3-Day Jibhi Itinerary

Who this plan suits, and when to go

This plan is for a first trip to Jibhi with three days on the ground. For most people that means an overnight bus from Delhi or Chandigarh on Thursday or Friday night and another one home on the last evening. You get one easy arrival day, one big outdoor day at Jalori Pass and Serolsar Lake, and one flexible day you can shape around your energy and your bus time. You stay in Jibhi throughout, so you only unpack once.

The plan works best from roughly April to June and again from late September to November, when the road over Jalori is usually open and the trail to Serolsar is mostly dry. July and August bring heavy rain, slippery paths and the odd landslide on the hill roads, so keep the bad-weather section below in mind. In winter, snowfall can close Jalori, which changes Day 2 completely. Check the forecast a day or two before you leave, and message the team if you're unsure what the road is doing that week.

Day 1: Arrive, settle in, and catch the sunset

The overnight Volvo usually drops you at Aut early in the morning. From there it's roughly 1 to 1.5 hours to Jibhi by taxi or local bus, so expect to arrive somewhere between mid-morning and lunchtime. After 10 to 12 hours on a bus and the climb into the hills, your body will want a slow day. Have breakfast at the café, take a hot shower, and sleep for a couple of hours if you need to.

In the afternoon, wander the village lanes and the small market to get your bearings. Around 5:30 pm, join the short walk up to the ridge for sunset. It's the easiest way to meet the people you'll be sharing the next couple of days with. In the evening, eat at the café upstairs: dinner isn't included in the room rate, but the kitchen serves food into the evening, and whether you're dining alone or open to company, there's a space for you. On most evenings there's live music or a movie, depending on the season and who's staying, plus a bonfire if the weather allows.

Use the evening to sort out Day 2. Tell the team you're planning Jalori and Serolsar and they'll help you find others heading up the same morning, so you can split a taxi. Lay out your trek clothes before bed, because tomorrow starts early.

Day 2: Jalori Pass and the forest walk to Serolsar Lake

Aim to leave Jibhi by about 7 to 7:30 am. The road climbs through Shoja and on to Jalori Pass, about 12 to 15 km from Jibhi at roughly 3,120 metres. The drive usually takes 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the road. The pass tends to be clearer in the morning and clouds often roll in after midday, so the early start gets you better views as well as more time on the trail.

From the pass, the walk to Serolsar Lake is about 5 km one way, mostly through oak forest, and takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours each way. It's rated easy to moderate: gentle for the most part, with some uneven, rooty stretches. At the end you reach a small lake with the Budhi Nagin temple beside it. Allow 4 to 5 hours from the pass and back, including time at the lake. Raghupur Fort viewpoint is the other popular walk near Jalori, but on a first trip one of the two is plenty. Our Jalori Pass and Serolsar Lake trek guide covers the trail in more detail.

Pack as though you're heading into a colder season, because at 3,120 metres it often feels like one. Even if Jibhi is sunny when you leave, carry a warm layer and a rain jacket. Add shoes with proper grip, sunscreen, a litre or more of water, some snacks and a little cash for chai at the top. On the way back down, stop in Shoja, about 5 km below the pass, for a late lunch or a coffee at The Rustic Café Shoja before the last stretch to Jibhi. You'll be back by mid-to-late afternoon, with time for a hot shower before the evening. Most people are tired enough to turn in early after this day, and that's fine.

Day 3: Waterfall, Chehni Kothi, or a slow morning

How you spend Day 3 depends on your legs and your bus time. The easiest option is Jibhi waterfall, about 1.5 km from The Rustic Jibhi (a 15-minute walk), and it's quieter in the morning. The rocks near the water stay wet and slippery, so wear yesterday's grippy shoes.

To see something older, take a taxi to Chehni Kothi. It's an old multi-storey tower built in the Kathkuni style of layered timber and stone, reached via the Shringa Rishi temple area. It takes most of a day, so it only works if your bus leaves in the evening and you start early, around 8 am. Book the taxi the night before. The Chehni Kothi day trip guide has the route and timings.

The third option is to do very little. Linger over breakfast in the café, catch up on work over the fibre Wi-Fi (with power backup, a power cut won't drop your call), and pack slowly. If you're catching an evening bus from Aut, leave Jibhi by roughly 3 to 4 pm. That covers the 1 to 1.5 hour ride down and leaves a buffer for traffic or a late taxi.

When the weather doesn't cooperate

Mountain forecasts change quickly, so treat Day 2 and Day 3 as interchangeable. If rain is forecast for your Jalori morning, do the waterfall or Chehni Kothi that day and push Jalori to the last morning. Then leave early enough to be back in Jibhi before you head to Aut. If both days look wet, you can still take a taxi up to Shoja for a coffee at our café there and a short forest walk. That gets you into the higher woods without a muddy 10 km round trip.

In winter, snow can close the road at Jalori, sometimes for long stretches. When that happens, taxis can only go as far as the road has been cleared, and the Serolsar walk is off. Build a winter trip around snow views, the village and the evenings instead of the pass, and ask the team about road conditions before you leave Delhi.

Evenings carry on whatever the weather. On most evenings there's live music or a movie, depending on the season and who's staying, so even a rained-out day usually ends in the café with people to talk to. Only the bonfire needs a dry night.

Where to stay, and how Shoja fits in

Stay at The Rustic Jibhi for both nights, so you only unpack once. Dorm beds are ₹600 in the 6-bed mixed dorm and ₹750 in the 4-bed mixed or female-only dorm, and private suites are ₹3,000 a night. Check-in is at 1 pm and check-out at 11 am, so message the team with your arrival time and your bus time and they'll tell you what's possible. Jibhi is the social hub of the valley, so you get the fullest evenings and the most people to team up with for treks.

Shoja fits into Day 2 rather than needing a night of its own. It's 30 to 40 minutes by taxi up the Jalori road, about 5 km below the pass at around 2,700 metres, and The Rustic Café Shoja there makes an easy coffee or lunch stop on the way up or back down. It's noticeably colder than Jibhi, so keep a layer handy. The Jibhi vs Shoja comparison has more on what's up there. Book your Jibhi beds on WhatsApp at +91 83685 59027 for a flat 5% off the online rates.

Getting there and back

From Delhi, the overnight Volvos towards Kullu and Manali drop you at Aut after roughly 10 to 12 hours. From Aut you continue to Jibhi by taxi or local bus in about 1 to 1.5 hours. From Chandigarh you travel on the same highway, so the bus ride is shorter. The return trip works the same way in reverse: an evening bus from Aut gets you to Delhi the next morning. A three-day trip like this one usually means two nights on the bus and two in the mountains.

Book bus seats a few days ahead for long weekends and festival dates, when they fill up fast. Keep a warm layer with you on the bus, since the air-conditioning on overnight Volvos runs cold. Prices and timings last checked in October 2026; they change with season and fuel prices, so confirm with the operator (or HRTC) before you travel. For operators, boarding points and the local bus from Aut, read our guide to reaching Jibhi from Delhi.