Known as the Queen of Chhotanagpur Plateau, Netarhat is the most beautiful hill station in Jharkhand and one of eastern India's most travel destinations in Jharkhand. Surrounded by dense forests, rolling hills, waterfalls, pine trees, and breathtaking sunrise and sunset viewpoints, Netarhat offers the perfect escape for nature lovers, photographers, couples, families, and road-trip enthusiasts.
Located in the Latehar district of Jharkhand, around 156 km from Ranchi, Netarhat is famous for its pleasant weather throughout the year, scenic mountain roads, Magnolia Sunset Point, Koel View Point, Lodh Falls, Ghaghri Waterfalls, and peaceful surroundings. Unlike crowded hill stations, Netarhat still retains its untouched charm, making it one of the best offbeat destinations in India.
If you're planning a Jharkhand tour, this complete Netarhat travel guide covers everything you need to know, including:
- How to reach Netarhat
- Ranchi to Netarhat road trip
- Best time to visit Netarhat
- Places to visit in Netarhat
- Netarhat sightseeing itinerary
- Hotels and resorts
- Sunrise and sunset viewpoints
- Local food
- Travel tips
- Budget for a Netarhat trip
Whether you're planning a weekend getaway from Ranchi or a longer Jharkhand itinerary, Netarhat deserves a place at the top of your travel list.
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How to Reach Netarhat
Netarhat is well connected by road from Ranchi and is one of the most scenic road trips in Jharkhand.
- Ranchi to Netarhat Distance: Approximately 156 km
- Travel Time: 4–5 hours by road
- Nearest Airport: Ranchi (Birsa Munda Airport)
- Nearest Railway Station: Ranchi Junction
After reaching Ranchi by train or flight, you can hire a taxi or self-drive to Netarhat. The journey itself is one of the highlights of the trip, passing through forests, winding mountain roads, villages, and spectacular viewpoints.
Our Netarhat journey began from Kolkata aboard the Kriya Yoga Express from Howrah. After reaching Ranchi early the next morning, we hired a car and started our scenic drive towards Netarhat. Along the way, lush forests, small villages, and picturesque landscapes made the drive every bit as memorable as the destination itself.
One of the first landmarks welcoming visitors is the Netarhat Gate, situated amidst dense forests. It marks the beginning of an unforgettable experience in one of the finest hill stations of eastern India.
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Where to Stay in Netarhat
Netarhat, one of the most serene hill stations in Jharkhand, India, offers a range of lodging options. There are quite a few Netarhat hotels, which can be booked over the internet. If you're engaging in Netarhat hotel booking, you can find them in a wide range of prices. While there might not be any luxury hotel in Netarhat hill station, the few options available there are quite decent. Besides, you can also opt for staying in tents in Netarhat.
We had completed our Netarhat hotel booking from Kolkata. Our stay was booked our stay at a Netarhat hotel - Hotel Prabhat Vihar, Netarhat. Hotel Prabhat Vihar, a Government undertaken lodging option, is one of the oldest and most renowned hotels of Netarhat. Netarhat Hotel Prabhat Vihar is suely one of the best hotels in the town. Even if you can't book a room there, you don't need to struggle for Netarhat hotel booking. There are quite a few Netarhat hotels available for tourists. Along with traditional rooms for lodging, they also offer options to stay in luxury tents in Netarhat. In addition, there are several other options, including Arunoday Guest House, Hotel Valley View, Lake View Resort, Naturehat Resort, and others.
You can find a number of Netarhat private hotels while visiting this hamlet on the Chhotanagpur Plateau. You can choose one of them or can book a Netarhat guest house to have a cozy stay.
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At Prabhat Vihar, Netarhat, you can choose from cozy air-conditioned or non-airconditioned rooms. You can also have the option of choosing rooms that face the mountains and it's always a good idea to go for those rooms.
There's a restaurant in Hotel Prabhat Vihar, which serves simple but delicious food. After having lunch at the restaurant in Prabhat Vihar, we started for local Netarhat sightseeing.
There's a restaurant in Hotel Prabhat Vihar, which serves simple but delicious food. After having lunch at the restaurant in Prabhat Vihar, we started for local Netarhat sightseeing.
Things to See in Netarhat
While Netarhat is known for its soothing climate, it's hard to find specific Netarhat tourist attractions that can be pointed out as the pick of the tour of Netarhat sightseeing. The travel itself is worth mentioning, as the beauty of nature is scattered in every corner of Netarhat, Jharkhand.
Our driver first took us to one of the mos famous Netarhat tourist attractions - Koel View Point. We stood on the edge of the plateau and saw the Koel river, flowing by in its own rhythm about a few hundred feet below us. It appeared as a narrow thread shining in the lights of the afternoon sun.
Just by the side of the Koel View Point was the pine forest of Netarhat.
Want to listen to Nature's speeches?
Visit the pine forests of Netarhat. The wind passing through the pine leaves and the pine fruits create a murmuring sound. We were also lucky to find the pine trees in full bloom.
The next destination was the Netarhat pear garden or the famous Nashpati garden of Netarhat, which wasn't as attractive in winter as it would be during spring, when in full blossom.
Want to listen to Nature's speeches?
Visit the pine forests of Netarhat. The wind passing through the pine leaves and the pine fruits create a murmuring sound. We were also lucky to find the pine trees in full bloom.
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Then we moved forward toward the Lodh Falls. Located around 60 Kilometers away from Netarhat, this is one of the highest waterfalls in Jharkhand. The car took us to a certain point. After that, we had to climb the steep steps that are created right on the body of the hills. It was a climb of around 350 steps till we reached the waterfall. The climb surely was exhausting, but we felt refreshed the moment we came across the beautiful Lodh Falls with its gushing waters creating enchanting music.
Although a few locals were climbing up the hill to reach as closer to the mouth as possible, it's not always recommended for the tourists. Besides, this waterfall is located in an area that was the hotbed of Maoist activities even a few years back. So, before you start your journey for Netarhat sightseeing, check from the locals whether you should include the Lodh Falls, Netarhat, in your Netarhat sightseeing list or not.
The Netarhat Residential School is one of the primary tourist attractions of the town. The school compound is decorated with some artistic sculptures. However, we didn't spend a lot of time there, as we had to proceed to the next point on our list.
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The Netarhat Residential School is one of the primary tourist attractions of the town. The school compound is decorated with some artistic sculptures. However, we didn't spend a lot of time there, as we had to proceed to the next point on our list.
I've been witness to numerous sunsets and many of them from renowned sunset points. However, it won't be an exaggeration to say that the sunset at Netarhat is probably the most beautiful of all that I've experienced.
We took our time to be ready to experience the Netarhat sunset from an excellent position. We reached the Magnolia Sunset Point, the best position in the town to experience sunset, at around 4-30 PM. And from around 4-50 PM, the magic started. The sky, from its natural colors, displayed hues of yellow, orange, and red, before becoming completely dark. By 5-15 PM, the sun dropped beyond the horizon, but still keeping a few hues in the sky for us to stare at and appreciate.
The Upper Ghaghri and the Lower Ghaghri waterfalls are usually amazing during the monsoons. However, lack of water had worn them down during winter when we visited them.
We took our time to be ready to experience the Netarhat sunset from an excellent position. We reached the Magnolia Sunset Point, the best position in the town to experience sunset, at around 4-30 PM. And from around 4-50 PM, the magic started. The sky, from its natural colors, displayed hues of yellow, orange, and red, before becoming completely dark. By 5-15 PM, the sun dropped beyond the horizon, but still keeping a few hues in the sky for us to stare at and appreciate.
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We spent the night in Hotel Prabhat Vihar. During the evening, there was an arrangement of tribal dance for the boarders to enjoy. We enjoyed snacks and swayed to the beats of the tribal drums and their songs. The full moon and the music together added a surreal feeling to the ambiance.
Early in the next morning, we went to the terrace of the hotel to experience the Netarhat sunrise. If you're in Netarhat, it's a must-watch. Sunrise in Netarhat from Hotel Prabhat Vihar, which is considered to be the Netarhat sunrise point, attracts a lot of attention from the tourists. People who cannot book a room in Hotel Prabhat Vihar, Netarhat, usually come and stand at the edge of the road above Hotel Prabhat Vihar and use it as the Netarhat sunrise point.
Though not as enchanting as the sunset, the sunrise at Netarhat was nonetheless beautiful enough to inspire us to move ahead in our journey with the spirit of the rising sun in our hearts.
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The next stop in our journey was supposed to be the treehouse located in the heart of the unexplored and virgin forest of Maromar.
