Tirthan is the quieter alternative to Parvati, an hour and a half south of Kullu by road. The valley is the buffer zone for the Great Himalayan National Park, so big-resort development has been kept out and the villages still feel like working communities of stone-and-slate houses among apple orchards.
Trout fishing on the Tirthan (March to October) is the main draw. Several family-run homestays along the road can arrange permits and equipment. Walks from the village of Gushaini take you straight into the national park.