Tosh Himachal – Exploring the Last Hippie Village in Parvati valley

Everyone wants Peace! Who doesn’t want to run away from the city life and spend a day or two in peace with a cold surrounding having magnificent and breathtaking mountain views?  

Well, I was also planning for such a trip with my friends to elope. Somebody told me about Kasol and Tosh trek. Hearing so much about this place, I always wanted to experience the Hippie culture. Tosh, a village lying at the height of approx 7900 feet on top of a hill surrounded by mountains from all the sides offers some breathtaking views of the Parvati Valley is a place worth visiting!  

As I was on a weekend trip. I planned my stay in Kasol and explored the places around. There are many homestays at tosh you can choose from, and they are very pocket-friendly. As Kasol is becoming well known among travellers and becoming crowded, tosh attracts more attention for people who are seeking a less crowded place to spend quality time surrounded by ice-capped mountains. 

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!!! 

While we were trekking we came across a beautiful waterfall. And to my surpirse there was nobody else except my group. It felt like I got my personal waterfall to sit around and chill. As one would strolled along the narrow lanes of the village. They can easily identify beautifully synched two contrary side of civilization. There are limited smoke joints, food joints and tea stalls in the village. You may find it difficult to get typical Indian meal but will definitely get Israeli food everywhere in the village. 

Food in the village is served in the local cafes and stalls. Pizza, omelets’, toast are few of the easily accessible things in the village. Maggie can also be another great option for a budget bag packer. I ordered a chocolate shake after the trek and it was refreshing.  

Carry enough amount of cash because the ATMs were out of cash most of the time and the stalls and restaurants were not accepting digital payments. 

How to Reach Tosh Village 

My group & I started our journey from Delhi. Volvo is the best option which starts from Kashmiri Gate in Delhi to Manali in Himachal Pradesh. Don’t head to Manali in the Volvo. Get down in the place named as Bhuntar from where you will head to Kasol. Then we take a bus from Bhuntar to Kasol which run at regular interval one after another. After Kasol you need to head toward Manikaran and then toward Barsheni and then finally toward your destination Tosh. 

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. 

The main occupation of the people in Parvati valley is the production of Hashish. May that place be Kasol, Malana, Tosh, Pulga or any other village. Apple orchards are also a big source of income for the local people. Wooden houses in the village are excellent example of architecture of Mountain people. 

I would say Tosh is very calm and soothing- definitely less crowded than Kasol. Tosh is one of the most beautiful village in Parvati valley. If you guys are planning a trip to Kasol then Tosh should always be on your wish list.