Manali Travel Guide

Built in 1553 by Raja Bahadur Singh, Hadimba is a four-tiered wooden pagoda standing in a cedar grove above Manali — the roof shingled, the doorway carved with dancers and animals. The shrine encloses a natural rock rather than an idol, marking where Hadimba is said to have meditated. The surrounding deodar forest does as much work as the temple itself: tall, cool and quiet even when the courtyard is busy. Dhungri fair in May is the big local festival.

Timings

Around 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Ticket

Free

Time needed

45 minutes – 1 hour

Best time

Early morning

Thirteen kilometres up the Beas valley towards Rohtang, Solang is a wide green meadow ringed by peaks and glaciers. In summer it runs paragliding, zorbing, horse rides and a ropeway to Mount Phatru; in winter it fills with snow and becomes a beginners' ski slope. It is thoroughly commercial and often crowded — go for the activities and the amphitheatre of mountains, not for solitude.

Timings

Around 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (activity-dependent)

Ticket

Paragliding approx. ₹1,500 – ₹4,000 · ropeway approx. ₹700

Time needed

Half day

Best time

December – February for snow, May – June for paragliding

Rohtang is the gateway from the green Kullu valley into the stark high desert of Lahaul and Spiti, and the transition across the top is dramatic. It is typically open May to November and buried in snow the rest of the year. Daily vehicle permits are capped for environmental reasons and must be arranged in advance online — turning up without one means turning back. The Atal Tunnel beneath it now provides year-round access to Lahaul, which has taken some pressure off the pass itself.

Timings

Roughly May – November, weather permitting

Ticket

Permit approx. ₹500 – ₹600 per vehicle, daily quota applies

Time needed

Full day

Best time

June – September

Two kilometres above the Mall Road bustle, Old Manali is a different place: traditional Himachali houses in stone and timber, apple orchards, and the Manu Temple, said to be the only temple to Manu in India. Since the 1990s it has also been a backpacker enclave, with a strip of cafés along the Manalsu river where people stay for weeks. It largely shuts down in deep winter. The walk up from New Manali takes about 30 minutes and is the best way to arrive.

Timings

Open access · cafés typically 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Ticket

Free

Time needed

Half day

Best time

March – June, September – November

Three kilometres from Manali across the Beas, Vashisht village is built around natural sulphur hot springs channelled into stone bathing tanks — separate for men and women, free, and used mostly by locals. The temple beside them honours the sage Vashisht and is over 4,000 years old by tradition. The water runs genuinely hot and is said to help skin conditions and joint pain. Rammed in season, near-empty on winter mornings.

Timings

Around 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Ticket

Free (public baths) · private baths approx. ₹100 – ₹300

Time needed

1 – 2 hours

Best time

Winter mornings