Basohli itinerary

Plan 01

1 day in Basohli

1. 01

   Day 1: Palace, painter and reservoir

   Visit the ruined fort-palace and Neelkantha Mahadev temple in the morning. Spend the late morning with a painter in town and have lunch locally. In the afternoon, drive to a viewpoint on the Ranjit Sagar reservoir and return before dusk.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Ranjit Sagar Reservoir	1 to 2 hours	Easy	October to March for clear views; monsoon brings high water

   Pace: All the stops today are easy on the legs.

Plan 02

2 days in Basohli

1. 01

   Day 1: The old town

   Walk through the palace ruins and the temple, then visit a painter's studio. End with an evening stroll through the lanes.

2. 02

   Day 2: Water and ridge

   Drive to the Ranjit Sagar reservoir in the morning. Spend the afternoon on a hill drive towards Sanan Ghat and Dhar Mahanpur if time and roads allow.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Ranjit Sagar Reservoir	1 to 2 hours	Easy	October to March for clear views; monsoon brings high water

   Pace: All the stops today are easy on the legs.

Plan 03

3 days in Basohli

1. 01

   Day 1: Fort and temple

   Spend the morning at the fort-palace and the Neelkantha temple and the afternoon walking the old lanes.

2. 02

   Day 2: Painting and crafts

   Visit painters' studios and look for Basohli pashmina in local shops.

3. 03

   Day 3: Reservoir and ridge

   Visit the Ranjit Sagar reservoir and, with a driver, the hill road to Sanan Ghat and Dhar Mahanpur.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Ranjit Sagar Reservoir	1 to 2 hours	Easy	October to March for clear views; monsoon brings high water

   Pace: All the stops today are easy on the legs.

Read before you go

Guides for the stops on these routes

Pacing

Pacing a Basohli trip for parents and children

• Hire a car; the town's lanes and the palace ruins are uphill and uneven.
• Plan a rest after the palace visit; there is little seating on site.
• Carry water, a hat and any medicines, as services are thin.
• Avoid summer afternoons, when the Shivalik hills are hot.
• Keep photo ID with you, as checks can occur on roads in border districts.
• Ask for studio visits to be arranged ahead so you are not walking around in search of one.

Basohli with elderly parents: the full guide →