With spectacular views of snow-capped mountains, rivers flowing through the valley and ancient villages spread across lush green forests, Manali is a mountain-lover’s paradise. If the high mountains of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas give it a majestic aura, its lush green meadows and pine forests give it a sense of serenity. I have visited Manali many a times in different seasons, each time experiencing a different shade of Manali. Culling from my numerous trips, here’s sharing with you the best places to explore in Manali and some travel tips to make your trip enjoyable.
Though the British developed most of the best hill stations in India, Manali mostly grew as a hill station on its own in the post-independence period. Hence, unlike places like Shimla and Mussoorie, there are not many colonial heritage buildings in Manali. Talking of heritage though, Manali has plenty of them. The villages in and around Manali are living heritage from ancient times. If you are in Manali during Dussehra, you will see the ancient cultural traditions in all their original hues.
{For more destinations in Himachal, have a look: McLeod Ganj- Dharamshala}
Manali, a gateway to the high-altitude destinations
Over the last few decades, Manali has assumed much attention because of adventure seekers using it as a base location. Whether one wants to head to Leh- Ladakh or Spiti Valley, Manali is the gateway to these high-altitude destinations.
For Spiti Valley, travellers either take bikes or taxis from Manali for a round trip to these high-altitude destinations. Travel agencies offer circular trips as well: for Spiti Valley, they drop you in Shimla. For Leh- Ladakh, they drop you in Srinagar.
For an offbeat experience, one may head to Lahaul Valley also. Trekkers venturing into the higher landscapes also make Manali the base, both for starting and cooling off after the trek. Some of the popular treks are mentioned below.
Popular Treks starting from Manali:
- Jogini Waterfall Trek: Half day trek; starts from Vashisth Temple; easy- moderate
- Lama Dugh Trek: 1 day trek; starts from Old Manali; easy- moderate
- Beas Kund Trek: 3-4 days; to the origin of Beas River (glacier); easy- moderate
- Bhrigu Lake Trek: 4-5 days; to the beautiful Bhrigu Lake; moderate
- Hampta Pass Trek: 5-6 days; perhaps the most popular trek in Manali; moderate
- Pin- Parvati Trek: 11-12 days; from Parvati Valley to Spiti Valley; difficult.
Manali: Best Places to Explore
1. Old Manali:
On our first visit, we stayed in a lovely homestay amidst farmlands in Old Manali. It was spring season (early May) and cherry, apricot and apple trees were blooming across the whole valley. Such a pleasant treat to the eyes! Apart from its gorgeous landscape, Old Manali charmed us by its narrow lanes and old houses. Typical aesthetic Himachali house architecture, made of stone and wood appeal straight to the heart.
Walking a few hundred meters, the markets of Old Manali has a very different charm altogether. Amazing cafes and restaurants line up both the sides of the market oozing a bohemian vibe. Street vendors sell local traditional crafts (note: some of them do sell cheap Chinese products as well). Small hotels, homestays and hostels are always ready to welcome their guests. The whole environment feels vintage, warm and welcoming. So, for me, Old Manali tops the list of best places to visit in Manali.
2. Mall Road:
Not far from Old Manali is the commercial epicenter of the hill station- the Mall Road. In fact, for most visitors, Mall Road is the “Heart of Manali” and counts among the best places to visit. In the evening, all roads in Manali lead here. Be it food, shopping, fun or just hanging out with friends, Mall Road entertains one and all. Under the shine of neon lights and hustle & bustle of the busy market, the place comes alive. To have the best experience, find below a few tips:
- What to shop: Kullu shawls; Woolen clothes and accessories; Tibetan jewelry; Thangka paintings; Buddhist prayer wheels/ flags, etc.
- What/ where to eat: Cafe 1986 (western food) ||| Chopsticks (Tibetan/ Chinese food like momos, thukpas) ||| The Corner House (Indian/ Continental) ||| Sher-e-Punjab (North Indian) ||| Siddu on the street.
- Near the Mall Road: Visit the nearby Nyingmapa Monastery ||| Van Vihar (a small park with a small lake).
3. Rivers- Beas and Manalsu:
Manali is blessed to have two rivers crisscrossing its landscape. It’s the smaller river- Manalsu that passes through Old Manali to contribute to the major river- Beas just outside of the city limits. So, if you want to have a spectacular view of the Beas, head to Simsa Village (Nasogi), about 3 kms away from the main town. Else, anywhere along the way on Delhi- Manali highway. In my book, places on the bank of these rivers are surely among the best places to visit.
However, the real charm of riverside vibe is on the banks of Manalsu river in the old town. Pretty buildings, hotels and cafes lining the river bank make the landscape interesting. I just loved the experience of getting down to the streams and sitting beside the leisurely flowing river. There are quite a few lovely cafes by the river as well; check out: Cafe 1947; Cafe Evergreen or The Lazy Dog.
4. Temples of Manali:
Though nobody goes to Manali to explore its temples, I did enjoy the cultural heritage of these temples. Besides, the typical Himachali architectural design is also worth witnessing. For the culturally oriented travellers, these are among the best places in Manali. Some of the temples one should check out:
- Hadimba Temple: Nearly 500 year old temple, dedicated to Goddess Hadimba (wife of Bhima)
- Manu Temple: Dedicated to sage Manu, who according to Hindu beliefs, is the progenitor of mankind
- Vashisth Temple: Famous for its hot sulfur spring, the temple is dedicated to sage Vashisth, the teacher of Lord Ram.
5. Jogini Waterfall:
One morning, I joined a travel mate- Sagar to hike up to the beautiful Jogini Waterfall. It was about 3-4 kms from the Vashisth Temple and took us about an hour to reach there. After crossing the village, the trek route was initially flat for more than two kilometers and passed through pine forests. Walking through the apple orchards and pine forests over the gentle slopes was a pleasant experience. Slowly and steadily, it got steeper, but not very difficult.
The view of the valley on the far side was gorgeous, to say the least. A bright sunshine with cloudy texture in the sky made the whole landscape super photogenic. Jogini waterfall, coming down ~160 feet from a straight rock face looked quite amazing. Moreover, since it was August, the waterfall was at its fullest!
Though it may not be for everyone, for me, Jogini Waterfall counts among the best places to visit in Manali.
Best Places Near Manali
Apart from these best places to explore in core town of Manali, one would like to venture out and explore around the valley. In fact, there are more/ better places to explore outside of the town. Towards north of Manali, the road takes one to destinations like Solang Valley, Rohtang Pass, Atal Tunnel and Sissu Waterfall. Taking the other side towards south, the major destinations are Naggar Castle and Kullu Town.
1. Solang Valley:
Among the best places for snow sports in Manali, Solang Valley, about 15 kms away from the town, tops the chart. In winter the whole valley covers in snow and visitors enjoy skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. Come summer, the valley becomes gorgeous green with white mountain peaks in the backdrop. So, paragliding, ziplining and zorbing are the things to enjoy. But when once we visited early summer- spring times, even then, there were little patches of snow in Gulaba Village in Solang Valley, and we could try our hands at snow sports!
2. Rohtang Pass:
In good old days, Rohtang Pass (~50 kms from Manali) was the link between Manali and high altitude destinations like Leh- Ladakh or Spiti Valley. Now, with the opening of Atal Tunnel, Rohtang Pass has become only a tourist spot for snow sports. At 13,050 feet altitude, it remains under snow till about mid- May. When it opens for tourists, one has to take a permit to visit. {To apply for permit, check: Rohtang- permit}
Travel tips: It remains closed on Tuesdays for maintenance. On other days, after getting the permit, one should start early in the morning (~5 AM) in order to avoid traffic jams.
3. Atal Tunnel:
Over 10,000 feet altitude, Atal Tunnel is the world’s longest highway tunnel spanning 9.02 kms. No wonder then, it’s touted as an engineering marvel. The tunnel becomes especially important because now it connects Manali with Lahaul Valley through out the year. Otherwise, Lahaul remined cut off for the entire winter months.
4. Sissu/ Khaling Waterfall:
On the other side of the Atal Tunnel, the road diverges- one goes towards Spiti Valley and the other towards Lahaul Valley and further towards Leh- Ladakh. On the road towards Lahaul, in about 7 kms, one comes to a spectacular village- Sissu. During my Zanskar Trip, I and Sagar took a detour from Sissu to visit Sissu Waterfall.
Parking our taxi at the base near a small lake, we had to hike about a kilometer to reach Sissu Waterfall. But the view of the ~150 feet cascading water from the rockface was worth the effort. Moreover, base of the waterfall offered a vantage point to view a vast green valley in front of us. For the view and the adventure, Sissu Waterfall is surely among the best places to visit away from Manali town.
5. Naggar Castle:
Built in 1460 AD by King Sidh Singh, Naggar Castle is now run by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation as a heritage hotel. However, they have kept a part of the property open for public viewing. Inside, there’s a small museum housing artefacts from the royal period and portraying local life and culture.
To be honest, it’s just a modest building (so, keep your expectations low) with traditional Himachali architecture. However, the view of the valley from its courtyard and verandah is spectacular. This castle combined with Naggar Village is a nice place to spend half a day. (Distance from Manali: ~25 kms)
Venturing into the Naggar Village, you can witness the local weavers and artisans engage in making the famous Kullu Shawls and other woolen accessories. If you want to shop woolens, instead of buying from Manali (which you may not know whether authentic or not), you should buy directly from the artisans in this village. Besides, there are plethora of lovely homestays in the village. So, instead of staying in Manali, one may consider staying here, if the plan is for a longer duration on a slow-travel mode.
6. Kullu:
A little ahead, about 40 kms from Manali, Kullu is an old town with rich history. You may know that Kullu is famous for its Dussehra celebrations. In fact, it’s among the best/ most unique places to witness Dussehra (along with Kolkata and Mysore). So, if you are there during Dussehra festivities, do plan to spend half a day there. To plan better, check out: Kullu Dussehra.
Apart from the Dussehra, one can visit the Raghunath Temple in the town. Plus, if you are planning for white water rafting in the Beas, they will bring you near Kullu only.
7. Kasol:
If you one more day on hand, Kasol in Parvati Valley is another wonderful place to explore. Parvati Valley is part of the Great Himalayan National Park. At the heart of the valley, Kasol used to be a quaint little place with an eternal charm. Because the Israelis loved the place, it’s popularly known as ‘Mini Israel’. Away from the Manali town, this is definitely among the best places to visit for everyone.
Though it’s getting crowded by the day, still it’s better than Manali for a peaceful day by the river. To know more, do check my blog (link above).
Best offbeat places to explore and interesting things to do in Manali
If you are among those who are looking for a peaceful sojourn in the Himalayas, but landed up in Manali, which is generally crowded, I would suggest a few options for you.
- Stick to the Old Manali side, go north towards the end of the road leading to the farmland and village area
- Sit on the banks of Manalsu River and choose a non-evening peak hours to visit the cafes on its banks
- Head to Sethan Valley, a Buddhist backyard with peaceful vibes. Now-a-days, it also offers Igloo experience
- Explore the nearby villages like Gulaba, Rumsu, Kothi to experience village life
- If you can, go on a half-day trek (Jogini Waterfall) or a full-day trek (Lama Dugh Trek)
- Visit the local Buddhist Monastery and observe the Lamas/ devotees in spiritual rituals
- If you are in fruits season, go for fruit plucking (apple, peach, plum, apricot, as per season)
- White water rafting is popular in Manali. Typically, the local agency will take one to a nearby starting place on the Manali- Kullu highway
- Though snow sports is popular in the winters, it happens at a crowded place; choice is yours!
- Paragliding is also popular in Solang Valley. But safety standards are questionable. So, choose carefully.
Travel Tips: Manali
Best time to visit Manali:
Manali is truly an all-weather destination. Every season has its charm and enjoyable in a different way.
- Winter months (Dec- Feb): Popular for snowfall and enjoying snow sports
- Spring months (Mar- Apr): Pleasant weather and most suitable for outdoor activities like trekking
- Summer months (May- Jun): Though days can be hot, mornings and evening are enjoyable. Moreover, it gives much respite to the visitors from the plains
- Monsoon months (Jul- Sep): Though it rains heavily in these months, for people heading to higher altitudes, this is the right time. And since Manali serves as a base location, it remains abuzz with people.
- Autumn months (Oct- Nov): Nice weather, clear skies and festivals like Dussehra and Diwali.
How to reach Manali:
- Though there’s an airport in Bhuntar, about 50 kms away, very few flights run regularly
- Hence, it’s better to take a luxury overnight bus from Delhi/ Chandigarh to reach next morning.
How to get around in Manali:
- Taxis are the best options to get around in and around Manali
- To explore nearby areas, local buses are available, but only few and far between.
Best places to stay in Manali:
- For tourists on a short trip, and looking for fun, Mall Road area is the best option
- For its old old charm, I prefer Old Manali area
- However, for longer stays/ staycations, one should look for homestays in nearby villages. Especially because they offer great value for money and tranquility.
Some budget hotels/ Homestays in Manali: Mountain Dew Hotel ||| Himalayan Heights ||| Hotel Snow View ||| Royal Orbit ||| Apple Paradise ||| Mountain Top Hotel ||| Non Stop Cafe & Homestay ||| Hotel New Adarsh ||| Rangoli Cafe & Homestay.
Popular hostels: Zostel Manali (5 properties in and around) ||| The Hosteller ||| Backpacker’s Stop ||| Trippy Turtle ||| Moustache ||| The Culture Nation.
Best places to eat in Manali:
Old Manali and Mall Road are best places to explore culinary pleasure; they have some great cafes and restaurants to choose from. Most of them serve north Indian, western, Tibetan and Chinese food. However, I would rather suggest finding out a restaurant that serves authentic Himachali Dham and other local delicacies.
Popular cafes/ restaurants: Cafe 1947 (wood-fired pizza) ||| The Lazy Dog Lounge (Trout Tandoori) ||| Cafe Evergreen (carrot cake) ||| Backyard Cafe (pancakes, Tibetan Thenthuk) ||| Chopsticks (Tibetan, Chinese) ||| Cafe 1986 (grilled fish) ||| Dana Coffee House & Bakery ||| The Pahadi Cafe (Himachali) ||| Himachali Flavours.
Concluding Thoughts
When one reaches Manali for the first time, they may not have the best of impressions. However, staying there for a few days and exploring the old town area will make one fall in love with the place. From old world charm to modern party vibes, different shades of Manali appeals to different people. Moreover, the plethora of adventure options in Manali also attract the young and explorers as well. In fact, Manali is more about best experiences rather than best places.
To make things even better, Manali is good for all seasons too! From winter to autumn, whenever you wish, you could head to this northern most destination of Himachal Pradesh.
I keep travelling to this region- Kullu, Manali, Spiti Valley, Leh- Ladakh and the Great Himalayan National Park area quite often. But whenever I think of this region, I feel like planning a trip again! Such is the charm of the place! If you are planning a trip, and want to know more, do write to us.
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