Jibhi - A Complete Travel Guide | Solo Backpacking

Jibhi is a marvel tucked in the Tirthan Valley of Himachal Pradesh which is honestly worth a visit all year round. This is my 2nd trip to Jibhi and I'll be honest I might make a 3rd one pretty soon. [UPDATE: I've already made my 3rd trip and might plan a 4th soon]

Anyways, I know you're here to know all about Jibhi, things to do around Jibhi and places to visit. So here's my guide to Jibhi, Himachal Pradesh and everything you need to know before visiting Jibhi no matter what month you plan your trip or how much budget you have decided upon.

How to Reach Jibhi?

I would recommend you start your trip from Delhi. If you live outside of Delhi you can easily get flights or trains from Mumbai, Bangalore or pretty much anywhere in India to Delhi.

Once you're in Delhi it will be a 14-16 hour Journey depending on what means of transport you take. The most common and recommended route is an overnight Volvo Bus journey from Delhi.

Route: Delhi > Aut > Jibhi

While there are many Volvo Buses running from Delhi to Aut. I would recommend HRTC (Himsuta) as they are the most reliable bus service at a reasonable price as it is run by the Government.

If you want some added Luxuries then you can opt for Zingbus or IntrCity Smartbus. Anything other than these operators are a gamble and I wouldn't recommend you go for them no matter how cheap they are.

HRTC Busses run from Kashmere Gate, Delhi (Metro Station Gate No. 7). HRTC busses run from Stand No. 20-22. As for Zingbus or IntrCity Smartbus, they have multiple boarding points that you can choose from. Quick Tip: Prefer to book busses running around 7:00 PM.

Once onboard you have to get down at Aut which is a small town enroute to Manali (While most people would recommend you to get down Before the Aut tunnel, I would say get down after the Aut tunnel).

From Aut you can take a Local bus or a taxi to Jibhi. The Taxi would approximately cost you ₹1500/- or you can get by cheaper in a shared taxi. I personally opt for a local bus every time as they are over 10x cheaper and also give you that "travelling" experience.

If you're lucky you'll get a local bus directly to Jibhi which should cost you around ₹70/- else there are very frequent busses running from Aut to Banjar and then Banjar to Jibhi.

Where to Stay in Jibhi?

You'll find plenty of stay options in Jibhi ranging from hostel dorms to fancy hotels. I'll give you 2 recommendations based on my personal experience.

Stay in Jibhi on a Budget -

Rudrani Stays and Cafe

If you're on a budget but don't want to compromise on comfort then I'd say take a look at Rudrani Stays and Cafe. They offer both dorm style shared room as well as private rooms that will not put a hole in your pocket. I stayed at Rudrani Stays in there 8 bed mixed dormitory for 4 Nights and not once did I have a complain. The owner Srikant is extremely sweet and polite and is always available to assist you in anything. They have common dining area which is nothing short of "Dreamy" with all the colorful furniture and fairy lights. As a bonus they also offer a game room for the days you don't want to go out and just chill at the hotel.

Luxury Stay in Jibhi -

Khwabeeda Stays

My second recommendation for where to stay in Jibhi is at Khwabeeda Stays. This is definitely not a budget hotel and they make sure you feel like you're living in fancy luxury hotel like setting. I stayed at Khwabeeda Stays during my first visit to Jibhi in the month of April (Good Friday Weekend). All their rooms are beautifully built and my personal favorite is the Room 101 which is the perfect room for a family or group of friends. The host Vishakha is also very sweet and treats her guests extremely well and will also give you great recommendations for exploring around Jibhi.

You can book your room at both Rudrani Stays and Khwabeeda Stays via all major hotel booking platforms and I would highly recommend making an advance booking if you plan to visit during peak times.

Where to Eat in Jibhi?

Hot Chocolate at The Earthbag Cafe

Jibhi has become fairly commercialized in the recent years so you'll not find a challenge in finding some nice cafe's to eat at. However, any trip is incomplete without at least some level of café hopping.

If you are anywhere around Old Jibhi you can try the following cafes:

1. (Dessert) The Pink Panther - Must try for some amazing Desserts and Pizzas.

2. (Italian) The Enzo's - Again popular for Italian but you might find a waiting queue typically during busy weekends due to it's popularity.

3. (Budget) The Nature Valley - Great option for your standard Roti Sabzi (Curries and Breads) and also dining here is much more reasonable compared to other places I mentioned so it won't cost you a fortune.

If you're looking for options further up you can try these places:

1. (BOOKS!) Books and Flowers Café - This place has amazing vibes and you can just enjoy reading some of your favorite novels while sipping on a cup of coffee.

2. (Riverside) The Great Escape / Earthbag Cafe - Although it might be hard to find since it's not on the main road but if you want to sit by the river surrounded by nature while you eat something then this is the place to be with it's out door seating (The food however isn't anything to write home about but not bad either).

Important: If you're looking for a local delicacy then do try this dish called Siddu it has a few different variants available: potato filling, walnut filling and even some local herb and spices filling served with hot ghee on top; so pick whichever you like!

Places to Visit Around Jibhi

Jibhi has a lot of places around that you can visit it's only up to you how many can you cover in your trip. Here are some places and activities you can do when you are in Jibhi I personally have visited some of them and others are still on my list so I might end up going to Jibhi a 3rd time.

1. Serolsar Lake (Seruvalsar and Manimahesh Lake)

Serolsar Lake

I did the trek to this lake back when I visited Jibhi in April. It's a fairly simple 5 km trek that starts from Jalori Pass and mostly consists of walking on a flat trail so shouldn't be a challenge even if you haven't trekked previously. An average person can cover this trek in 2-3hrs. I would say though because of the extreme popularity of this spot among travellers, you might not be able to enjoy the serene beauty of the lake and it's surroundings if you go during peak tourist seasons/weekends. You'll also get plenty of options to eat so don't worry about that however, always carry a bottle of water no matter where you go. Do note that the trek remains closed starting from January untill March due to snowfall at Jalori Pass blocking all the paths.

2. Raghupur Fort

I personally haven't gotten the chance to visit Raghupur fort so I'll not tell you anything that I don't know but will try to give you a good idea of what you should expect based on what I've gathered from my research and talking to locals. Just like Serolsar Lake this trek also starts from Jalori Pass so again expect for it to stay closed during the months of January and February. For when it is open though I would highly recommend you to try this trek over Serolsar lake if you're comfortable with some beginner level treks because from what I hear the later part of the trek can get a little challenging compared to Serolsar lake which is mostly walking on a straight path. The trek is 3 km from Jalori pass and expect the last 0.5 - 1 km to be tricky. Unlike Serolsar lake you'll not find options to eat or get drinking water so prepare for those in advance. The fort itself is mostly in ruins but the views and peace from the top is something that will make the whole trek worth it. You can also camp overnight at the top and enjoy both sunset and sunrise views.

3. Chehni Kothi and Shringa Rishi Temple

Chehni Kothi

Chehni Kothi is a piece of art and an architecture marvel if you have the eye for it. The building is an ancient architecture made of only stones and wood. You will have to trek to Chehni Kothi as there is no motorable road available. You can take a local taxi and reach the starting point of the short trek which starts at the steps to Shringa Rishi Temple. Now from here you can choose to trek to Shringa Rishi Temple and then from there to Chehni Kothi or continue to drive further up till the last motorable point from where there's not much walking to be done. I'd personally recommend you to start at the steps going to Shringa Rishi temple. Up untill the temple, the trek mostly consists of steps that you can climb easily if you have good stamina. Once you reach the temple, you can sit outside or pay your respects to the deity. You will get drinking water here so make sure to fill up your water bottles for the second half of the trek. The way from the temple to Chehni Kothi consists of a mix of mostly steep and narrow mountain track surrounded by trees don't hesitate to keep a slow but steady pace and you will reach the top for sure. You'll find some amazing views from the top and throughout your hike so make sure to bring back some memories in the form of photos.

4. Bahu Village and Shesh Nag Temple

Bahu Village is another place that the locals recommend and I couldn't visit due to it being a good 9 kms away from Jibhi. However, if you are a group of friends then you can definitely do a cab from Jibhi and experience Bahu Village and also trek to Shesh Nag temple for some amazing views and picturesque scenes.

5. Jibhi Waterfall

Jibhi Waterfall

In a classic fashion every place has a most touristy spot that is so commercial that you might almost want to avoid it but at the same time it would be stupid to come all the way and miss out on the most generic spot of your trip. Jibhi Waterfalls is that generic tourist spot for Jibhi. The best thing about this place is that it has an entry ticket and that's exactly why it is well maintained. The waterfall itself is not mind blowing but yes it's beautiful none the less, nature is always pretty if you just let yourself absorb it's beauty. The short walk to the waterfall is also full of greenery and small bridges that make for amazing picture spots. As a disclaimer do be prepared to always witness tourists at the waterfall due to it's popularity and accessibility.

6. Mini Thailand

Mini Thailand

Mini Thailand is another popular spot among tourists so good luck trying to get some peaceful time here if you are visiting in peak touristy season. The spot itself doesn't have a lot to do, it has this pretty rock formation where you can get some photos and then you can either sit by the river or take a dip in the cool water on a warm sunny afternoon. None the less just like Jibhi waterfall I'd say you'll find a lot of tourists and very little peace so if you are in Jibhi for a very short stay you can skip this spot.

7. Local Jibhi Exploration

What most people would not tell you is to just explore Jibhi on foot because you never know when you might encounter a pretty location to just sit and relax or watch a sunset from.

A few spots form my local exploration along with their location are:

• Shesh Nag Maharaj Temple in Jibhi (Location)

• Sitting by the River next to pedestrian bridge (Location)

• Another spot by the river in the middle of nowhere (Location)
  

Closing Thoughts

From a solo traveller's perspective, Jibhi is safe and easy to explore with a decent amount of connectivity. If you're on a budget you will find local busses, some budget restaurants and many budget stay options. Also, not to mention that locals are very helpful as always but always keep your guard high because as places like these become more commercialized, more people will try to sell you stuff and ideas that you might not really need. To sum it all up I can most comfortably say that I absolutely adore Jibhi but my love for the mountains may act as a bias. However, biased or not you should definitely visit Jibhi while it still preserves it's raw off-beat beauty. *Feel free to drop comments/questions if you need any sort of help or information about your travel plans. I'll try to help you out to the best of my knowledge*