Kalga (Also known as “Kalgha”) village in Parvati valley (Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh) is a scenic tourist attraction. In this article, we will explore Kalga with the main attractions, map, homestays, itinerary, nearby places, and the best time to visit.
About Kalga
Kalga is situated at an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level and is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, green forests, and the gushing Parvati river. It is ideal for solo travellers, couples, and a group of friends who prefer to stay amidst nature for a couple of days. Kalga lies on a trek route to Kheerganga, and many trekkers stay here overnight before beginning the journey.
You will find villagers of mixed cultures living in harmony at Kalga. They mostly rely on farming and tourism to run their lives. Staying at Kalga for a couple of days and exploring the nearby apple orchards, pine forests, and treks is a memorable experience. As the villagers have their own organic farms, you will get nutritious meals at every homestay in Kalga.
Highlights Of Kalga
Kalga Village Map
How to Reach Kalga Village?
To visit Kalga, you much reach the Barshaini bus stand near the dam. Barshaini, also known as Barsheni, is well connected to Kasol, 16.6 Km away. To reach Kasol, the best option is to avail of the Volvo bus service from Delhi or Chandigarh. After arriving in Kasol, you can either ride the local bus or hire a car to travel to Barshaini. Then, cross the dam constructed on the Parvati river and hike uphill to reach the Kalga village.
Kalga Travel Itinerary
After reaching Kasol, travelling to and staying at Kalga takes at least 2-3 days. Here I have included a 4-day itinerary to enjoy your stay at Kalga to the fullest. You can adjust this itinerary according to your preferences.
Day 1: Reach Kasol and hire a cab or ride on a bus to reach the Barshaini bus stand and then hike to Kalga.
Day 2: Explore Kalga and nearby Pulga and Tulga villages. Stay in Kalga overnight.
Day 3 (Optional): Trek to Kheerganga and stay overnight in the tents.
Day 4: Return to Kasol from Kheerganga via Barshaini.
Kalga Weather And Best Time To Visit
While tourists mostly prefer the summer and early-winter months to visit Kalga, the monsoon can also get you a unique experience. Let’s see what Kalga offers to its visitors in different seasons.
Kalga In Summer
The summer days are most comfortable in Kalga as the minimum, and maximum temperatures range from 8°C to 20°C (Average: 16°C). The weather remains sunny, but you can expect clouds and rainfall (around 50-150 mm) in May and June. You can expect 8-14 rainy days at the end of the summer season. In addition, the humidity slowly increases over the months and reaches around 60-70% by the end of June. But as the temperature remains low, the weather stays pleasant in Kalga during summer. If the weather remains clear, stargazing is an interesting activity in Kalga.
Kalga In Monsoon
Despite heavy rainfall of around 1000 mm in the monsoon (July to September), Kalga is still enjoyable. The wet greenery and peaceful ambience make Kalga travel a memorable experience. However, you must be aware of slippery muddy paths around the village. The average temperature remains in the range of 12-15°C, which is slightly lower than in the summer months. The humidity reaches up to 88%, with around 21 rainy days and 5.7 average sun hours in August.
Kalga In Winter
Like the summer season, early winter in the month of October-November also offers cold yet comfortable weather and temperature during the day. At this time, the average temperature of Kalga remains in the range of 5-10°C with up to only 30 mm of rainfall. In the month of December-January, the village gets covered with snow with the lowest temperature of the year below -10°C. Tourists can still visit Kalga and enjoy the snow, but it can be difficult for some visitors.
Best Homestays In Kalga
More than ten homestays in Kalga village offer cosy accommodations and delicious food. I have picked up the top 5 Kalga homestays according to their reputation, trustworthiness, and facilities.
1. The Forest Park Homestay
Located just beside the pine forest, the Forest Park Homestay is the best homestay in Kalga. It is a 2-storied wooden building with a great interior, balcony, and dining area. The homestay is owned by Akash Duggal (Raja Bhai), who has traditionally built the forest park homestay using wood rather than concrete.
Mr Duggal worked with the UN Peacekeeping Force and lived in foreign countries for 20 years before he started his venture at Kalga. He was impressed with those countries’ cleanliness standards, housekeeping, and recycling facilities. With this experience, he started the Forest Park Homestay and recycling campaigns in Kalga, arranging cleaning drives in the whole village and sending the waste to recycling plants in Ludhiana. In the interview with Mountains Are Calling, Mr Duggal said-
Nature has given us everything. The rivers and trees are our living gods. If we conserve them today, our children’s future will be safe and secure. Otherwise, if we are late, we won’t be able to save the future.
Because of this ideology, Duggal developed the Kalga Welfare Association, and in collaboration with the forest department, he planted 1000 trees in 2 hector areas of the Kalga forest.
The Forest Park Homestay is one of the few homestays in Kalga, with an attached bathroom facility available in the rooms on their ground floor. The second story of the wooden building has some family-sized rooms with a common bathroom. Sitting on the balcony of the 1st floor and gazing at the distant valleys and mountains is an exciting pastime at the Forest Park Homestay.
You will get comfortable beds, warm rooms, hot water, delicious food, and a drinking water supply in this homestay. However, the cost of accommodation and food at the Forest Park Homestay is the most expensive in the whole village.
Book A Room At The Forest Park Homestay
- Contact Number: 08894084521
- Official Website: the-forest-park-homestay.business.site
2. Holy Cow Café
This is another 2-storied wooden homestay in Kalga with all basic amenities like a warm bed, hot water, and food. The balcony view from the 1st floor is truly mesmerizing. You can spend your time with your friends and family sitting here and drinking tea or coffee. Holy Cow Café is more budget-friendly than the Forest Park Homestay in terms of food and accommodation. But it does not have any attached bathroom facility.
The pine forest and apple orchards are located nearby the café. So, you can go for a short hike to explore the magic forest to get closer to nature. Because of these facilities and positive vibes, Holy Cow Café is popular with many artists, singers, musicians, and painters. The famous Indian post-rock band ASWEKEEPSEARCHING has an iconic song called “Kalga” dedicated to this beautiful village. The band members even conducted a listening session to their album “Rooh” in Kalga while staying at the Holy Cow Café.
Book A Room At Holy Cow Cafe
- Contact Number: 09717813300
- Email ID: holycowcafeandbeds@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/holycowcafe
3. Gypsy House Café
It is another good homestay at Kalga with cosy accommodations and tasty food. Owned and managed by Ismail from Kerala, Gypsy House Café is a fantastic place to stay. Like Mr Duggal from the Forest Park homestay, Ismail is also a nature-lover and follows eco-friendly sustainable practices at his homestay.
Gypsy House Café houses 120 sq. ft. cottage rooms suitable for two persons. These double-bedded rooms have warm blankets, mattresses, and other basic amenities. The view from the rooms is spectacular. Watch the misty Himalayan mountains surrounded by the mystic forests of Kalga from the rooms at Gypsy House Café.
There are 6 bedrooms with 6 beds, and 3 shared bathrooms (1 Indian, 2 Westerns) that are suitable for a maximum of 15 guests at a time. You have to buy breakfast, lunch, and dinner separately from the room package.
Book A Room At Gypsy House Café: Contact Number: 09816379797
4. Old Brahma Café and Homestay
This is another popular homestay at Kalga village with 6 bedrooms, and 3 shared bathrooms for a maximum of 16 tourists. These rooms offer spectacular mountain and garden views with cosy mattresses, blankets, and warm water. Recently the homestay has also incorporated free WIFI facility for their guests. The accommodation and food are pretty moderately priced. For these advantages, Old Brahma Café and Homestay is a good alternative to the Gypsy House Café.
From the outside, the homestay looks marvellous as sky-piercing snow-capped mountains and apple orchards surround it. You can hike around Kalga village and the nearby forest easily from this homestay. Old Brahma Café and Homestay also arrange trekking to Kheerganga, Bunbuni, and other places in Parvati valley.
Book A Room At Old Brahma Café and Homestay
- Contact Number: 09956904449
- Email ID: oldbrahmahomestay@gmail.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/oldbrahmahomestay
5. Tafreegram
Tafreegram is located on the northeastern side of Kalga village. It is a unique homestay with beautiful wooden rooms and windows to view the surrounding mountains and forests. If you are looking for a cosier homestay with better facilities, Tafreegram is your ideal choice.
This Kalga homestay has four rooms, one restaurant, one shared lounge, and a garden. Unlike any other homestay, Tafreegram’s double bedrooms on the first floor have glass walls supported by wooden structures. You will get a mind-blowing view of Kalga right from the bed.
Tafreegram is very well-maintained with all necessary amenities like a hot water supply, comfortable beds, delicious food, etc. If you are planning for a trek to Kheerganga, you may consider this homestay to be a perfect starting point.
Book A Room At Tafreegram
- Contact Number: 09654837008, 09729515721
- Instagram: instagram.com/tafreegram
Apart from these top five homestays, Sunrise Cafe and Homestay, Evening Star Homestay, Village and Wild Cafe, Kalga Camps, and Pirates of Kalgha are also famous for staying at Kalga village.
Places To Visit Near Kalga Village
- Kasol: It is a hill station in the Parvati Valley of Himachal Pradesh, located 18 Km away from Kalga. Kasol is a popular tourist attraction among native and foreign travellers in India. It is a starting point for travelling to Kalga, Kheerganga, Chalal, Tosh, Malana village, and nearby places.
- Manikaran: Located 5.2 Km from Kasol, Manikaran is famous for its hot spring and Gurudwara. If you are travelling in Parvati Valley, stop by Manikaran for some time to enjoy a hot water bath and delicious meals.
- Kheerganga: Unlike the above places, Kheerganga is located at a higher altitude than Kalga. Among 3 trek routes, trekking to Kheerganga from Kalga involves a 10 Km trail that lies mostly inside the forest. Like Manikaran, Kheerganga also has a hot water spring near the campsite. If you travel to Kalga and love trekking, Kheerganga is a must-visit place.
- Pulga and Tulga Village: These two small villages are located just next to Kalga village. You can easily reach there after a short hike. Known for their organic farms and apple orchards, Pulga and Tulga also offer cheap homestays and food. However, Kalga is better than Pulga or Tulga for better accommodation options due to its wide range of homestays with tourist-friendly facilities.
- Tosh: Surrounded by the Himalayan Mountain Range, Tosh is located just 3.4 Km away from Kalga. Its landscape and ambience are quite similar to that of Kalga. You will find a wide variety of homestays with all basic amenities.
- Nakthan: It is a small village near Kalga, located 5.6 Km away from Tosh. Nakthan lies in the trek route to Kheerganga that meets the Kalga route near Rudranag.
- Rudranag: Like Nakthan, it is also a small village with very limited options for accommodation.
Tips For Visiting Kalga
Frequently Asked Questions
Kalga is a quiet village surrounded by snow-capped Himalayan mountains and dense forests. Home to around 3500 villagers, Kalga is a perfect destination for travellers in Parvati valley with all basic facilities. If you love to stay away from the crowd and spend a couple of days in peace, there is no better option than Kalga.
Both Kalga and Tosh offer fantastic views of snow-clad mountains and greeneries. They both have a wide range of homestays for accommodation and good food. However, we have found Tosh to be a bit crowded compared to Kalga. Also, for the Kheerganga trek, the route via Kalga is preferable to the route via Tosh.
Yes, you will get 2G, 3G, and 4G networks of Jio, Airtel, and BSNL in Kalga. You can even avail “work from home” facility while staying at a homestay in Kalga due to the uninterrupted availability of internet connections.
USER REVIEWS
This article was really helpful!! Thank you Soumya for giving a complete idea about the Kalga village including Transport and Accommodations. Really looking forward for an amazing holiday experience at Kalga!
I’m glad to help you. Have a great trip!