The Parvati Valley has no shortage of great treks, hikes and hilltop villages to spend a few days. But unlike the more popular towns of Tosh and Kasol, Kutla is still almost untouched by tourism. During our 2 weeks discovering the Parvati Valley we found no calmer and more peaceful place than Kutla. In our opinion it is the most authentic place to spend a few days in the mountains in the Parvati valley. Disconnected from the outside world, no phone signal, and intermittent electricity, Kutla offers incredible snow capped mountain views, peace and most importantly quiet! This is our full guide on how to trek to Kutla, where to stay, and what to do when you’re there!
Where is Kutla village
Kutla is a small village of around 10 people, nestled high up in the Parvati Valley above the town of Tosh, in the Indian province of Himachal Pradesh. Kutla has no roads, no cars and no motorbikes. Only reachable by foot, most people don’t make the trek to Kutla from Tosh, meaning the difference between Tosh and Kutla is night and day. Tosh is full of tourists at all times of the year, bringing all the issues that mass tourism brings with them. A constant stream of taxis, trash and noise makes Tosh, in our opinion, not a very relaxing place to be anymore! Kutla is the complete opposite, and everything you would expect from a remote mountain village. Peace, quiet and tranquillity!
How to reach Kutla
The starting point of the trek to Kutla is the town of Tosh. Tosh is situated at the far end of the Parvati Valley, around a 1 hour drive from the backpacker hub of Kasol. As of 2024, no buses go past the town of Manikaran, so you will have to either take private transport to Tosh, or do what we did and try hitchhiking!
Once you reach the town of Tosh you continue trekking up and through the town, following signs to “Tosh waterfall”. At the edge of Tosh, on the main path out of the village, you will pass StoneAge Cafe. This means you’re heading in the right direction! After around 30-60 minutes (depending on your fitness) and 2 kilometres of relatively steep incline, you will reach Tosh Waterfall. There are a number of cafes here where you can grab a chai and rest your legs for a while before completing the final ascent.
From Tosh waterfall, it is another 2 kilometres of distance up very steep paths to get to Kutla. Follow signs for Kutla and if you aren’t sure where you’re headed, ask a local! Depending on your speed and fitness, this part of the trek will take around 1 hour to complete, but take it as slow as you need to as the destination is worth it! Once you reach the fallen tree with the flags wrapped around it, you’ve made it to Kutla!
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Where to stay in Kutla village
The accommodations in Kutla are spread out over elevations. In our opinion, once you arrive, the best thing to do is continue hiking to the far end of Kutla at the highest point. This will take another 20 minutes or so of trekking uphill but the views from the accommodations are the best in the village!
Once arriving at the base of Kutla, you will see Kutla Cafe directly in front of you. Following the path to the right of the cafe you continue walking onwards and upwards. There are a number of cheap homestays in this part of Kutla where you can book a room for around 1000 rupees (10 euros) per night. Olive Garden Kutla and Nomads Kutla offer basic and clean rooms.
Continuing up the hill towards the campsites at the top end of town is where the best places to stay with the best views are! We stayed in Singing Woods Campsite and Cabins. They have very comfortable tents for 1000 rupees (10 euros) per night, and luxury cabins! The cabins are really something special, and well worth the price tag of 2500 rupees (25 euros) per night in our opinion! They have electric heaters, hot water for a shower and incredible views of the snow capped mountains!
What to do in Kutla: 3 treks further into the valley
Once you are in Kutla, there are a number of treks to do in the area of varying lengths and difficulties.
1. Explore the “Jurassic Park” trekking area
About a 30 minute walk further along the river from Kutla takes you to the Jurassic Park meadow. I’m not sure how this area got its name, but it is a large, flat open field area full of large boulders and wild flowers. In the peak of summer this area is used as a campsite by those willing to make the trek up here. There is also a small hut here offering drinks and snacks to those trekking in the area, but it doesn’t seem to be open all the time.
2. Trek to Kutla Glacier Point
An additional 20 minutes walking from Jurassic Park will take you to the Kutla Glacier Point. Not a traditional glacier in the sense, although it looks a lot like it. The Kutla Glacier Point is actually an “Ice tongue”, which is a trail of ice descending from the base of a glacier.
This spot is very peaceful and quiet, and you can spend some time sitting by the river watching the roaring water go by. If you feel confident, you can dip your toes into the river, but be warned, it’s extremely cold! Made up of glacial meltwater, it will likely make your feet cramp up instantly!
Note: As with all rivers, exercise caution when climbing down to the river bank. The river is strong and you don’t want to be accidentally dragged into its current and swept downstream!
3. Go on a multi day trek through the Sara Umga Pass to Spiti Valley (only possible in summer)
One of the most adventurous and difficult hikes in the area is the multi day trek over the Sara Umga Pass. This trek takes 4 days and connects the Parvati Valley to the Spiti Valley. You will hike up to elevations of 4,700 meters (15,500 feet) so this trek is only to be undertaken as part of a guided tour with trained professionals. You can view more details about this trek here.
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When to visit Kutla: The best time of year
✅ The best time of year to visit Kutla is between the summer months of April to October. Temperatures will be pleasant and Kutla will most likely not be covered in snow, making the trek up there much easier! July and September are often considered the monsoon months, but planning your trip around the heavy rainfall is doable.
❌ The cold of the winter months between November and March make Kutla much more difficult to visit. There will likely be snow covering the village, and most of the homestays will be closed. Furthermore, any hikes further into the valley from Kutla will be out of the question due to the cold and altitude.
What to do next?
After your descent back to Tosh, it’s time to plan your next Himachal Pradesh trek! Spend a night in a hotel in Tosh for a hot shower and to regain some energy and you’ll be ready to head out again into the mountains. Check out our other guides on the remote villages of Grahan and Rasol for some ideas.
Hotels in Tosh View all
Need to know! Your FAQs about Kutla answered
The distance from Tosh to Kutla is around 3.5 kilometers, with around 350 meters of vertical elevation.
Kutla sits at 2,750 meters above sea level (around 9,000 feet).
Tosh sits at 2,400 metres above sea level (around 7,900 feet).
From Kasol you can first take a bus to the next town of Manikaran. From Manikaran it is around 15 kilometers, roughly 1 hour to reach Tosh. As there are no buses from Manikaran further into the valley, you will have to take a private taxi, or do what we did and try hitchhiking!
From Barshaini it will take around an 1 – 1.5 hours to trek up to Tosh. It is a distance of 4 kilometers and around 300 meters of vertical elevation. You can take a taxi up from Barshaini to Tosh but it will be a little expensive.
Like our guide on trekking to Kutla? Why not drop us a comment below! If you’ve been to Kutla, or are planning your own trekking holiday in the Parvati Valley, we’d love to hear about it!
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