Great Himalayan National Park GHNP

The Great Himalayan National Park is located in the Western Himalayas, close to Kullu and Manali in Himachal Pradesh. GHNP is part of the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The region is of great interest to conservationists and naturalists because of its value as a biodiversity hotspot and for the rare, endemic, and endangered birds and animals found in the Great Himalayan National Park.

GHNP offers an exciting and memorable experience for trekkers, hikers, campers, and bird/wildlife enthusiasts with stunning vistas of the lush Himalayan mountains and some of the best Himalayan treks. Visitors also have the opportunity to witness local traditions, culture, and life in the Himalayan villages in the Ecozone.

Trekking is the only way to enjoy and explore the Great Himalayan National Park. There are several trekking and hiking routes in the Great Himalayan National Park. A short 2 day trek is a gentle introduction to the park. Longer treks of upto 9 days take you deep into the heart of the park to the source of rivers.

Himalayan Ecotourism takes you for amazing treks in the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). Your trekking crew are members of the local cooperative that we have encouraged and supported from its creation. Your visit actually supports conservation of the Great Himalayan National Park.

Since its inception in April 2014, Himalayan Ecotourism has been operating towards the preservation of the Himalayan ecosystem by engaging the local community in managing their invaluable resources.

For non-trekkers who want to enjoy the experience of camping in the Himalayas we also offer "Night under the stars" in the ecozone of the GHNP.

For adventure seekers we offer activities like rappelling, river crossing, rock climbing and fishing!

Himalayan Ecotourism also organizes exploration tours around the Great Himalayan National Park specially designed for birdwatchers and for people interested in the rich traditions and culture of the Himalayas.

The creation of GHNPCA also saw the creation of the Ecozone, which acts as a buffer zone between the Park and the rest of the region. It is a designated area of 5km radius around the Park where the villages are located.

The majority of inhabitants of the Ecozone are agriculturalists. They are almost self-sufficient for their own subsistence. They grow wheat, corn, rajma, and many vegetables and spices. They also grow fruits that are sold to larger markets in India. The region is known for its apples and apricots.

Many of the villagers have large herds of sheep and goats, which are used for wool and meat. Goats are often offered to the local Devatas (gods) on special occasions.

Since the creation of GHNP, the local community’s access to the Park has been prohibited. The Park used to be an important source of livelihood for local communities where they collected medicinal plants and wood and grazed their cattle. Hence, the creation of the Park resulted in an important loss of income for the local community, which is being addressed through various initiatives.

Efforts are underway to protect the local culture and traditional livelihood with emphasis on the development of the villages. The local communities are also encouraged to participate actively in the conservation and protection of the Park.

Himalayan Ecotourism is facilitating the creation and implementation of alternative sources of income to secure the welfare of the locals while also protecting the Park.

We work closely with the local communities to economically empower them through sustainable development models such as the cooperative that operates the treks in the Himalayas, camping, and adventure activities in the Great Himalayan National Park.
Read more about our work here.

The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) is a World Heritage Site (WHS).

The Ecozone is the buffer zone between the Park and the rest of the region. It comprises villages and lands within a 5km radius around the Park. Villages located in the Ecozone are supposed to be closely associated to the protection of the park. Their culture and traditional livelihood have to be protected and a special emphasis is normally given to the development of the villages.

The majority of inhabitants of the Ecozone are agriculturalists ; they are almost self-sufficient for their own subsistence. They grow wheat, corn, rajma, (organic beans) and many vegetables and spices. They also grow fruits that are sold to larger markets in India. The region is well known for its apples and apricots.

Many of the villagers have large herds of sheep and goats. Both are used for wool and for their meat. Goats are often offered to the local Devatas (gods) on special occasions and also served as one of all-time-favourite delicacies of the region.

Since the creation of the Great Himalayan National Park, local community’s access to the Park has been prohibited. The park used to be an important source of livelihood for local communities be it by collecting medicinal plants, wood, or grazing their cattle.

Hence creation of the Park resulted in an important loss of income for the local community. Himalayan Ecotourism social and environmental objectives aim at facilitating availability of alternative sources of income so that welfare of the locals and protection of the Park are ensured.

The GHNP and the Tirthan Valley Ecozone are a hub of biodiversity. It only takes a glance to spot exceptional species of birds. The more patient and experienced naturalists can see the rare and ‘difficult-to-spot’ mammals. Many are on the Red List of threatened species. The process of conservation of these species by the Park is essential to their survival.

A trekker must respect the environment he travels in. The main cause of extinction of animal and plant species is the destruction of the ecosystems. The GHNP and the Ecozone community are dedicated to protect and manage these exceptional natural environments.

Best time to visit Great Himalayan National Park GHNP is April, May, June, and then October and November.

Avoid the monsoon between July and August as it rains a lot and the paths become slippery and there are chances of landslides.

Avoid the winter months of December to March. GHNP receives heavy snowfall in winter.

The ecozone of the Great Himalayan National Park is just 1 hour off the main Delhi-Kullu-Manali road. There are regular overnight Volvo buses from Delhi and Chandigarh to Kullu and Manali.

Inform the conductor of the bus that you need to be dropped at Aut town just after the tunnel. We can arrange a taxi to pick you up from Aut from where it is 1.5 hours to Gushaini - the main starting point for treks to the Great Himalayan National Park.

See next section for more information and maps for getting to GHNP.

Apart from the sublime beauty of the Himalayan mountain range that the Great Himalayan National Park is famous for, you will encounter an array of flora including medicinal plants such as henbane and purple Jerusalem sage while trekking in GHNP. The vegetation varies based on the altitude and includes forests with pine, deodar, oak, and horse chestnut trees as well as sprawling alpine meadows. The flora of GHNP also comprises rhododendrons, fungi, and shrubs.

The Great Himalayan National Park is home to over 31 species of mammals, 209 species of birds, and a variety of invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles! This abundance of wildlife is because of the different ecosystems that fall within the protected area and that are located at different altitudes ranging from 1800m to above 6000m.

The mountains are home to the Himalayan Black Bear, the Himalayan Tahr, the Himalayan Brown Bear, and the Phantom of the Mountains—the Snow Leopard. Himachal Pradesh’s state bird Western Tragopan, or Jujurana, which is an elusive and endangered species, is found in these forests. There are other pheasants too such as the monal, koklass, white-crested kajeel, and cheer pheasant.

Birders have the opportunity to spot a variety of other birds of the Himalayas here, which includes the:

• Long-tailed Minivets,
• Yellow-bellied Fantails,
• Wallcreepers,
• White-collared and Gray-winged blackbirds,
• variegated laughing thrush,
• Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler,
• Spectacled Finch and Golden Bush Robin,
• Blue-capped Redstart,
• Black-throated Thrush,
• Black-throated Accentor,
• Little Forktail,
• Crested Kingfisher,
• Blue Whistling Thrush,
• Yellow-billed Magpie,
• Greyheaded and Black-crowned flycatcher-warblers,
• Bar-tailed Treecreeper,
• Lammergeiers,
• Himalayan Griffon Vultures
• Golden Eagles.

While in the Great Himalayan National Park, you can only stay in tents as there are no guest houses, hotels, or forest rest houses within the Park premises.

During all our treks (and when camping), you will be sleeping in imported, light-weight European tents with sleeping mats and sleeping bags. The equipment is secure and comfortable and built for even harsh weather conditions. The tents are carried by our porters who are part of the staff that accompanies all treks.

Before or after your trek in GHNP, you can find accommodation outside the Park. You have a choice of homestays and guesthouses in the region. With the recent development (post-COVID) that have happened in the Tirthan valley, you can also find hotels in the vicinity of the Park.

The GHNP office in Sai Ropa, Tirthan Valley, has a government-managed guesthouse with a couple of rooms and a dormitory. It is only 15 minutes away from the start of the trek in Gushaini.

We can arrange your stay at guesthouses or homestays at the start and end of the trek depending on your preference and budget. The budget could range from INR 1,500 to INR 12,000 for a double occupancy room.

For accommodation in Great Himalayan National Park : a list of local homestays.

Great Himalayan National Park map is shown below. It shows the main trek trails in the Great Himalayan National Park.