Delhi to Manali by Road: A Self-Drive Guide to the Himalayas

Manali is the big mountain drive from Delhi: about 530–540 km from the plains of Haryana and Punjab up the Beas valley to snow peaks, apple orchards and cedar forests. The new four-lane highway and tunnels past Kiratpur have made it quicker, but it is still a long day of 10–14 hours, and the hill roads demand respect. This guide covers the route, the best time to go, snow and the Atal Tunnel, and how to plan the trip in a self-drive car.

Delhi to Manali at a glance

• Distance: about 530–540 km.
• Driving time: 10–14 hours, depending on traffic and road works.
• Route: NH44 to Chandigarh, then Kiratpur, Bilaspur, Mandi and Kullu.
• Best time: October to June; snow from December to February. Avoid the monsoon.
• Good for: four to six days, with day trips to Solang, the Atal Tunnel and Naggar.

The route

Head north on NH44 through Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal and Ambala to Chandigarh, about 250 km of fast highway. From there the road runs to Kiratpur and climbs into Himachal Pradesh: Bilaspur, then Mandi, then up the Beas valley through the Aut tunnel to Kullu and Manali. The four-laning past Kiratpur, with several new tunnels, has replaced many of the old hairpin bends.

Plan the drive

In one day

1. Leave Delhi by 5 am and have breakfast on NH44 near Karnal.
2. Pass Chandigarh by mid-morning and take the Kiratpur road into the hills.
3. Stop for lunch around Bilaspur or Mandi.
4. Reach Kullu and Manali by early evening, before dark.

In two days

Spend the night in Chandigarh, or drive further on to Mandi, and cover the hills fresh the next morning. A night in Mandi also lets you detour to Rewalsar Lake, or stop at Kullu for river rafting on the Beas.

Snow, Rohtang and the Atal Tunnel

From December to February the roads beyond Manali are often covered in snow and ice. Police may then allow only 4x4s or cars with chains past Solang or towards the Atal Tunnel, so check before you set out. If it's snowing, the safest plan is to park in town and take a local taxi to the snow points.

• The Atal Tunnel, about 9 km long, runs under the Rohtang ridge to Sissu in Lahaul. You don't need a permit, and the views on the far side are worth the drive.
• Rohtang Pass, at about 3,980 m, needs an online permit to drive up and is open roughly May to November.
• Solang Valley has paragliding and a ropeway in summer and snow activities in winter.

Things to do in Manali

• The Hadimba Devi Temple, a 16th-century wooden temple in a cedar forest.
• Old Manali's cafes and lanes, and the hot springs at Vashisht.
• Mall Road for shopping and Tibetan food.
• Naggar Castle, about 20 km away, above the Beas valley.

Tolls and fuel costs

Tolls come to a few hundred rupees each way, on NH44 in Haryana and on the four-lane road past Kiratpur, all paid by the FASTag in the car. Himachal Pradesh also charges an entry tax on cars from other states.

For fuel, a petrol SUV doing 14 km a litre uses about 38 litres each way: roughly ₹3,700 at ₹96 a litre, or about ₹7,500 for the round trip. Hill driving uses a little more than the highway.

Renting a self-drive car for Manali

• Unlimited kilometres and an All-India permit on every car; you pay any state entry taxes.
• Trips over 48 hours get 10% off, and over 5 days 20% off.
• An SUV with good ground clearance is the most comfortable in the hills: the Scorpio N, Grand Vitara or Brezza.
• Collect the car at our Mahipalpur office near IGI Airport, or have it delivered anywhere in Delhi NCR.
• You need a driving licence held for at least a year, a government ID and a ₹5,000 refundable deposit.

Planning a shorter hill trip? See our Delhi to Shimla guide. See all our cars or read more about outstation trips from Delhi.