Himachal Pradesh
Manali
Mountains, cafes and the trip your group chat keeps asking for
- Suggested trip
- 4 to 6 days, including travel
- Suited to
- friends and groups; college groups
In 30 seconds
- Ideal length
- 4 to 6 days, including travel
- Best time
- October to February for snow, March to June for pleasant weather and fewer crowds
- Good for
- Friends / Group, College, Couple, Family
- Popular from
- Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh
Manali: Solang Valley Manali
Photo 1 of 4
Getting there
- From Delhi
- Approx 530 km, 12 to 14 hours by road
- From Chandigarh
- Approx 310 km, 8 to 9 hours
- Nearest airport
- Kullu-Bhuntar, about 50 km, 1.5 to 2 hours
From our trips to Manali
Manali, from the valley to the peaks
College group in Manali
College group trip, ManaliMake the route work for you
Before you choose Manali
- Who this idea suits
- Friends / Group, College, Couple, Family. Travelling with children, elders or anyone with mobility needs? Tell us and we set the daily pace around them.
- Allow for your departure city
- Overnight Volvo or private cab from Delhi and Chandigarh is the most common route groups take. Flights land at Kullu-Bhuntar, about 50 km from Manali, usually 1.5 to 2 hours by road. We can arrange pickup either way. Travel estimates vary with your actual starting point, traffic and operating conditions.
What should my written quote confirm?
- Property name, room category and meal plan
- Vehicle type, pickup point and arrival/return times
- Total cost, taxes, inclusions and optional extras
- Availability, payment schedule and cancellation terms
About this trip
Manali is usually the first mountain trip for most groups, and it earns that spot. You get snow-capped views without a brutal journey, cafes that stay open late for a group that wants to talk till 2 AM, and enough around Solang and Old Manali to fill four or five days without repeating a day twice.
Read more about Manali
It works for almost every kind of group we plan for: a college gang chasing snow for the first time, a family that wants an easy mountain break, or a couple that wants a cosy stay with a view. We build the plan around who's coming, not the other way round.
How to reach: Overnight Volvo or private cab from Delhi and Chandigarh is the most common route groups take. Flights land at Kullu-Bhuntar, about 50 km from Manali, usually 1.5 to 2 hours by road. We can arrange pickup either way.
The Reality Check
When not to go:July and August landslide season, and the peak crowd weeks of late December
- Permits for Rohtang Pass can be scarce and expensive in peak season
- Adventure sports at Solang Valley (Paragliding, ATVs) are charged separately by local operators
Trip highlights
- Old Manali cafes, bridges and riverside walks
- Solang Valley for snow activities or paragliding, season permitting
- Hidimba Temple and Manu Temple, both an easy walk from the main town
- Day trips to Sissu and Atal Tunnel for the more adventurous itineraries
- On a 6 to 7 day trip, extend into Kasol and the Parvati Valley
Did you know?
Old Manali is believed, in Hindu mythology, to be the exact spot where Manu, the mythical first man, set foot after a great flood receded, which is where the town's name comes from: Manu-Alaya, the abode of Manu.
Manali is famous for
Things to actually do here
Hidimba Devi Temple
A 1553 CE wooden pagoda-style temple in a cedar forest, dedicated to Bhima's wife from the Mahabharata. No idol inside, just her stone footprint.
Old Manali cafe-hop
Cross the Manalsu river for the town's quieter, riverside cafe strip, the mythological landing spot of Manu himself.
Solang Valley
Paragliding and, in season, snow, a short drive from central Manali.
Atal Tunnel to Sissu
The world's longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet, a easy day trip into Lahaul.
Local food worth a stop in Manali
Siddu
Steamed Himachali bread stuffed with walnuts or poppy seeds, eaten with ghee.
Trout
Fresh river trout is the local speciality on many Manali menus.
Johnson's Cafe
Long-running garden cafe on Circuit House Road, known for its trout.
Hours and directions on Google Maps
For your own exploring. We don't book or promote these places.
Treks near Manali
ModerateHampta Pass
Green Kullu on one side, stark Lahaul on the other
- Max altitude
- 14,065 ft
- Duration
- 5 days from Manali
- Best months
- June to early October
ModerateBhrigu Lake
A high alpine lake four days from Manali
- Max altitude
- 14,000 ft
- Duration
- 4 days from Manali
- Best months
- June to October
Easy-moderateKheerganga
The Parvati valley classic, with a hot spring at the top
- Max altitude
- 9,700 ft
- Duration
- 2 days
- Best months
- April to June
Sample itinerary
A starting point, not a confirmed booking. Changes depend on dates, access and availability.
3 day weekend plan
Fits a Friday night Volvo and a Sunday night return. Most of day 1 and day 3 goes on the road.
7 day plan with Kasol
Manali first, then Kasol and the Parvati Valley, with a rest day before the long drive back.
What's typically included
- Stay in hand-picked hotels or homestays for your group size
- Private or shared transport as per your plan
- Daily breakfast (more meals available on request)
- Sightseeing and activities as per itinerary
- A single Gozy Trips point of contact from booking to return
What's not included
- Flights or train tickets to the base city, unless added to your plan
- Personal expenses, tips and anything outside the listed itinerary
- Adventure activities not included in the base package (available as add-ons)
- Travel insurance
- Anything not explicitly listed as included on your final quote
Price depends on your dates, hotel category, group size and how much transport you need. Send us your plan for a real quote.
- Itemised quoteEvery quote is itemised: the hotel and room type for each night, the vehicle, and which meals are included, so you can compare it line by line.
- Second opinion on any quoteAlready have a quote from another agency? Send it and we will tell you whether we can do the same trip for less. If we cannot, we will say so.
