Weather information
Manali is considered a relatively cooler hill station when compared to most others. Its proximity to Rohtang Pass and the snowfields of Solang nala could be a possible reason for this. If you are the kind that prefers to unwind with the temperature at rock bottom levels, you will love Manali.

Summers are generally mild with the temperature reaching 25C by day and dropping to less than half that by night. So if you are visiting during summers, light woolens and lightweight jackets are advisable, especially during night walks.

But if you are seeking the chill winter blast, come over during the winters – but not without adequate protection. Maximum temperature during the cold months is around 14C and can drop to 3C. If you are coming over for adventure sports or for trekking, make sure you have the right gear for it.

Manali also has a generous dose of monsoon and while the rest of the country experiences rainfall, Manali is enveloped by heavy snowfall. So plan your trip accordingly and remember that sometimes, excessive snowfall can bring all traffic to a halt.

If you want to escape the crowds and the cold winters, choose between the months of March-April and between September and November, when the monsoons would be over. Summer is best suited for trekking and other outdoor activities during May-June, but it tends to get extremely crowded – so make you choice!

Getting to Manali            
How do you wish to get to Manali? By train, by air or by road? Take your pick.

By Train
Both narrow gauge and broad gauge trains connect stations near Manali to other parts of India. While the nearest narrow gauge station is 135 kms away at Jogindernagar, the nearest broad gauge stations are at Chandigarh (310 km away) and Ambala (355 km). You could take a train and alight at one of these stations, from which you could reach Manali by road.

 

By Air
The nearest airport to Manali is at Bhuntar, 50 kms away. You could fly down and reach Manali by road as regular bus services and fixed-fare taxis wait to take you to Manali from the airport.

 

By Road
Manali is accessible by road from Delhi, Ambala, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Haridwar, Shimla, Dharamsala and Chamba/Dalhousie. You could take a bus or a cab and travel 585 kms from Delhi to Manali. Alternately, you could travel from Shimla or Chandigarh. The distance from Shimla is 270 kms. Himachal Pradesh tourism has luxury buses that ply on a regular basis to and from Manali. The Manali bus stand is right in the heart of the town near the Mall and is quite modern, with computerized reservation facilities.

Distance to Manali (by road)

City/Town	Distance (increasing in Kms)
DELHI	521
AMBALA	404
DHARMASALA	253
CHANDIGARH	221
SHIMLA	173
KASIDHAR	15
KASO-ROHTANG PASS	50
KOTHI	12
SOLANG NALLAH	14
BHUNTAR	52
KULLU	40
JOGINDERNAGAR	135

 

Places to see
Nature at its pristine best, the weather is at its coolest self, the body and mind never tire. The spirit to explore, travel, see, challenge, discover and do lingers on forever.

| Hadimba Temple | Manu Temple | Monasteries | Arjun Gufa | Vashisht |
| Jagatsukh | Solang Valley | Rohtang Pass | The Mall | Gadhan Thekchokling Gompa | Beas Kund | Club House | Nehru Kund | Kothi | Rahalla Falls |
 

	Hadimba Temple The Hadimba temple is closely linked to the Mahabharat – one of India’s finest and oldest epics and holds the footprints of the Goddess Hadimba, the wife of Bheema, one of the five valiant Pandava brothers who fought the war of good against evil. The temple’s structure is as
impressive as the legend behind it, with the composition coming alive around a natural cave. A majestic four-tiered pagoda roof shelters the complete structure.

 

Manu Temple
The Manu Temple is dedicated to the sage Manu, after whom Manali is named and is a situated in the original village of Manali, situated along the Manalsu river.
 

Monasteries Manali has three Tibetan monasteries that have been built in recent times.

Arjun Gufa Arjun Gufa translates into ‘Arjun’s cave’ and has been named so because Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers, is believed to have performed penance in Manali here to get the most powerful weapon from Lord Indra. The cave is situated five kms from Manali, near the village of Prini.

 

Vashisht What better way to unwind than take a dip in the hot sulphur springs on a cold, cold day? If you fancy the thought, come over to Vashisht, a village that is located three kms away from Manali and is famous for its hot sulphur springs and sulphur baths maintained
by Himachal Tourism. Soak in the medicinal values of the hot baths as you enjoy the privacy of your own sunken bath. The village also has some ancient temples dedicated to the sage Vashisht.

Jagatsukh Jagatsukh, meaning the ‘happiness of the world’ used to be the capital of Kullu, an adjoining hill station, and has temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Gayatri. One of the biggest villages in the vicinity, Jagatsukh is approximately 6 kms from Manali.

Solang Valley Picnic spots, ski slopes, glaciers – its time to unwind at Solang Valley, a beautiful spot located 14 kms from Manali.

	Rohtang Pass It’s one of the most popular landmarks in and around Manali. And it’s open for just six months of the year, between June and November. Travel around 50 kms by road and you will reach Rohtang Pass, located at almost 4000 m above sea level.
The pass remains the doorway to districts like Lahaul and Spiti and a window to the most beautiful sights the eye can behold – the Sonapani Glacier, the twin peaks of Gaypan, the Beas Kund, from where the river Beas originates and the beautiful Dasohar Lake to the left of the Pass.

 

The Mall This is the main road of Manali ands the hub of activity, bustling with hotels and restaurants, shops and travel agencies and the centrally located bus terminus.

Gadhan Thekchokling Gompa
The Gompa is a prayer hall for the Tibetans, a large number of whom have settled in Manali over the years. You cannot miss the various prayer wheels and flags over the settlements as you walk towards a bright yellow pagoda roof that adorns the Gompa. The interiors are bright and well-maintained.

 

Beas Kund The source of the river Beas, the Beas Kund is a spring that originates in the midst of rocky terrain, bringing forth icy cold water that eventually forms the river. The source is located in a stone hut that resembles a little igloo.

Club House
Looking for some indoor activities? You’ll find them at the Club House, located a couple of kilometers away from the Manali town, on the banks of Manalsu Nallah. You’ll find it the ideal spot for indoor games or for a quiet picnic.
 

Nehru Kund  Visit the popular place that holds a natural spring of cold clear water named after India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. The spring is located five kms on the National Highway to Leh and is believed to originate from the Bhrigu lake  located in the mountains

Kothi
Imagine a picture-perfect tranquil little village, located roughly 2500 meters above sea level, 12 kms from the Rohtang Pass and 16 kms from Manali. That’s Kothi, an amazing location that offers splendid views of several places around it – like the deep gorge and the Beas river thundering through, the steep slopes above and hot water springs around.

Rahalla Falls
The breath-taking Rahalla Falls are located 16 kms from Manali and 4 kms from Kothi, before you begin your trek to the Rohtang Pass. The area near the falls makes for an excellent picnic spot.
 

Things to do
| Manali Mountaineering Institute | Rafting | Skiing | Paragliding | Camping | Shopping |

 

Manali Mountaineering Institute
Scaling the highest peaks in Manali is not impossible, after all. The Manali Mountaineering Institute offers training facilities for both beginner and advanced climbers, besides conducting other adventurous sports activities like high altitude trekking, minor mountaineering, rock-climbing, skiing, and high altitude rescue and relief courses. Besides, you don’t have to worry about finding boarding or lodging, or arranging for equipment. The Institute will take care of all your needs.

Rafting
White water rafting, canoeing, kayaking – it’s time to live all your dreams at Manali. Adventure sports lovers never had it so good, as the Beas river renders itself the ideal water body for several activities. You can also take part in several competitions that are conducted for tourists. May to mid-June is the best season for rafting and it can extend to the arrival of the monsoons. Not having the right equipment? Not to worry, the local clubs provide everything you will need for any water sports activity

 

Skiing
If skiing happens to be your way of unwinding, you have reached the perfect destination - Manali boasts of some of the best skiing slopes in the world. The Solang Nullah, Patalsu, Kothi, Marhi and Rohtang slopes offer the perfect skiing surface across all seasons – a fact unique to Manali. Just pick up your equipment from any of the nearby private organizations and head straight for a skiing lesson, for some practice or for a competition. And to make sure that you don’t have to climb the slopes each time you ski down, Solang Nullah has been furnished with a ski lift.
 

Paragliding Solang Nullah provides the perfect slopes for paragliding as tourists from the world over come here to indulge in their favourite adventure sport during summers. Several organizations in the area offer packages for paragliding and equipment required for paragliding.

Camping
Become one with nature – get hold of spacious tents and cozy sleeping bags and enjoy the pleasures of nature as you strike the same wavelength with the wild outdoors. Needless to say, such camps provide all basic amenities.

 

Shopping
Manali is the place for avid shoppers who believe in collecting objet d’arts. Shawls with exquisite patterns, hand-woven goods, assorted Tibetan curios such as prayer wheels, amulets, dorjees or thunderbolts, masks, musical instruments, jewellery and thangkas, pillbox Kullu Topis, Himalayan handicraft, gift items, woolens – you will shop till you drop!