks.

See the next section for stay options nearby the Great Himalayan National Park.

Before or after your trek in GHNP, you can find accommodation outside the Park. You have a choice of homestays and guesthouses in the region. With the recent development (post-COVID) that have happened in the Tirthan valley, you can also find hotels in the vicinity of the Park.

The GHNP office in Sai Ropa, Tirthan Valley, has a government-managed guesthouse with a couple of rooms and a dormitory. It is only 15 minutes away from the start of the trek in Gushaini.

We can arrange your stay at guesthouses or homestays at the start and end of the trek depending on your preference and budget. The budget could range from INR 1,500 to INR 12,000 for a double occupancy room.

For accommodation in Great Himalayan National Park : a list of local homestays.

The GHNP visit is an amazing place to experience rich flora and fauna of Himalayas. This provided me an opportunity to truly understand what a Global Biodiversity Hotspot means.
This place is birders paradise as many species of Pheasants can be seen here commonly. Himalayan Monal is the most abundant of them, Koklass and Kaleej also add in to the beauty of the place. The forest here is so alive that we were able to see signs of wildlife everywhere.

To my astonishment the hospitality of the Himalayan Ecotourism was amazing. It was like having a five star luxury at 3000m above sea level. The people here are compassionate towards their guest as well as towards their environment.

A sensible tourist with compassion towards nature must visit this place to experience amalgamation of nature and culture of Himalayan People. This is truly a Land of Nature God.

Girish Jathar