Things to do in Kullu
Things to do in Kullu
Kullu, nestled in the wide Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh along the Beas River, is renowned as the "Valley of the Gods" for the hundreds of ancient temples that dot its landscape. The town comes alive every October during the world-famous Kullu Dussehra festival, when thousands of local deities are brought in procession to the Dhalpur Maidan. Kullu is also a gateway to adventure activities like river rafting, paragliding, and trout fishing, making it a vibrant complement to the nearby resort town of Manali.
- No photoAdventure / Water SportsView full guide
2–3 hours
River Rafting
Raft through the roaring rapids of the Beas River between Pirdi and Jhiri on one of Himachal's most exciting white-water runs — a 14 km stretch featuring Grade III–IV rapids through dramatic gorges. This route is considered more challenging than Rishikesh's rafting.
- No photoTrekking / WildlifeView full guide
1 to 7 days
Trekking
Trek into the Great Himalayan National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site) — one of India's most biodiverse wilderness areas with routes through dense temperate forests and alpine meadows visiting the Tirthan Valley, Sainj Valley, and the Rakchham area, home to the elusive western tragopan pheasant.
- No photoSpiritual / CulturalView full guide
Half to full day
Temple Visits
Kullu Valley is dotted with ancient temples — climb to Bijli Mahadev Temple (2,460 m) atop Bhagalog mountain via a 3 km trek for spectacular valley views and lightning-struck lingams, visit Raghunath Temple in Kullu town (centre of the famous Kullu Dussehra), and the ancient Shringi Rishi temple.
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20–40 minutes of flight
Paragliding
Soar over the Kullu Valley from Dobhi launch site with panoramic views of the Beas River snaking below and snow-capped peaks above. Kullu's paragliding is less commercial than Bir Billing (50 km away — the paragliding capital of India) but equally scenic.
- No photoNature / AdventureView full guide
1–2 nights
Camping
Camp by the Beas River in apple orchard settings at Katrain or Naggar, or head deeper into the Tirthan Valley for pristine riverside camping beside crystal-clear trout streams far from commercial tourist crowds.
- No photoWildlifeView full guide
Full day
National Park Safari
Enter Great Himalayan National Park on a guided wildlife tour seeking Himalayan brown bear, snow leopard, Himalayan tahr, monal pheasant, and the rare western tragopan (Himachal Pradesh's state bird) through the temperate and sub-alpine forest zones of the Tirthan and Sainj valleys.