Finding a perfect winter place could be difficult due to excessive traffic and footfall. A similar thing happened when I looked for places to enjoy the fresh snow. The option on Google was limited to what people prefer. After some deep research, I discovered Sethan Village, a perfect escape with beauty for winter. Sethan is a village in Hamta Valley near Manali, Himachal Pradesh. Though, this village is ideal for all thrill seekers and snow lovers.
I spent three days in this village. Each day was a new surprise for me with the different serene beauty of nature. The village has limited stays and cafes to chill. However, all the available ones are just perfect to witness the beauty of this village.
This is just a short brief about Sethan, there are a few major attractions in the village near Manali that make it a great option for all travellers. Below, I have shared a brief about all the attractions. To know more about them, please reach out to me on Instagram.
Major Attractions in Sethan Village, Manali
This small Igloo village near Manali offers some of the best things that you can choose to experience when in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. Most of the people travelling to Manali are unaware of this amazing village. So to help you with a complete guide for Sethan Village near Manali here is the list of things that you can add to your itinerary and explore the winter wonderland of Himachal Pradesh.
Amazing Stay options
To explore the beauty of snow-covered mountains, the best place would be your stay as you can get cosy and witness the beauty of nature. Sethan being a small village has limited stay options. However, out of the limited ones, there are some of the best to choose from. This village is also known as the Igloo Village of India because India’s first Igloo was created in Sethan by a resident. So to start with let’s take a look at Igloo Stays in Sethan.
Igloo Stays
Igloo as the name suggests makes it exciting for any traveller to witness and experience the life of our ancestors. It is one of the best experiences to stay in an Igloo in a tropical country. Though, the Igloo stays are available for 2-3 months depending on the weather and climate change the time can vary. The best time to experience Igloo stays in Sethan is during peak winters.
We went and experienced an Igloo in the ending days, which is why you can see the shape of the Igloo was disfigured. It had already started to melt and to prevent that additional snow was added on top of it. To witness a proper Igloo, visit during the peak winters and enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Igloo has been the major reason behind the popularity of this village which is why there are many Igloo stays available in Sethan Village. Though, the average cost of the igloo is around 4-5k per night. Now based on the demand and additional offerings, the price can fluctuate.
Sharing our experience: We stayed for one night and it cost us 4.5K including breakfast and other snow activities, which was a decent price to pay. To know more and book at a cheap rate, you can reach out to me on Instagram.
One Igloo has ample space for two people. Unlike other stay options, don’t expect much as this would be a basic yet exciting experience for a traveller. You get sleeping bags to sleep on the hard snow and a small bulb to help you find your things in the igloo. Rest everything is just snow, nothing else. There are lavish Igloo’s as well, but the more you expect, the more you have to pay for it.
Dome Stays
One of the best yet not-so-budget-friendly stay options is the Dome Stays in Sethan, Manali. These beautifully designed domes are perfect to witness the sunset from your bed. Located on the edge of the hill it offers an endless sight filled with mountains and sky.
The Dome culture in Sethan is growing and now there are approximately 8-9 Domes available. Though as mentioned in the beginning it is not budget-friendly. One night stay at the Dome would cost 9k.
The view from the Dome is worth more than 9K, so you can consider staying one night in Domes and experiencing the best view of your lifetime from your bed.
The dome culture was adopted by foreign nationals and it is no less than staying in a 5-star hotel. Special mention: You will get a cosy electrically heated bedsheet that will help you survive the negative temperature during the night.
Budget-Friendly Stay (Home Stays)
Apart from the costly stays, there are other budget-friendly options available as well for backpackers. These stays would offer a great view from the window, though would not be as great as the Dome or the Igloo in terms of the experience.
Home Stays in Sethan would cost around 1500-3000 depending on the location and demand.
For all stay options, it is advised to book in advance as the rates shoot up quickly. As the name suggests, there are a few pretty decent stays, while others are just average. However, based on the availability you can choose at your convenience.
Treks
Apart from the peaceful environment, serene landscape and amazing stays, the village offers some great offbeat treks with the bare minimum of humans. The best part about this village is that it is tough to reach in winter, which makes it even more adventurous for travellers.
To enjoy the small trek, you would need a guide with you who can help you with the right location and places where you can experience other snow activities. I have shared the list of activities in the next point.
Apart from the offbeat treks during the winters, the Hampta Pass trek also starts from Sethan Village. So if you are planning for the Hampta Pass Trek, then you can consider adding Sethan to the itinerary.
Adventure Activities
Next up on the list is what every traveller looks out for i.e., adventure activities. Unlike other small villages, Sethan can be great for adventure seekers. Some of the best activities to try when in Sethan are:
- Skiing and Snowboarding- These two are the most common adventure activities in Sethan Village, Manali. You will find every guide offering you these activities as an add-on or special service. However, I would recommend you first check the location and then proceed with the booking. We have seen many people getting trapped by paying in advance and then regretting their decision.
Most of these guides take you to the most common and crowded places where instead of fresh snow you get hard snow which is not ideal for these activities. Apart from the snow, the excess crowd makes it even tougher to get through a long patch.
Apart from Skiing and Snowboarding, you can try the following activities as per your fitness levels and interests. - Bouldering
- Tube Sliding
- Snow Boarding
- 4X4 Gypsy extreme ride in the snow
- Ziplining
Food and view
Last on the list are the cafes in Sethan. Without food, the list would be incomplete and not adding the cosy cafes of Sethan would do injustice to the place. There are many cafes in the village, though I would highly recommend the Italian Pizza one.
The cafe offers authentic Pizza, and finding such great taste at a high altitude is tough. Apart from this, other cafes are good too. You can choose to visit them based on your itinerary and food preferences.
The best part about the cafes in Sethan is that most of them are on the edge of the mountain which offers great views. Food and view, what else is required for a getaway?
Now that you know most of the things about this village, let’s check how you can reach the village.
How to reach Sethan from Manali?
Sethan is 45 min drive from Manali. However, the drive is not easy as the road is single-lane and filled with slush/ snow on the curves. To reach Sethan from Manali, you can rent a taxi, it would roughly take 1000 rupees to drop you off. Apart from this, if you have booked your stay in advance, you can ask them to pick you up from Manali.
If travelling in your vehicle, I would recommend you to have a decent experience of hilly areas as it can get very risky during rain and snow.
Additionally, a permit is also required to reach the village. Local taxis have that permit so you don’t have to worry in that case. However, if you are travelling with your own vehicle, understand the procedure beforehand.
Conclusion on the complete guide
If you are planning to visit a place where you can witness the real beauty of winter with peace, then there is no better place than Sethan Village. There might be other places that would offer similar or better landscapes, but the ease of reaching Sethan and unique stay options make it top the list of best places to visit in winter.
I would highly recommend every traveller to visit Sethan Village whenever planning for Manali. If you want to explore more unseen places, read the travel blog.
I hope this blog has helped you in finding another gem in Himachal Pradesh for your next visit. If you still have any doubts, please drop them in the comments section below. I will try to clarify all of them. Thanks for reading!