Manali Travel Guide

Honeymooner Paradise – Explore How to Reach, Weather, Places to Visit and Things to Do in Manali

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How to Reach Manali

Manali is one of the most popular hill stations of North India. With surrounding snow-capped mountains, green valley and the Beas river flowing through the valley, Manali has captivated the mind of nature lovers for ages. Tourists from all over India and other countries come here all round the year. This page talks about how to reach Manali considering 2 major aspects.
1. By using different transport modes
2. From major destinations within India

If you are from outside India and interested to know how to reach Manali, this section will guide you with nearby airports with pros and cons.

You can use various transport modes to reach Manali – by Air, By Rail, By Bus and By Car.

Distance of Manali from Below Places

Place	Distance (Km)
Kullu	40
Delhi	536
Chandigarh	293
Shimla	250
Kalka	280

How To Reach Manali By Air

Manali doesn’t have its own Airport and the nearest airport from this beautiful hill station is Bhuntar located at a distance of 50 km from Manali.

Nearest Airport – Bhuntar , 50 KM from Manali.
Pros
Manali is only 2-hr drive from the airport.
Cons
1. Limited connectivity with other airports.
2. Often ticket prices to Bhuntar are on the higher side.
3. During bad weather condition, frequent cancellations happen

Alternate Options – To reach Manali by Air, New Delhi is the most popular airport due to its connectivity with other places within and outside India. Other options are –

airport	airport to manali (Km)	Airport to manali (Hrs)	connectivity
New Delhi	550	14 hr	Private car and Volvo AC/Non AC buses
Chandigarh	310	9 hr	Private car and AC/Non AC buses
Amritsar	420	12 hr	Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has a daily AC bus service to Manali. Private AC buses are also available

How To Reach Manali By Train

Manali doesn’t have its own railway station either. Nearest railway station is Jogindernagar.
Pros: Located at a distance of 145 km from Manali. Can reach Manali in 4.5 to 5 hrs of drive.
Cons: Jogindernagar has very limited connectivity with other major railway stations.

Popular Options: Majority of the people coming to Manali by train reaches Chandigarh Junction or Ambala Cantonment which have a very good railway connectivity with all the major cities of India. Manali is at a distance of 300 km from these places and have very good road connectivity. From Chandigarh/Ambala it takes about 8-9 hr by car and 9-10 hr by bus to reach Manali via Kulu.

Railway Station	Station to manali (Km)	Station to manali (Hrs)	connectivity
Chandigarh	298	8.30 hr	Private car and AC/Non AC buses
Ambala cantt	340	9 hr	Private car will be the recommended mode to directly reach Manali from Ambala Cantonment station. Alternately take a cab to reach Chandigarh bus stand and take a AC or Non-AC bus

How To Reach Manali By Bus

Manali has a very good road connectivity with Delhi, Chandigarh, Shimla and Dharamshala. Regular bus service to Manali are available from all these locations.

Bus Types and Condition
AC and Non-AC buses including Volvo services operated by both government and private agencies are available.
Pros – Less travel cost and overnight journey from the above listed places.
Cons – Tiring road journey, less opportunity to enjoy the beautiful road compared to rented cab or own car

Information and Reservation
Himachal Tourism Volvo Service – www.booking.hptdc.in
Himachal Road Transport Corp – www.hrtc.gov.in

How To Reach Manali By Car

Manali has a very good road connectivity with Delhi, Chandigarh, Shimla and Dharamshala. The other advantage of reaching Manali by car is that you can enjoy the amazing beauty along the route to its fullest. Photography enthusiasts can stop wherever they like and capture the shot of the moment.
Pros – The scenic road will make you amazed and you can stop and take snaps or relax whenever you feel like.
Cons – Expensive option; better affordable if traveling in a group.