A quick guide to the Great Himalayan National Park

The Great Himalayan National Park is set amid the snow-capped Himalayas, and serves as a rich habitat for alpine flora and fauna. Situated in the Kullu region, it was declared a national park in 1999.

It is blessed with more than 375 fauna species, including 181 species of birds, and 31 species of mammals, and a visit to this place is no less than enriching. Some of the wildlife that you can easily spot here include blue sheep, snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan tahr, and more.
Sitting at a high altitude, this place is encircled by Pin Valley National Park, Rupi Bhaba Sanctuary, and Kanwar Wildlife Sanctuary. This means you can visit quite a few other places here. Spread across a sprawling 754 sq km area, around 256 sq km of land was delineated in 1994 from the park area and labelled as buffer zone or ecozone.

Plus, you will be surprised to note that the ecozone of the Great Himalayan National Park consists of 160 villages.

Best time to visit Great Himalayan National Park

For best experience and to behold the best of flora and fauna, March to June and mid-September to November are the preferred time to visit. Try to avoid winter months, due to extremely cold and chilly weather here, along with snowfall. Also, it’s advised to avoid the monsoon season, from July to early September.

How to reach Great Himalayan National Park?

By Air: The nearest airport will be Bhuntar in Kullu, and there are regular flights from Delhi to this airport.
By Rail: Joginder Nagar will be the nearest railhead to Great Himalayan National Park. You will find frequent trains plying between Chandigarh to Joginder Nagar.
By Road: From Kullu, you can take the route from Shangarh in Sainj Valley to reach the park gate.

Entry permit

Entrance to this park is strictly by permit, and can be acquired from head office at Shamshi and zonal offices at Shairopa and Ropa.