India · Popular · Kullu-Manali Valley, Himachal Pradesh
Manali
Kullu-Manali Valley, Himachal Pradesh · 2,050 m (town); Rohtang Pass 3,978 m
Snow peaks, a wild glacial river, ancient deodar shrines, and rooftop chai — Manali hands the full Himalayan experience to someone who has never left the plains.
Manali compresses the best of the western Himalayas into a single valley — adventure sport, Buddhist culture, hot springs, and India's most accessible high-altitude pass. It anchors every major Himachal circuit (Spiti, Leh, Parvati) while delivering a complete standalone experience in 4-5 days.
Plan it with us
Want Manali shaped around you?
Tell us your dates — we'll build the trip.
Go in
In season, days sit around 24° and nights near 10°.
What you'll see & do
The sights worth the trip, and how to spend the days around them.
To see
- Hadimba Devi Temple — 16th-century pagoda shrine in ancient deodar forest
- Old Manali village — cobbled lanes, cafes, Manu Rishi Temple
- Rohtang Pass (3,978 m) — lunar landscape, glacier views, Lahaul Valley overlook
- Solang Valley — alpine meadow with year-round snow activity
To do
- Paragliding tandem flights from Solang Valley (₹1,500-2,500 per flight)
- Beas River rafting Grade III-IV, 14 km stretch near Pirdi (₹600-900 pp)
- Rohtang Pass snowplay and 4x4 excursion (permit mandatory)
- Mountain biking on Old Manali to Solang dirt trails
Before you go
- Rohtang permit slots open at 10:00 AM IST the day before your visit (second batch drops at 4:00 PM that same day); on peak days — June school holidays and October long weekends — the morning batch is gone in under five minutes, so have your account, vehicle registration number, and payment method ready before 10:00 AM sharp.
- Rohtang Pass is fully closed every Tuesday and zero permits are issued — not a partial restriction; verify the client's planned Rohtang day is not a Tuesday before confirming the itinerary.
- The real altitude risk is ascending to Rohtang Pass (3,978 m) on the same day as arrival from the plains — a near-2,000 m gain in hours; reserve Rohtang for day two at the earliest, particularly for elderly clients, children, and anyone with cardiac or respiratory conditions.
Days, already shaped
3-day plan
- Day 1: Arrive Manali; Hadimba Devi Temple, Old Manali lanes, Tibetan Gompa, Mall Road dinner
- Day 2: Solang Valley — paragliding tandem, snowplay or ATV, alpine meadow picnic
- Day 3: Rohtang Pass (pre-booked NGT permit, early 6 AM start), Lahaul viewpoint, Beas river stop, depart afternoon
5-day plan
- Day 1: Arrive, acclimatise; Van Vihar stroll, Tibetan Monastery, Vashisht hot springs evening
- Day 2: Hadimba Temple, Manu Temple, Old Manali market, food street dinner
- Day 3: Solang Valley — paragliding, zorbing, mountain bike descent, bonfire night
- Day 4: Rohtang Pass full day — 6 AM start, Gramphu turn-around, Lahaul Valley views
- Day 5: Naggar Castle and Roerich Art Gallery; Kullu riverside shawl cooperative; Beas bank walk; depart
7-day plan
- Day 1: Arrive Manali, acclimatise, light walk Van Vihar, dinner at Drifter's Cafe
- Day 2: Hadimba Devi Temple, Manu Temple, Old Manali lanes, Tibetan Gompa, Mall Road evening
- Day 3: Solang Valley — paragliding, snowplay, alpine meadow, sunset bonfire
- Day 4: Rohtang Pass day (6 AM permit start), Lahaul Valley descent if road allows, return via Gramphu
- Day 5: Parvati Valley excursion — Kasol village, Manikaran Gurudwara, natural hot springs dip
- Day 6: Naggar Castle, Roerich Art Gallery, Kullu Dhalpur maidan, shawl factory cooperative
- Day 7: Beas River rafting Grade III (14 km), Vashisht hot spring soak, afternoon departure
Getting there, permits & day trips
By air — Bhuntar Airport (KUU), Kullu — 50 km / 1.5 hrs from Manali; seasonal flights from Delhi ~1 hr (IndiGo, Air India); Chandigarh (IXC) is the reliable all-year hub — 310 km / 7-8 hrs by taxi
By rail — Chandigarh broad-gauge railhead (310 km, 7-8 hrs by shared taxi ₹700-900); Jogindernagar Kangra Valley Railway (135 km to Mandi, then 3-4 hr bus); no direct rail to Manali
By road — Delhi ISBT to Manali — HRTC Volvo overnight 570 km / 12-14 hrs (₹1,400-2,200); Chandigarh 310 km / 7-8 hrs; Shimla 260 km / 8 hrs via NH5; private taxi Chandigarh-Manali ₹4,500-6,000 one-way
On a Driftibo trip we handle the transfers.
Permits & entry — Indian nationals need no inner-line permit for Manali, Kullu Valley, Kasol, Parvati Valley, or Naggar. Rohtang Pass requires an NGT-mandated vehicle permit whenever the road is open (approximately mid-May to late October; early snowfall can close it before that — the pass shut October 6 in the 2025 season); the pass is fully closed every Tuesday and no permits are issued on that day. The total fee is ₹550 per vehicle all-in (₹500 permit + ₹50 congestion/green charge; buses and HMVs pay ₹600); book at rohtangpermits.hp.gov.in — the old .nic.in domain is retired. The daily quota is 1,200 tourist vehicles (800 petrol + 400 diesel), released in two batches: 10:00 AM IST the day prior (400 petrol + 200 diesel) and again at 4:00 PM the same day (400 petrol + 200 diesel); on peak days the morning batch sells out in 2–5 minutes. Vehicles continuing beyond Rohtang to Lahaul, Spiti, or Leh need a separate "Beyond Rohtang" permit (₹50, no quota cap, same portal). The Atal Tunnel bypasses Rohtang entirely — it is open year-round, requires no permit of any kind, and cuts Manali–Sissu travel to 15–20 minutes — but all vehicles entering Lahaul-Spiti district by any route must complete e-Aagman vehicle registration at eaagman.hp.gov.in before travel; reconfirm e-Aagman status before quoting as enforcement practice can change. Carry original government photo ID at all checkposts on NH-21 (Chandigarh–Manali, Beas gorge/Pandoh section) and the NH-3 Rohtang approach road.
Day trips nearby
- Kasol + Manikaran (75 km, ~2.5 hrs) — Parvati Valley hippie cafes, Sikh Gurudwara, scalding natural hot springs
- Naggar Castle + Roerich Gallery (25 km, 1 hr) — half-day heritage loop, combine with Kullu market return
- Kullu town (40 km, 1.5 hrs) — Dhalpur maidan, Vaishno Devi Mandir, shawl weavers cooperative
- Sissu / Lahaul Valley (50 km beyond Rohtang, summer only) — waterfalls, barley fields, Chandratal extension start
Seasons and access shift — we reconfirm every detail before we quote.